How Peter Gleick’s skullduggery killed my April Fools posting

Readers may recall that I love a good April Fools story, such as the one I did about Low Flow Fire Hydrants in my town in the name of “sustainability”. It worked so well that I had even suckered in a city council member with the story.

I had planned an elaborate April Fool’s posting this year. The object of such was California’s overzealous edicts on environmentalism foisted on the public by agencies such as CARB. My subject was the twisty bulb, and the movement to replace filament bulbs. My target was the most famous filament bulb ever, the one in the firehouse in Livermore, CA which has been burning for over a century, dubbed “The Centennial Bulb”

My plan for this April Fool’s column was thought up about a year ago. But ever since Gleick launched “fakegate” I just couldn’t do it, even in jest. His scummy self serving deceptions foisted on journalists (who lapped it up without question) have left such a bad taste in my mouth that I couldn’t bring myself to follow through with a simple prank designed to be fun, entertaining, and in the spirit of April Fools day.

Here’s what my April Fools prank was going to be.

I had planned to write a column about how an NGO had sprung up called “No Light Bulb Left Behind” whose mission was total replacement of all incandescent bulbs in California with the slogan “Helping California make the switch to energy efficiency”. I even registered a domain name to give legitimacy to the prank: nolightbulbleftbehind.org

The plan was to make up this website with convincing environmental slogans and twisty bulb imagery in the style of “feel good environmentalism” that we’ve seen time and again.

The other part was to make up a funny press release and post it on that website where they supposedly convinced the City of Livermore to retire the “centennial bulb” and replace it with a twisty bulb to show that it was “time to retire the old ways”, then write about it here at WUWT in the style of “can you believe this?”. I figured a number of people would believe this and actually applaud the idea, because even crazier things are being done in California today in the name of sustainability and environmentalism; CARB’s carbon trading program for example.

But after Gleick’s dastardly deception in the name of environmentalism followed by his self immolation for “the cause” I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to make up even this small prank for the purpose of entertaining everyone. All my well laid April Fools plans went into the bit-bucket.

So that’s why I have no April Fools story. I’m sorry. (Apparently though Stefan Rahmstorf at RealClimate has no such compunctions about making up some science though.)

I’m back traveling again today, and moderation will be sporadic. I’m treating a number of my moderation staff and contributors to a nice dinner tonight. For those of you moderating in far away lands, and on the other side of the USA, you have my sincerest thanks and best wishes. Your presence will be sorely missed, and I hope to be able to make it up to you someday.