NEWS AND OPINION:
Is Donald Trump “really pro-gun?” asks Tom McHale, author of several consumer gun guides, and a contributor to OudoorHub, a sports news site. He notes that while Mr. Trump has a concealed carry permit in New York, he also donated $584,850 to Democrats, the Clinton Global Initiative and Rahm Emanuel’s campaign for Chicago mayor. The candidate also publicly supported a ban on assault weapons at one point.
Still, Mr. Trump’s talk on the campaign trail seems “clear and convincing,” Mr. McHale says.
“On the plus side, he’s been more specific about exactly how he supports Second Amendment issues than any other candidate. He’s also detailed his position in writing in his platform. Many others will verbally state some nebulous support of gun rights in a speech, but are often reluctant to detail their views, especially in writing. On the flip side, his past positions are a valid reason for concern as he has yet to clarify a believable explanation for his apparent change of position,” Mr. McHale writes.
“As far as the donations go, it’s hard to draw conclusions one way or the other. As a businessman trying to get things done all over the country, it’s far more likely that his donations are a tool to gain support for his various development projects. If you made me choose a position, I’d put candidate Trump in the ’gun rights supporter’ column, but clearly Mr. USA has some additional explaining to do,” Mr. McHale concludes.
THAT PESKY CARBON FOOTPRINT
No matter how they spin it, the 190 global leaders now gathered in Paris to talk about climate change can’t escape carbon footprints left by their aircraft and ground transportation to the event.
The United Nation’s’ own Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that such transport accounts for 23 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, and the percentage is expected to increase. The Swiss-based Air Transport Action Group says the aviation industry alone produces 12 percent.
But the big shots have to get their some how. Germany’s environmental minister Barbara Hendricks took a train to Paris, rather than fly in, though the journey was still disrupted by “anarchists” protesting her mode of travel.
“Climate change alarmists stubbornly refuse to live as if they believe a single word of what they’re saying. The size of their carbon footprints is staggering,” observes John Hayward, a Brietbart columnist. “These conferences are unnecessary. It’s 2015. We have incredibly advanced telecommuting systems. Climate confabs are an excuse for politicians to soak their taxpayers for luxury junkets to exotic vacation destinations, where they stay in five-star hotels and dine on the finest gourmet foods.”
Indeed, President Obama flew to Paris aboard Air Force One, which costs $206,000 per hour to operate and burns five gallons of jet fuel for every mile it covers, Mr. Hayward says. Since aviation fuel releases 21 pounds of carbon into the atmosphere for every gallon burned, he figures the president’s 7,656-mile round-trip to Paris will consume 38,280 gallons of fuel, and release 803,880 pounds of carbon by the time Mr. Obama returns home Tuesday evening.
And the grand total here? Wired.com reporter Nick Stockton estimates that the thousands who travel to the conference are ultimately responsible for the emission of 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide — based on typical industry standards, and the average travel distances of the participants.
ALARMING THE ALARMISTS
The COP 21 meeting on climate change plods forward, but not without protest. “Brandalism” is at work in Paris. Some 60 artist activists have plastered the town with 600 parody posters that claim the big event is guilty of “greenwashing” — accepting auto and airline sponsors who are guilty of polluting the air, but eager to market their virtue before the green-minded crowd.
“Drive cleaner — or just pretending to?” asks one big graphic targeting Volkswagen.
“The multinationals responsible for climate change can keep greenwashing their destructive business models, but the communities directly impacted by them are silenced. It’s now more important than ever to call out their lies and speak truth to power,” the British-based art collective advised in a public statement.
STOP YOUR WHINING AND GET BUSY
“President Obama attacked me for not wanting Syrian refugees to enter our country. He doesn’t want you to know that his and Hillary Clinton’s failed tough-talk-but-do-nothing policies are responsible for the meltdown in the Middle East. Millions of families are fleeing their homes because the Obama-Clinton tough talk is just empty rhetoric. We need leaders who will stop whining and start winning.”
— GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson in a new campaign video released Monday. The candidate was in Jordan last weekend visiting Syrian refugees to see their problems first-hand.
FOXIFIED
Those consistently high ratings on Fox News aren’t just a random occurrence. Media watchers cite the influence of a single force.
AdWeek has named Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes the “Media Visionary of the Year,” crediting him with upping the value of the network, now on track to make $2.3 billion in revenue by year’s end. That’s twice as much as CNN is worth. Fox News was also named “Hottest Network of the Year” by AdWeek.
“I don’t feel any different in my brain than when I was 30 years old,” Mr. Ailes told the publication.
Meanwhile, “Fox News Sunday” garnered its highest ratings in a decade last week when close to 2 million viewers tuned in to the show hosted by Chris Wallace, according to Nielsen Media. The program featured a rare TV interview with Rush Limbaugh, plus a session with GOP presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio.
POLL DU JOUR
• 46 percent of Syrian residents say they would leave their country “if given the opportunity.”
• 43 percent expect to at least leave their current community in the next year.
• 39 percent would prefer to migrate permanently to Europe, 35 percent prefer the Middle East and northern Africa.
• 30 percent prefer to continue living in Syria.
• 10 percent would prefer to live in Asia, 6 percent in North America.
Source: A Gallup poll of 1,002 Syrian adults conducted throughout January and released Monday.
• Major issues, petty annoyances to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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