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The Forum > Article Comments > Paddling upstream on a hope and a prayer > Comments

Paddling upstream on a hope and a prayer : Comments

By Peter Ridd, published 27/3/2008

Australia has ended up with a government that is supposedly committed to greenhouse reductions but with no hope of achieving its objective.

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“Antarctica's massive Wilkins Ice Shelf has begun disintegrating under the effects of global warming, satellite images by the University of Colorado's National Snow and Ice Data Center showed…..

The collapse of a substantial section of the shelf was triggered February 28 when an iceberg measuring 41 by 2.4 kilometers (25.5 by 1.5 miles) broke off its southwestern front. That movement led to disintegration of the shelf's interior, of which 414 square kilometers (160 square miles) have already disappeared, scientists say...

Over the past half century, the western Antarctic Peninsula has experienced the steepest temperature increase on Earth, 0.5 degrees Celsius (0.9 Farenheit) per decade…...”

The full story is at Sydney Morning Herald website:http://news.smh.com.au/big-chunk-of-antarctic-ice-shelf-falling-apart/20080326-21p3.html

Below is a link to a cartoon voiced by the inimitable John Clarke – warning it contains images of Polar Bears….

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=pK6KZE4gxa0
Posted by Fractelle, Friday, 28 March 2008 3:39:16 PM
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fractelle,

the various forms of schtick peddled by vested interests isnt necessary to reduce our impact on our environment. That one shouldnt crap in their own yard is self evident. There's no need to prove why people shouldnt do what a proponent is saying should be done. Thats the proponents burden.

The interesting side of it is the way the climate change 'debate' is being steered by vested interestes, on all sides. They basically play to uncertainty and distortion about a whole lot of scientific mumbo jumbo to flog their little doomsday routines. Works pretty well too.

Problem is that this points to a lack of integrity on the part of vested interests and has much potential for distortion, malfeasance and possibly corruption. Theres a huge pile of money to be bilked from this. And being bilked it is. And many flaws arise (out of short-sightedness and poor reasoning), which funnily enuff is useful for bilking the process.

Govts in particular, have a way of showing their tendency to appeasement by tokenism. They sign treaties one day and build desal plants the next and on another day takes five 19yr olds out of one car and put them into three. Do they listen when they talk to each other.

To my mind this sort of exposes the game thats being played. Disingenuous politicians scoring points.

A lot of worthwhile things get done and a hell of a lot of waste is produced in the process. Argueably the price of innovation. Arguably the product of a process distorted by special interests. l tend to the latter.

l would prefer they drop the doomsday scenario, drop the guilt and negativity and sell a more simple and honest message based on sustainability, moderation, clean air and fresh water.

That they persist with blatant emotional manipulation (fear) and a makes them highly suspect.
Posted by trade215, Saturday, 29 March 2008 4:57:35 PM
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To those who claim that green organizations are interested in population issues, the silence of the ACF and others is deafening. If I hear that the ACF is advocating a reduction in immigration to 50000 per year, I will eat my words, but I am very safe. Tim Flannery, the notable exception mentioned by some correspondents, is a member of SPA which I mentioned in the article. SPA was formed after the ACF completely refused to discuss population.

To those who oppose nuclear power. Fair enough provided you are doing for the right reasons. I'm actually not that keen on it myself. But wrongs reasons are

(1) Chernobyl caused millions of deaths. It did not. Read the official reports.
(2) There is a very limited supply of Uranium. There is enough for a few hundred years.
(3) Nuclear energy is likely to cause more deaths than a 6 degree rise in temperature. Do the risk comparison. You don’t need to like nuclear, you just need to fear massive global warming more to choose nuclear as an insurance

To those who claim that the AEF is some sort of front for all sorts of nasty people. I can only offer my contempt. There is no argument that can counter these conspiracy theories. Why is it that being pro nuclear (which many in the AEF are not!) means that one is in the pay of the mining companies? I am a minor academic at a small University in North Queensland with no commercial interest in uranium mining save what my government superannuation fund may (or may not) have. I base my arguments on logic, I hope. I could well be wrong, but take care to question the motives of people of whom you know little or nothing.

Peter Ridd
Posted by Ridd, Saturday, 29 March 2008 7:03:42 PM
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Well said, Peter.

Most of your detractors don't understand logic or reasoned argument based on facts.

David
Posted by VK3AUU, Saturday, 29 March 2008 8:23:14 PM
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Trade

"l would prefer they drop the doomsday scenario, drop the guilt and negativity and sell a more simple and honest message based on sustainability, moderation, clean air and fresh water."

I get what you mean, however, while our society is based around the economy rather than the other way round, all we'll get out of government or big business is a load of jargon. In Victoria the state government is pushing for a desal plant - this would be unnecessary if we looked at containing water BEFORE it reached the ocean. But where would the money be made if we all had water tanks and all big buildings had water collection tanks instead of using from the mains water supply?

The same goes for solar energy - we all have solar panels (and the technology will improve to the point that the average home can generate its own power) and then what happens to the energy suppliers?

Ditto building consumer goods that actually last instead of winding up in landfill.

Working towards a sustainable lifestyle means a complete change on how we do business. The biggest losers would be the biggest corporations who are based around traditional modes of business. The winners would be small business adaptable and flexible enough to change and offer innovative technology. The irony is that the big end of town has always had the $ to invest in research however, they have failed to do so - "business as usual" because change is scary and they may lose the level of control they have now.

As for doomsday criers? As I said in my previous post, does it matter whether you believe in climate change or not? Surely we cannot continue with the waste that a consumer based economy inevitably produces?
Posted by Fractelle, Sunday, 30 March 2008 12:02:06 PM
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I got you all thinking. hahaha! and thats the point! Funny old world, isnt it. ahahaha! When you have seen as much as I have, you will see its time to help.

I will go now, but my lesson is! THINK FOR YOURSELFS and may it be what comes, do the best with it. ( there is a paper here)

All the best

Evolution.
Posted by evolution, Sunday, 30 March 2008 9:28:28 PM
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