Last month’s United Nations climate conference in Egypt was a dreary affair. Dubbed “COP27”—the 27th of these increasingly tiresome extravaganzas—the 2022 gathering was the same old same old with a few new wrinkles.
There was the customary ideological fanaticism—the insistence that we radically retool our societies on the basis of computer models that don’t come close to matching climate realities (and daring to call those who question the validity of faulty models “ideologues”). There was the stubborn refusal to conduct a balanced cost-benefit analysis of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, literally ignoring CO2’s manifold benefits (e.g. a vast greening of the planet, longer growing seasons and increased agricultural productivity, reduced deaths due to cold, and a 99 percent reduction in the death rate from weather events due to economic and technological advances powered by fossil fuels) as well as ignoring other known influencers of climate such as solar and volcanic activity, fluctuations in Earth’s orbit, albedo (cloud cover), ocean currents, etc.
There were recklessly irresponsible and anti-scientific statements, such as that by Simon Stiell, the UN official overseeing their climate change agenda, who stated, “All of the other things—interest rates, cost of living, even wars—come to an end, but climate change just marches on” and that “the damage that is caused by climate impacts … [is] only increasing.”
Stiell ignored the UN’s own published position that “prediction of future climate states is not possible” because “the climate system is a coupled nonlinear chaotic system.” How does he know the climate will become more destructive? He doesn’t—and can’t—know.
COP27 also reached a new low in its ongoing child abuse. For years, the UN climate cabal—in collusion with certain domestic special interests—has been needlessly imposing anxiety and depression on millions of children by filling their innocent minds with unfounded fears of climate catastrophe, depriving the likes of Greta Thunberg of a normal childhood. At COP27, there was a Children and Youth Pavilion. Ten thousand children were flown in (their jets emitting CO2 all the way) to be exploited as stage props mouthing the desired anti-CO2 nonsense in which they have been indoctrinated.
Theatrics aside, the true agenda of the climate change cabal has (as their leaders have been stating openly for decades) been socialistic in nature—a desire for more undemocratic control over people’s lives and the distribution of wealth. Thus, a primary theme of COP27 was the issue of fairness.
The lip service to “fairness” is best encapsulated in a statement that deserves some sort of prize for most vacuous, most fatuous: “Climate change is deeply unfair.” This statement was made in connection with Pakistan having suffered extreme flooding this year. Yes, those floods are tragic. So was the tornado that destroyed much of Mayfield, Kentucky, last December, the flooding that inundated Hazard, Kentucky, in July, and Hurricane Ian that flattened much of Ft. Myers, Florida, and inflicted fearsome damage on a number of nearby cities on the Gulf Coast. Isn’t it interesting that the UN has been conspicuously reticent about lamenting devastating weather events in the United States?
“Fairness,” of course, has nothing to do with destructive weather events. Such events are mindless and random. They don’t choose where to happen or who to hurt; they just happen, as they have been happening for countless millennia. But that didn’t stop our sensationalistic media from hyping the climate change angle.
For example, CNN reported that the monsoons in Pakistan were by far the wettest since records were first kept in 1961, implying that climate change is responsible. But is it? A weather event being the most extreme in only six decades (a mere blink of geological time) can be extremely misleading. It’s like those who are crying out that wildfires in California are far more frequent than they were 50 years ago, while failing to point out that California wildfires are far less frequent than they were 100 years ago. Data can be used to create misleading impressions simply by choosing the starting point or time frame that most effectively serves one’s agenda.
Related to the disingenuous “fairness” canard promoted at COP27, the message went out, “It’s the underdeveloped countries that suffer the most.” Although this isn’t always going to be categorically true (again, remember the floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes that have battered parts of the USA), it does have an element of truth to it. Less-developed countries often lack the engineering and technological capacity that wealthier countries have at their disposal to mitigate the impact of weather-related events. Where the UN gets it wrong is in implying that it’s unfair that the developed countries used carbon-based fuels to attain their higher levels of affluence, while the poorer countries consumed less of those fuels, and so lagged behind.
Today, in the name of “fairness,” the UN climate change cabal wants the wealthier countries to pay “reparations” to less developed countries—compensation for the alleged sin of being wealthier, which was the result of having used more fossil fuels, thereby supposedly changing Earth’s climate for the worse.
The problem with this line of reasoning is that it isn’t the rich countries’ fault that the poorer countries didn’t avail themselves of fossil fuels. Those unfortunate countries have been held back from economic development by poor governance and unwise policies—policies ranging from socialism to good-old-fashioned corruption. But this didn’t stop the UN from proudly unveiling at the end of COP27 a “breakthrough agreement” to provide “loss and damage” funding for poorer countries hit hard by climate disasters.
Most of you reading this will readily recognize the gross unfairness of making the rich countries pay for the poor countries’ largely self-inflicted failure to develop. However, the unfairness at COP27 is far more vicious than that. The perpetrator of the greatest unfairness is current, not historical. It’s the UN climate change cabal itself that’s guilty. Indeed, even as Germany is dismantling a wind-power installation to extract the coal that’s underneath it (after all, Europeans desperately need reliable energy today) the UN climate change cabal continues to push aggressively for the development of intermittent sources of energy for African nations while blocking and opposing the use of fossil fuels in Africa. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has loudly condemned this blatant double standard—as well he should.
The hypocrisy of the UN is vicious. Africans need access to reliable energy far more than they need financial handouts. Former President Donald Trump was right to withdraw the United States from the 2015 UN-crafted Paris agreement. Unfortunately, current President Joe Biden is fully on-board with the UN’s socialistic redistribution of wealth and unjust suppression of African economic development. This is another low point in the Biden presidency. What a shame.
Article cross-posted from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
