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The Forum > Article Comments > Beyond greed > Comments

Beyond greed : Comments

By Peter Doherty, published 12/5/2006

Is this whole global warming scenario real or a massive conspiracy?

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As a (self-confessed!) evolutionary biologist the author must be well aware of the limits to computer simulation. Surely deep suspicion should be cast on any simulation that fails to give accurate results when run on historial data, especially when future projections are based on changes barely discernible from noise. However, this would appear to be precisely the scenario in current climate change literature.

I do not dispute climate variability, but as the article mentions behavioural change is going to be expensive and we need to be sure the right changes are enforced. Which human activities are having a negative impact on the environment out of proportion to the cost of rectification? Are the observed changes REALLY the result of the modelled factors?

Personally I believe that habitat destruction and species (diversity) loss are the most pressing environmental problems - dependence on oil is an economic issue. If the developed world were to switch to mass production of a carbon-neutral fuel source such as bio-diesel the impact on other plant species could be catastrophic.

regards
dave rawlinson
Posted by davidra, Friday, 12 May 2006 1:57:04 PM
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Intellectual,academics,professors,scientists,know alls and others can debate global warming all they like ,but the fossil fuel thing is all lies. For the past 200 years all of the world burnt fossil fuels to no detriment to our planet.
The heating up is not from outer but inner heating of earth,going by studies by F.Riley on Missouri USA e-mail fmrglorybound@aol.com who has been taking note of this for many years I received his 12 page newsletter for March-April 2006 yesteday. You can too.
Plant X is the culprit ,discoverd in 1981 ,a black planet fully magnetic getting closer to Earth daily .Causing weather chaos,earthquakes ,tsunamis,global flooding, all can be checked out on the net. Tornadoes by the hundreds ,huge hailstones and more.
Planet X + Sun + superior electro magnetic fields that are causing chaos to all planets in space .
The heating is coming from within the earth's magnetic core and is melting the icecaps in both poles from beneath the seabeds.
Huge ammounts of water are gathering to eventually flood the earth .
Anyway ,it is too long a story just ask F.Riley at e-mail 6ktz2eq4@centurytel.net

This is all biblical and in scriptural as well as Pastor Benny Hinn was told by God last year (August 2004) that the Earth is going to have the worst weather ever seen in the history of the world from then on? And it has . And to get ready for Christ's return soon after. So all you need to do is repent of sin.
Posted by dobbadan, Friday, 12 May 2006 2:53:30 PM
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Thanks Dobbadan for that enlightening post. I'll make sure I take my umbrella in case of rains of toads, or televangelists falling from the sky.

Having read Andrew Bolt's column, at Sniggid's suggestion, I wonder why I bothered. For those who reckon Bolt has any idea about climate change look here http://timlambert.org/2005/11/bolt-4/ Perhaps someone could post a link to ANY climate scientist who believes global warming is not happening. Please note, that does not include retired engineers, people funded by the coal industry or "independent researchers and inventors".

Otherwise I will continue to use http://www.realclimate.org .
Posted by Johnj, Friday, 12 May 2006 4:14:15 PM
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Dobbadan, “For the past 200 years all of the world burnt fossil fuels to no detriment to our planet.”

We understand how little believers in god can see beyond their delusions, it would be nice if you stop reminding us. Until the last 50- 75 years, fossils fuels were only used by a few hundred million people. Now they are being used by a few billion, theres a slight difference. As to planet x or Nibiru as some call it, if it exists then it will prove god is a fallacy.

GW, could be a conspiracy as was Y2K, to enable more profits for the elite. When Australi sells its crude oil overseas for between $6 and $10 a barrel, then we are forced to buy oil from the oil companies for $72 per barrel, its not in our best interests. If you consider that the cost of recovering oil has diminished as infrastructure has been paid off, OPEC gets it out of the ground for less than a dollar a barrel. Makes you wonder as to the on going veracity of what we are told by our leaders, who always appear to get directorships of these large companies when they retire, doesn't it.

I think its ridiculous to be quarreling about the effects and whats causing them. We should be preparing ourselves for the changes that are occurring, as it may be quite a while before the climate settles down.
Posted by The alchemist, Friday, 12 May 2006 5:25:03 PM
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We have seen Australian TV respond to the 'fat epidemic' by hosting weighloss shows like The Biggest Loser. This drew huge audiences and created a greater awareness of this problem.

What I am proposing is a similar response by Australian TV to the environmental "epidemic."
Why not create a scene ( a house or another suitable context) where specifially selected, volunteers would start in an unsustainable environment. The challenge would be to make good environmental choices. They could be voted off at the end of the week if their house / context doesn't improve according to the model / task set for the week. The prize ? Money I presume would be best. Throughout the competition, there could be additional prizes which are environmentally friendly. For example, solar panel fitted in your home.

Has anyone heard of anything done like this before ?
Posted by Cay, Friday, 12 May 2006 6:11:44 PM
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Thank you, Peter Doherty, for these most pertinent (from my reading) words ever to appear on OLO:
"I would like to persuade you that one of the best things you can do is to spend at least a little of your time learning biology and some of the chemistry and physics that affect the environment".
Whether it is in relation to acceleration of Climate Change, or its probable cause - excessive waste production, and consumption of finite resources by humanity - the need for such persuasion is imperative.
Faith may be fine - whether it is in human resourcefulness, or in the God of your choice; but it must be tempered. "God helps those who helps themselves" is more relevant than "God will provide". We must not abrogate responsibility for our situation.
The wellbeing of future human generations depends upon our recognition, without delay, of our place in this planet's biosphere - our role as an ecological component.
That recognition requires acknowledgment of the finite nature of the environmental resources upon which we depend.
In turn, this imposes a responsibility upon our economists to develop systems not dependent upon ever-increasing economic activity fuelled by resource consumption. The lifestyles currently adopted by the more developed nations cannot be sustained indefinitely for their current numbers. May young upcoming economists please take note!
The earth's environmental resources are incapable of providing for the upgrading of less-developed nations' lifestyles to that of the developed. Six and a half billion people are too many to be sustained equitably. And without prospect of such equity, social conflict is inevitable. Will the incoming generation of social scientists please accept this fundamental reality!
Will humanity be able to arrest its cancerous growth of both consumption and numbers in a humane and equitable manner before the fundamentals of biology take over and mercilessly bring this un-natural expansion - and assault against the basic principles of science - to a halt? Can society progress beyond greed?
Posted by colinsett, Friday, 12 May 2006 6:47:23 PM
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