Global Warming

[Wayland]

Snip> I might have had more time for him if he did it to illustrate the gravitational attraction of a large satellite on a body of water though

I'm with you there, but given the belief systems of the age I think he made a good point. I think the guy gets a bad press.

 

[durulz]

I think the guy gets a bad press.

True.
But not as bad a press as Aethelred (we're better than to call him 'The Unready'). Or Prince/King John. Always thought he got a raw deal - Richard had bankrupted the country and he (John) had to carry the can.

 

[Neumo]

My 2 cents are as follows. The idea that all of a sudden human beings shere existance on the planet will cause it to die in our lifetimes, which is basically what the climate change believers mantra boils down to, is a a load of old B*****ks. A has been said, the existance & current lifestyles of a huge number of people is likely to be threatened within the the next 100 years but the threat will come from mankind as we compete (& fight) for a dwindling amount of natural resources. When the oil runs dry most of western civilization is likely to go with it, as has been discussed here before. So we are the threat, not some Earth Mother Godess having a bad hair day.

All that said though, there are some good things to come out of this. If fairly sceptical people like me start believing that we should pollute less, by stuff that is more locally produced, buy stuff with less packaging etc.. then collectivly we will will be using less resources. The problem is that everybody needs to do lots of little things for a change to be made. That means that the emerging world needs to buy into this, the US has to get serious about it etc.. all of which is starting to happen slowly. It will take another generation before it makes a naticible effect but we will get there.

It's things like the eco light bulb, that use less power with more or less the same amount of light. If they are just bought by the Mong Bean brigade then it wont have an impact; but now the old ones are being phased out, so everyone will be using them soon = lots of saved power.

That said, I believe that 'Global Warming' is the political masterstroke of the meillenium. It let's governments take more & more money from you, while claiming to be 'saving the planet' (Man!). It misdirects a huge chunk of left wing politics into fighting for an issue that we can not prove actually exists (bit like Bin Laden 10 years on). It has deepely ingrained a set of new values into science, architecture, transportation that some believe is almost a herasy to deny.

Meanwhile I have to pay more & more to drive a fast car car. It's only going to get worse.....

 

[ged]

Wishing and hoping that people will change there ways in the face of all evidence, historical and contemporary, is naive at best and Canutism at worst. The actions that any government needs to take to fix these problems would render them unelectable. At which point its far more sensible rather than trying to hold back the tide, to use the remaining time before the tide comes in to build a boat or move to higher ground.

Interesting point there, and it neatly illustrates logical absurdity, or at least that clinging on to obsolete ideas can get us into a great big mess.

If the irrational belief that a medieval, ill-described, widely despised, corrupt and demonstrably dysfunctional political system must endure means that millions of people will go hungry and die while the rest are driven from their homes by the miserable conditions, then I think the solution is obvious. Unfortunately the forum rules probably prohibit further discussion of this particular issue.

 

[ged]

I think the guy gets a bad press.

This is, unfortunately, what usually happens when the press gets hold of anything. Whenever I see an article in the press (especially from the BBC) about something in which I have personal experience, it's almost always complete tosh. That makes me very suspicious about everything else I see in the press -- not that I spend a lot of time looking.

 

[ged]

The idea that all of a sudden human beings shere existance on the planet will cause it to die in our lifetimes, which is basically what the climate change believers mantra boils down to...

It doesn't help your argument to misrepresent anyone else in a way which is such transparent nonsense.

It's things like the eco light bulb ... everyone will be using them soon = lots of saved power.

Probably quite a bit less than you think. For example in winter, if you have thermostatically controlled electric heating, the reduction in your energy usage will be approximately zero.

I believe that 'Global Warming' is the political masterstroke of the meillenium. It let's governments take more & more money from you, while claiming to be 'saving the planet'

Governments spend money on you as well as taking it from you. It's very convenient but disingenuous of you to forget that.

Meanwhile I have to pay more & more to drive a fast car ...

Walker of the Woods, did you say?

 

[No Idea]

...in the meantime, the gov has put so much tax on the eco friendly power coming from the wind turbine farm down the road, that Im going to go and burn a big pile of paper, cardboard and timber in my open fire to save me using my central heating and save money and the costs of driving all the way to the recycling plant.