Commentary

More on Portland’s False CO2 Claims

In a previous post, I mentioned that the City of Portland’s (OR) was recently forced to recant its loudly-trumpeted claim to have reduced CO2 emission levels below 1990 levels due to a “math error.” Given that the false claim even made national news via an article by Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times, I wondered how loudly the recanting would be broadcast. So far, not very loudly, and judging by this piece in the Portland Tribune, the MSM spin machine may cast the story as “evil right-wing think tank cries wolf.” Check out this headline: “Critics poke holes in city’s greenhouse claim: Portland is lauded for reduction in carbon emissions, but the results are based on faulty calculations, some say.” “Some say?” What?!?! The city has issued a mea culpa, so who’s not saying it?! To be fair, the actual article is pretty accurate, but we all know that the headline sets the tone for the reader’s impression. Here’s a little free advice for the Tribune…you could have saved a little ink with this headline: “City admits error in greenhouse claim.”