Important question...but, first, lets look at a story the editorial elves at the Moncton TandT didn't notice. An American government air-testing station, one that sets the standard for the world, has just measured carbon-dioxide in the air (from coal, gasoline, etc.) at 400 parts per million. Not much? Well, the last time it was that high was at least three million years ago. And it gets worse.
At 400 parts per million, it's within shaking hands distance of the point at which global warming cannot be stopped. It will, of course, soon drop back a litlle for some day - and then rise again. With luck, the no-going-back stage could be reached just about the time we open our new civic centre - with its big, big parking lot.
But this word "touting", now, ....it appears on the front page "Fracking benefits touted", a news story about how a fracking industry representative gives us an impartial view of how good fracking is for us. She says she sincerely believes that. (Well, if she's sincere, that's all we need. I hate people who insincerely believe things.)
But what does tout mean? It appears in English in the 1700s as meaning a look-out for thieves; and it never has made the climb to respectability. Touts at race-tracks give you tips on races - for a price. Touts buy up tickets for popular shows, then sell them at the last minute for inflated prices. Generally, the word is in a class with 'pimp'.
It's nice to see that a headline editor at the TandT knows enough to us the word 'tout' correctly. After all, nobody really knows enough to be sure about fracking. It may not reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The supply of it may be very short indeed. Nobody knows how poisonous its wastes will prove. (But it is known there will be profound and long-lasting poisonous results from its toxic wastes that have to be left in the ground). As for those wastes that get removed - well....they will be somewhere else and that's nice - but where? Bay of Fundy? Highfield Square?
I'm glad that our provincial government will use every foot-pound of brainpower it has to settle these questions. But a million of lesser minds of scientists all over the world say they're nowhere close to having the answers. But I guess they aren't aware of the quick mind and penetrating insights of Mr. Alward.
Then there's the sticky question of human health that was raised by the Chief Medical Officer of the province. The government says it's working on that for its next statement in a few weeks. Very nice. But the basic research hasn't been done yet - and a "few weeks" is a tight schedule.
The lead story is about the Mocton 30 year city plan. After reading it, you still won't know what the plan is. I really don't think there is one.
(A side note - the editor who wrote the headline on this story should have borrowed a dictionary from the editor who wrote the one on how fracking benefits were touted. The one who wrote the subhead for the city plan says it contains several keys that are "integral for" the events centre. Editor - check the meaning of integral. You should have written "integral to" - and even that wouldn't be very good.)
The pimping (touting) get quite shamelss by the op ed page on which there is an op ed article by the same indstustry tout reported on page one.
Craig Babstock's has a "something must be done" column on forest fires. Norbert Cunningham's column on the same topic is far superior.
Alec Bruce's column is, to put it kindly, disappointing. It reads like the touting news story and the touting column. I don't object to his expressing his opinion. I do object to his loaded and often inaccurate use of words.
We do not have "exhaustive reports" on the effects of shale gas. We don't because they don't exist, not anywhere in the world. The research is far from complete.
The government plan goes as far as it should? What on earth does that mean?
He dismisses reports of problems as "horror stories". Yeah, like toxic chemicals being pumped into the soil then (some of them) being pumped out with billions of gallons of fresh water to be dumped - somewhere.
And it will all be fixed up with the next and final draught of NB's plans? That will come as one hell of a suprise to a million and more scientists who think the final answers are still years away.
Bruce, perhaps wisely, does not answer the warnings from our Chief Medical Officer. Perhaps next time he gets sick, he would prefer to visit a shale gas executive.
(Oh - and a gem - the fuel industry is "reputed" to be avaricious? Hell, no. It spends most of its time in self-humiliation, prayer, and begging alms for the poor.)
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The paper doesn't mention Afghanistan at all. Strange - I mean, it's now public that the US army intends to stay there indefinitely, maintaining at least five, major bases. The US will also supply the notoriously corrupt Karzai with hundreds of millions of dollars every year - for him personally, not for Aghanistan. It will also come to similar deals with Taliban leaders. So much for going to war to liberate women, and help little girls go to school. So why is this being done?
Afghan is central to the military and thus economic control of much of Asia. That's why the British and the Russians tried so hard to get it. That ( and not helping little girls to go to school) is why the US invaded.
Afghan also has vast mineral deposits worth a trillion dollars or even much more. That, too, is why the British, then the Russians, then the Americans invaded. Those deposits will now be open to foreign investors on very good terms - no environment laws, no minimum wage, no unions, no nothing but profits. Oh, and virturally no taxes.
But hang on. Canadian, British, American, French and other taxpayers spent over a trillion on that war; and a continued occupation that will cost them even more. What will they get out of this?
Nothing.
They won't get a cent back on those minerals because the mining companies won't be paying any taxes at home. (And depend on Canadian mining companies being leaders in this. They're actually big league in the mining world.)
Remember all this on November 11 when you're listening to all those speeches about how our soldiers in Afghanistan died, suffered crippling wounds and lifetime PTSD to protect our freedom. And thank all those mining executives for buying such big, red poppies.
As for Afghanistan, the worst is yet to come. Their society and their land and their futures are all about to be destroyed by our mining companies which are "reputed" to be avaricous. You can check with people in Congo and Guatemala on that.
At 400 parts per million, it's within shaking hands distance of the point at which global warming cannot be stopped. It will, of course, soon drop back a litlle for some day - and then rise again. With luck, the no-going-back stage could be reached just about the time we open our new civic centre - with its big, big parking lot.
But this word "touting", now, ....it appears on the front page "Fracking benefits touted", a news story about how a fracking industry representative gives us an impartial view of how good fracking is for us. She says she sincerely believes that. (Well, if she's sincere, that's all we need. I hate people who insincerely believe things.)
But what does tout mean? It appears in English in the 1700s as meaning a look-out for thieves; and it never has made the climb to respectability. Touts at race-tracks give you tips on races - for a price. Touts buy up tickets for popular shows, then sell them at the last minute for inflated prices. Generally, the word is in a class with 'pimp'.
It's nice to see that a headline editor at the TandT knows enough to us the word 'tout' correctly. After all, nobody really knows enough to be sure about fracking. It may not reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The supply of it may be very short indeed. Nobody knows how poisonous its wastes will prove. (But it is known there will be profound and long-lasting poisonous results from its toxic wastes that have to be left in the ground). As for those wastes that get removed - well....they will be somewhere else and that's nice - but where? Bay of Fundy? Highfield Square?
I'm glad that our provincial government will use every foot-pound of brainpower it has to settle these questions. But a million of lesser minds of scientists all over the world say they're nowhere close to having the answers. But I guess they aren't aware of the quick mind and penetrating insights of Mr. Alward.
Then there's the sticky question of human health that was raised by the Chief Medical Officer of the province. The government says it's working on that for its next statement in a few weeks. Very nice. But the basic research hasn't been done yet - and a "few weeks" is a tight schedule.
The lead story is about the Mocton 30 year city plan. After reading it, you still won't know what the plan is. I really don't think there is one.
(A side note - the editor who wrote the headline on this story should have borrowed a dictionary from the editor who wrote the one on how fracking benefits were touted. The one who wrote the subhead for the city plan says it contains several keys that are "integral for" the events centre. Editor - check the meaning of integral. You should have written "integral to" - and even that wouldn't be very good.)
The pimping (touting) get quite shamelss by the op ed page on which there is an op ed article by the same indstustry tout reported on page one.
Craig Babstock's has a "something must be done" column on forest fires. Norbert Cunningham's column on the same topic is far superior.
Alec Bruce's column is, to put it kindly, disappointing. It reads like the touting news story and the touting column. I don't object to his expressing his opinion. I do object to his loaded and often inaccurate use of words.
We do not have "exhaustive reports" on the effects of shale gas. We don't because they don't exist, not anywhere in the world. The research is far from complete.
The government plan goes as far as it should? What on earth does that mean?
He dismisses reports of problems as "horror stories". Yeah, like toxic chemicals being pumped into the soil then (some of them) being pumped out with billions of gallons of fresh water to be dumped - somewhere.
And it will all be fixed up with the next and final draught of NB's plans? That will come as one hell of a suprise to a million and more scientists who think the final answers are still years away.
Bruce, perhaps wisely, does not answer the warnings from our Chief Medical Officer. Perhaps next time he gets sick, he would prefer to visit a shale gas executive.
(Oh - and a gem - the fuel industry is "reputed" to be avaricious? Hell, no. It spends most of its time in self-humiliation, prayer, and begging alms for the poor.)
_____________________________________________________________________________
The paper doesn't mention Afghanistan at all. Strange - I mean, it's now public that the US army intends to stay there indefinitely, maintaining at least five, major bases. The US will also supply the notoriously corrupt Karzai with hundreds of millions of dollars every year - for him personally, not for Aghanistan. It will also come to similar deals with Taliban leaders. So much for going to war to liberate women, and help little girls go to school. So why is this being done?
Afghan is central to the military and thus economic control of much of Asia. That's why the British and the Russians tried so hard to get it. That ( and not helping little girls to go to school) is why the US invaded.
Afghan also has vast mineral deposits worth a trillion dollars or even much more. That, too, is why the British, then the Russians, then the Americans invaded. Those deposits will now be open to foreign investors on very good terms - no environment laws, no minimum wage, no unions, no nothing but profits. Oh, and virturally no taxes.
But hang on. Canadian, British, American, French and other taxpayers spent over a trillion on that war; and a continued occupation that will cost them even more. What will they get out of this?
Nothing.
They won't get a cent back on those minerals because the mining companies won't be paying any taxes at home. (And depend on Canadian mining companies being leaders in this. They're actually big league in the mining world.)
Remember all this on November 11 when you're listening to all those speeches about how our soldiers in Afghanistan died, suffered crippling wounds and lifetime PTSD to protect our freedom. And thank all those mining executives for buying such big, red poppies.
As for Afghanistan, the worst is yet to come. Their society and their land and their futures are all about to be destroyed by our mining companies which are "reputed" to be avaricous. You can check with people in Congo and Guatemala on that.
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