BALI IS OVER Monday, Dec 17 2007

So the global warming conference at Bali is over. Agreement has finally been made, following the United States’ agreement to allow green technology for developing countries. But what have they actually agreed?
Well, in typical global political style, they’ve agreed to keep talking towards a new treaty in a couple of years’ time. So that’s alright, then. They haven’t actually done anything.
I do hope the delegates are going to off-set their carbon emissions in terms of all the hot air they spouted as well as the footprint involved in getting there. But somehow I doubt it.
I am skeptical of such conferences. I am skeptical of words from people such as Al Gore. Even if agreement is finally made, I doubt if many countries will ratify it, or make real concessions to combating climate change.
I think this because politicians are the wrong people to do it. It is technology that needs to change, and that happens through enterprise. And there will be no real moves towards halting the problem until a new business ethic arises to actually do it.
And that’s another thing I do not really see at this moment.

© Anthony North, December 2007

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HOME ENERGY Monday, Nov 5 2007

According to a recent report, energy savings in British homes are going to fall short by 30%, threatening government CO2 targets. Well, us naughty British – always sinners, just like Christianity tells us.
Of course, the government has craftily ‘forgotten’ the only reason that they even came close to previous targets. That reason was the previous decimation of the coal industry following the 1984 miner’s strike. Without it, our levels would be astronomic.
So that’s it, then. Britain will fail miserably to reach CO2 targets, just like everyone else. And guess what? We always will. Targets will never be met until a simple reality hits home.
This is the role of big business in raising the levels in the first place. Until big business begins buying local, we’ll fail. Until big business invests massively in alternative fuels, we’ll fail. Until big business gets rid of ridiculous packaging, we’ll fail.
It’s as simple as that.

© Anthony North, November 2007

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SATURATED OCEANS Monday, Oct 22 2007

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have advised that the oceans are soaking up less CO2. It is unknown whether this is due to global warming or a natural cycle, but it suggests the possibility of adding to climate change effects.
A great deal has been said in recent years that computer modeling as evidence for climate change is inefficient, in that it cannot correctly predict the effects. This is quite true. Science is never an exact thing.
But in the past, criticism has always been used to suggest there is an over-reaction to global warming. Perhaps this new evidence of oceanic effects – also not catered for in computer modeling – will show skeptics that the process can work the other way, too.
But I won’t hold my breath.

© Anthony North, October 2007

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CLIMATE CHANGE MEDIA Monday, Oct 15 2007

The decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore is worrying. Awarded jointly to him and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it places global warming at the forefront of global security.
This may indeed be the case in the near future, but not yet. And my worry is that, the science of the problem is getting lost in the hype. This is clearly seen in Gore’s film, An Inconvenient Truth. With an accurate message, it did, however, contain errors.
The science of man-made involvement in climate change is not proved, but highly likely. This is always the case with science. But if we begin nudging towards hype and milking the consensus, those who disagree with man-made climate change will be handed an invaluable weapon.
I think it is time to return to commonsense in this issue, and forget the hype.

© Anthony North, October 2007

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CLIMATE PROTEST Monday, Aug 20 2007

A few thousand climate change protesters have begun their campaign at Heathrow, tentatively moving out of their camp. In most instances, the protest is peaceful, but the inevitable trouble makers will do what they do and will clash with the police.
They won’t stand a chance, of course. The police are there in significant numbers, whilst the protesters are pitifully few. And this is, in itself, disturbing. For instance, with millions worried about climate change, WHY are there so few?

Intimidation

Recent mass protests have shown a definite trend in terms of authority. Police arrive in large numbers and coral protesters into pockets, making movement impossible. In full riot gear, this is technically illegal imprisonment of innocent people.
But more than this, it gives a clear message. The police have moved slightly further than upholding the law, and become the vehicle of intimidation. How many would-be protesters have stayed away because they don’t want their heads cracked open?
For a democracy, these police tactics are shameful.

Protesting in the wrong place

Of course, the protesters are actually protesting in the wrong place. They should be in the travel market place demanding that the truth be told about the technology available for air travel.
In particular, not much is known about wave rider technology. This is a concept where a ‘boat’ reaches optimum speed and takes off, riding above the waves. Speeds of 300 mph have already been achieved.
This technology could well be cheap, involves more eco-friendly low level flying, and can operate from coasts, taking long haul air travel away from the land. Perhaps the question is this: why are the aviators ignoring it?

© Anthony North, August 2007

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SEND IN THE CLONES Thursday, Jul 19 2007

Professor Keith Campbell, creator of Dolly the cloned sheep, has said that farmers should take up cloning as a source of cheap food. The US is already taking steps in this direction.
People who want cloned food production are immediately going on the attack by saying the food produced will be identical to what we eat now, so we have absolutely nothing to worry about.
I beg your pardon? Will the food be the same?
Absolutely! No difference at all. However, by immediately putting our attention on this point, they cleverly side step the real issue, which is this.
One of the greatest dangers facing mankind today is the way industry is reducing diversity. Nature and evolution require diversity to thrive, allowing all possible alternatives and directions to explore.
Without this simple rule, we would not be here. But now, it is being proposed to clone our meat products. One standard cow. One standard pig. One standard sheep.
Yes, it would work well, producing cheap food – until it met the one standard killer germ. Then there’d be no food at all.
If you don’t believe me, ask the Irish about the potato.

© Anthony North, July 2007

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CLIMATE CHANGE SCEPTICS Thursday, Jul 5 2007

Is climate change a great big conspiracy? According to an Ipsos Mori poll between 14-20 June, it definitely is. Of 2,032 people asked, 56% believed scientists were still questioning the idea of humans being to blame.
But this is only part of the problem. Many believe both scientists and politicians exaggerate the problem in order for big business to make lots and lots of money. So how true are these criticisms?

THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE

It is not in doubt that something is presently happening to our climate. Global warming IS occurring – this is generally accepted. But some scientists put the blame on natural cycles that we can do nothing about.
Proving HUMAN involvement is a tricky issue. Evidence exists by the bucket load, but is subject to the simple fact that science cannot actually prove anything. All science is based on probability. The definitive answer cannot be had, and never could be.
For this reason, we have the ‘precautionary principle,’ which is, in effect, a preventative measure similar to insurance. You don’t expect to die tomorrow, but you pay to make sure your family will be alright just in case. So surely it is sensible to take measures based on the probability that we ARE responsible for global warming.

POLITICS AND BIG BUSINESS

Do politicians exaggerate the dangers of climate change? The probable effects, no. But it is the nature of politics to convince a population of an idea. And in this sense, politicians put far too much blame on the general public. And this is due to big business.
Does big business plan to make money out of global warming? Absolutely. But they would, wouldn’t they? This does not mean there is no problem. But it does mean big business and politicians should accept what has to be done.
Politicians put climate fighting measures onto the public – such as recycling and saving energy – when the onus should really be placed on big business to get their act together. And it is here, I’m sure, where public skepticism really comes in.
The man in the street did not cause the problem. Big business caused the problem. And when they accept this, and carry out measures themselves instead of getting the politicians to blame us, scepticism will go, and the fight for our future can begin.

© Anthony North, July 2007

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FLOODED BRITAIN Thursday, Jun 28 2007

Large parts of the UK are underwater again as rivers burst their banks. Even a reservoir is in fear of breaking, threatening to send water flowing down a valley, deluging villages and a power station.
It has the feel of a Hollywood movie, but this is no entertainment. It is the result of a month’s rainfall in just 24 hours. But really, is this true? Or is there more to blame for this disastrous state of affairs?

FLOOD PLAINS

The obvious reason for the problem is global warming. Climate change is affecting the weather, and this provides for the extreme variations we are suffering. But again, this is not necessarily so.
Global warming is, at worse, responsible for the rise in frequency of bad weather, not the degree of the weather we are facing. Huge floods have hit the UK before, so global warming is not an excuse for not being prepared.
Rather, the central reason for these disasters is our foolishness on deciding to build on natural flood plains. Believe it or not, these will flood, and if precautions are taken to stop it, all it does is divert the deluge elsewhere.

OUR MIGHTY EGO

Why don’t we learn this important lesson? I think it lies in our ego when dealing with nature. Indeed, our ego has displayed itself in this matter from the beginning of history. Consider Mesopotamia.
Human engineering skills that led to cities began with the problem of keeping the Tigris and Euphrates rivers at bay. Civilization, you see, began in natural flood plains. And from the birth of civilization, we have felt a need to try to slap nature in the face.
Our weapon has been our ingenuity in devising engineering projects to beat her. But the same problem also birthed many of the early myths, with the power of nature laughing in our face. At it seems we haven’t learnt yet.

© Anthony North, June 2007

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CHINA AND THE POWER Friday, Jun 22 2007

Dragons and China go hand in hand. When China is quiet, the Dragon sleeps. But when the Dragon awakes, the world trembles. And as China continues to open two new power stations a week, the dragon’s fire certainly has a new slant.
China is said to be racing towards being the world’s largest economy, and a thriving economy needs power. Indeed, some organizations report that China is already the world’s biggest polluter. And if not, it soon will be.

WESTERN ATTITUDES

Western environmentalists are predictably outraged by this onward march of a big carbon footprint. Doomsayers congregate behind the media to tell their worse, and a new Yellow Peril creates more smoke than the opium dens of old.
On the more rational side, other environmentalists want laws to change attitudes in the west, forcing the consumer to cut back. Such cowardice is astonishing. The targets they should be aiming it are big business, who caused environmental chaos in the first place.
And on the world stage, this constant brew of hot air is empowering western politicians to lecture the Chinese on their failings. But seeing they are simply following the failings of the west, the whole thing leaves a nasty hypocritical taste in the mouth.

THE FUTURE OF CHINA

At this moment in time there is nothing the west can do about China, and our past record will not inspire China to change it ways. However, there is possible news on the horizon that, whilst not stopping the global dangers, could certainly slow it down.
This is found in the history of China – a country so big that it has rebounded, throughout history, from being a dictatorial bureaucratic state, to a disintegrated, chaotic mess. And there is good reason to believe the latter is going to happen soon.
In particular, China is racing ahead with capitalism without placing the democratic and rights-based politics that are essential to the process. Hence, the workforce is being worked without the benefits they will eventually expect.
When the critical point arrives, industrial action and strife will be on a grand scale – and the Dragon will puff no fire a while.

© Anthony North, June 2007

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THE PLANET IS BUSHED Friday, Jun 8 2007

Global warming. Man-made or not? I have a simple analogy. When a car is balanced on the edge of a cliff, a single human finger can send it over the edge. And the G8 Summit has confirmed the finger may belong to Bush.
Okay, he may seem to be moving in the right direction, realizing the environmental dangers we face. But what Bush has really offered is an agreement to agree in future, providing India and China agree.

PASSING THE BUCK

This is no agreement at all. It is an acceptance that the problem exists. But it is also a glib assertion that the problem isn’t his. This form of buck passing is maybe typical, but it leaves people aggrieved outside America, and increasingly within.
The days when Green issues were tackled by long-haired tree-huggers are long gone. Today, ordinary people want to be Green, but simply do not know how. And they don’t know how because an administration tied to business is blind to the issue.
But maybe something else. Big business is infatuated with big schemes. This is, itself, against the Green ethic. The environmentalist, Schumacker, realized this with his assertion: ‘Small is beautiful.’

TACKLING THE PROBLEM

In this vein, ideas flow. A group of MEPs at the European Parliament suggested a ban on power-hungry light bulbs. The UK Soil Association suggest organic food should have the added caveat that it has not undergone an air journey.
These are small scale ideas, placed essentially on business rather than ordinary people. But as such ideas mount, their natural momentum will turn them into a big movement. But it can only happen if leadership is seen in government.
Bush has confirmed this is not the case. So maybe it is time to realize that Green issues will never be tackled by Federal America at this time. As such, it is time to think smaller, and for Green voices in America to take the issues to the individual states.
Maybe this is where the future of environmentalism lies in America. Maybe it is time to subvert the Federal government and tackle the problem at the State level. Until, that is, the Federal government realizes it has no choice.

© Anthony North, June 2007

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