Breitbart lives!

On March 31st at 8:30pm people around the world will shut off their lights for one hour as a symbolic gesture that they want “something” done about climate change. During that same hour many other people around the world will keep their lights on in appreciation of human ingenuity and in defiance of the philosophy that paints humans as a blight on the planet.

Human beings exploit the environment. This isn’t a bad thing—it is how we survive and thrive. We don’t have claws or fur. We don’t live in trees or burrow underground, and really, who would want to? The way that humans have evolved from shivering in a dark caves to curling up in a heated home, under a down blanket, with music, lights, and indoor plumbing, is by analyzing our environment and altering it in ways that improve our lives. It’s the human way.

Yet, there are some people out there who think that humanity is a disease on the earth that, unchecked, will use up all of its resources. They want you to turn off your lights for an hour this Saturday for “Earth Hour” in a show of support for enforced energy conservation. It’s your right to choose to do this if you want.

On the other hand, you can join the thousands of people around the world that will not shut off their lights during that hour, and instead will celebrate the innovations of humanity and advocate for the protection of our freedom to continue advancing.

At the Competitive Enterprise Institute, we started Human Achievement Hour in 2009 to highlight the idea that environmentalism, as a philosophy, has this at its core: that humans should not exploit the Earth—even if it means humanity doesn’t advance, fewer people live, and those who do survive live shorter, sicker, and less comfortable lives.

Many people participating in the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour are honestly motivated by their personal desire to live in a clean and beautiful environment—which is understandable. However, they are unknowingly lending their support to a movement that wants to clamp down on human progress. The implicit idea behind Earth Hour, Earth Day, and similar efforts is that human beings, through our exploitation of natural resources and the waste we produce, are an unnatural and negative force in the world and that our existence should be controlled, limited, and ultimately reduced.
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We have no issue with private, voluntary conservation efforts. Individuals, whether alone or in a group, are welcome to turn off their lights, whether they think they are reducing emissions or simply want to save money. However, no one should have the right to use government coercion to force others to sit in the dark.

Cleaner, advanced technologies are built upon “dirtier” technologies. All of the innovations we enjoy today—from sliced bread to buildings to computers—stand on the shoulders of technologies that came before. The more government interferes with individuals’ ability to utilize natural resources and experiment with new technologies, the more expensive and more difficult it is to advance.

We in the West have reached a level where we can sit in the dark for an hour, fully confident that the lights will come back on when we flick the switch, but there are many places around the world where that is not the case. In some countries it is Earth Hour every hour.

Human Achievement Hour is an annual event that recognizes and celebrates the fact that this is the greatest time to be alive yet, and that the reason we have come this far is that people have been free to use their minds and the resources in their environment to experiment, create, and innovate.

Participants in the Human Achievement Hour celebration recognize the necessity of protecting the individual from government coercion, so that we may continue improving our lives and the world around us.

All emphasis above is added. The Competitive Enterprise Institute’s website is here.

This past Friday, things were as they should be in Tucson, on sunny days in March. Spring training was back!

No, it’s not the same as having major league teams here, day in and day out, throughout the month. And yes, we did have one spring training game here last year—under circumstances that lent themselves to reflection and remembrance, not relaxation.

Last Friday, though, was just about baseball. The Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers*, beer, hot dogs, sunscreen and all the other ingredients that make baseball the bread that nourishes America’s spirit.

I don’t know about Mudville, but there was real joy in Tucson. At least last Friday.

Here’s how it looked from behind the third-base dugout, with a smartphone camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Or, minor leaguers wearing their uniforms.

Just as the GOP primary spotlight started to shine on Arizona last month, I posted this:

Starting this week, the commander, staff and garrison of Fort Buckley (me, myself and I) will focus as much effort on the GOP primary as the pre-schooler, honey-do list and spring semester courseload will allow.

I’ve already contacted the four GOP presidential candidate’s campaigns, introduced myself and asked them to engage with me and the readers of TucsonCitizen.com. I’ve asked them to explain why southern Arizonans should vote for them. As I get those responses from the campaigns, I’ll post them for your comment.

How did things turn out? A picture is worth a thousand words:

(Yeah, it’s a poor quality cartoon. But, seeing as I drew it myself, there are no copyright issues! Take THAT, Righthaven!)

Total number of replies, to my offer to post statements from the GOP presidential primary candidates or their campaigns: ZERO!

Your Correspondent even went to an event where representatives from all four candidates showed up. I handed each campaign contingent a letter that explained what TucsonCitizen.com and “Fort Buckley” was, and encouraged them to let me help them get their message out.

Now that graphic makes sense, doesn’t it.

Oh well…tomorrow is another day.

(munch munch) Hmmm…crow doesn’t taste that bad after all. The bones add a crouton-like effect. (munch munch).