Annoy The Media  9.1.15

Since I am so quick to call Donald Trump a hypocrite, a friend has asked if I would apply the same moniker to Barack Obama because he’s in Alaska seeking support on climate change intiatives even as his administration has only just approved off shore drilling permits to Shell Oil.

Obama Is A Climate Hypocrite. His Trip To Alaska Proves It

When you look at the entire picture, the balance of his actions in six and a half years in office come down heavily on the side of long term reduction in greenhouse gases.  In particular, the extended EPA standards that will raise MPG on all vehicles by 2025 to 54 MPG.  These are two small examples and there are many more

Autos must average 54.5 mpg by 2025, new EPA standards say

White House to Toughen Fuel Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles
I actually believe the need to curb man’s effect on climate change — in practice — must also be balanced with the reality of where the economy and our national security needs stand.  While most of Obamas changes kick in years from now, they allow for transition less likely to shock the economy and undermine national security.  Those are real issues that must be balanced with the need to transition to clean energy and I believe when you get into the thick of it, the reality of the need to balance is going to appear as hypocrisy from time to time, but not when viewed in it’s full perspective. Alaske, after all is not the only place where the battle to slow climate change exists. I guess you win some and lose some but overall hope for a good winning percentage?

N.C. to fight Obama climate change plan that cuts carbon emissions

When A Trump calls for penalizing all corporations who take their manufacturing out of the country — even though that is the only way he manufactured his clothing line, there is no bigger picture there.  That is rhetoric simply for the sake of bombast.

When a 6.5 year sitting President visits Alaska to highlight the reality of the melt — even as he approved offshore drilling that is still important to the local economy — he has a greater record to refer back to, upon which to judge his overall actions.  Including the limits put on that drilling. Read about those here:

U.S. Will Allow Drilling for Oil in Arctic Ocean

In short, if you look at this through a narrow prism you find hypocrisy.  If you look at it in regard to his overall record on the issue, I think you see real action tempered by the responsibility to administrate inconvenient reality.  In this situation, those on the left see only what’s immediately in front of them with Alaska as the sole crucible.  But when you look at the bigger picture of the battles fought everywhere on this issue you get the sense this White House sees the much bigger picture.