The Scientific Quarterly

AFTER COPENHAGEN: I FEAR CORRESPONDENCE OF THIS SORT WAS SENT.

By David Ng

“In stark contrast to its cuddly international image, Canada is the dirty old man of the climate world – missing its Kyoto emissions reduction target by a country mile (by 2007, it was 34% above its target) and showing no signs of reigning in its profligacy.” The Guardian, November 30, 2009

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>Jimbo,

What the hell is going on? Copenhagen was a freaking fiasco! What happened? And how is Mr. Environment Minister going to do to fix it?

Stevie (The PM).

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>Steve buddy!

O.K. We have a plan. A couple of things actually. Most of them revolving around science and stuff, since we keep getting hammered on our stance with what the climatologists are telling us (you know, the IPCC reports and such). Anyway, the plan is multifaceted, and we’re still bouncing off ideas (FYI: if you got any Prime Ministery input, just pass it on), but here is what we have so far:

1. To get the scientific community off our back, we’re going to challenge them to perform definitive, but basically impossible, climate science experiments. Doesn’t that sound great? I wrote that myself. And here’s one just off the top of my head, which I’m calling the TRI-EARTH experiment (also, wrote that myself). Here, we’ll ask scientists to create two other planet Earths, and populate them with identical geology, biodiversity and anthropogenic infrastructure, and then do a compare and comparison. Our current Earth could be the test subject, whereas the other two could represent “controls” (ooh actual science lingo). These would be conditions with (a) zero fossil fuel emissions, and (b) intensive fossil fuel emissions. Scientists would then be asked to collect data for 100 years, and then reconvene with their conclusions. Brilliant right? Oh man, our tech guys are gonna love making that website.

2. To get the environmental community off our backs, we’re thinking of asking the HR Departments of all tar sand companies to actively hire members of the biodiversity community. And we’re not talking scientists here, but actual animals – the cuter and the furrier the better! This strategy is even timely! Can you believe our luck? 2010 is the “International Year of Biodiversity.” Anyway, the idea is that this would be an excellent way to create tension between all those environmentalists. Imagine the debates! I can hear them already: “You can’t shut down the tar sands! Think of the livelihood of our friends, the [insert name of cute furry mammal]. How will they maintain their way of life?” As an added bonus, the irony alone just might get Suzuki’s brain to explode.

3. This one is a biggie! We’re looking into actually creating new scientific laws! Wouldn’t that be great? I mean a good chunk of the data out there is based on rigorous climate modeling, which is powered by scientific laws and mathematical equations (bla bla bla). So we say: why not take matters into our own hands, and create something like a new addition to the Laws of Thermodynamics. I mean, these laws are well known, they come up a lot in climate studies (the first law with its overbearing “energy cannot be created or destroyed” mantra is especially annoying), and as a bonus, they even have too many syllables which we know is always good for added confusion. If we’re smart, we can even make the new law a little “magical” (seriously, maybe something about unicorns – you like unicorns right?). This might make the whole creationism angle a little easier to swallow scientifically (and you know me, I’m always looking for ways to widen our support base).

4. Advertising: and lots of it. Maybe go with either a “Canada is a Climate Change Free Zone” angle (wouldn’t that look great on a t-shirt?); or maybe just a straight up promotion of things to do in a hotter climate. I think the “Hot Canada” idea could sell itself. I’m thinking four words: beach volleyball and sombreros. Hmmm… let me write that down. Could work as a possible slogan.

O.K enough writing… I’m going to send this memo off right now. These are just a few ideas we’re ready to act on. Add on a good old general marketing blitz, and I think we got something that should do the trick. Anyway, just say the word boss and we’ll get on it pronto.

Jimbo

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>Jimbo,

Sounds great. Make it so (I love saying that). Oh and how about this for a slogan, “No more sweater vests!”

Later,
Stevie.

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David is Director of the Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory, the educational arm of the Michael Smith Labs. He's also the dude that edits the SCQ. You can follow David on twitter at http://twitter.com/ng_dave

MY EARTH DAY RESOLUTIONS

By Vince LiCata

1. Switch birdfeeders from nuclear to solar.

2. Fill in backyard Superfund pit with cement.

3. Paint cement over Superfund pit green, with cute little flower designs.

4. Adopt one of the polar bears at the zoo (the one that doesn’t look so scraggly).

5. Print out a picture of Al Gore and pin it to something.

6. Get rid of the corpses.

7. Wash dishes by hand, with sand.

8. Will make a Styrofoam replica of the Earth and hang it on the front porch (will pin Al Gore’s picture on it).

9. Will walk to Walmart to get the Styrofoam.

10. Won’t flush, all day.

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Vince LiCata is a biochemist in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Louisiana State University. His laboratory studies protein structure and function. He owns two Britney Spears CDs, but one of them is an illegal copy given to him by one of his students. He routinely gives out more than 25% A’s in his General Biochemistry and Biophysical Chemistry courses, yet is considered a hard-ass. He is reasonably sure that if Britney Spears got in a fight with Jessica Simpson, that BS would crack JS like a little twig.

POSSIBLE REASONS I WOKE UP TO FIND I HAD NO LEGS THIS MORNING

By Scott Rothman

Avian leg flu.

God is cruel and vengeful and this is how he really spends his Sundays.

There is no “God”. Nor “legs”.

Someone I know was jealous of my legs and recently found a lamp containing a genie.

The Heisenberg uncertainty principle argues that something that is observed is forever changed by the mere act of being observed. In laymen’s terms, it means that once you see something it’s not the way it was before you saw it.

Maybe I sawed them off.

Times are tough.

When I threw that penny into the well and thought I was wishing to sleep with Heidi Klum and pleasure her in ways Seal couldn’t, I was really wishing that I would wake up with no legs whatsoever.

Five years ago, Jay Leno promised me I could keep them.

Legless guy down the hall borrowed them.

Don’t know where they went but gotta say, since they’ve been gone, no more voices!

Yeti got ‘em.

Comically exaggerated case of restless leg syndrome.

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Scott Rothman is a screenwriter living in New York City.

 

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