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The Forum > Article Comments > Carbon rationing or freedom > Comments

Carbon rationing or freedom : Comments

By Jennifer Marohasy, published 14/3/2008

Should governments let climate alarmists impose policies that limit an individual’s access to energy?

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I agree that people want 'something done' about climate change it's just they are not yet ready to make large sacrifices. The recent upsurge in climate change denial seems to be a way of coping with that dilemma; at least the present author refrains from invective. However there is another two edged sword, namely that all fossil fuels are running out. Much of the better natural gas reserves are under deep water way offshore. Crude oil (excluding ethanol, gas liquids and tar sands) has already peaked. In future the remaining coal seams will be deeper and thinner, hence less rewarding to mine. Some say this will limit warming to 2C.

Either way doing nothing doesn't seem to be an option. Whether this means the end of economic growth is hard to say. I think leaving something for the future may justify some sacrifice.
Posted by Taswegian, Friday, 14 March 2008 10:09:15 AM
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Now would be the time for world governments to force everyone back onto bicycles. But I think they are too snivelling to do the work.
Posted by Gibo, Friday, 14 March 2008 11:38:12 AM
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I read this article twice but came away unsure of the author's position on the issue.

So are we supposed to believe that somehow the *ooooh... scary* possibility of not turning a profit is more important than leaving our children and grandchildren an inhabitable world?

I am sick of the foot-dragging on this issue.

We will be forced by resource depletion to make the right choice anyway, let's get off our bums and start proactively preparing for a lower energy future.
Posted by Mash, Friday, 14 March 2008 12:56:29 PM
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Remember this is the same Roy Spencer who said 'I came to the realization that intelligent design, as a theory of origins, is no more religious, and no less scientific, than evolutionism' - so, that's not a ringing endorsement of his credentials right there. Anyone who sees an equivalency of scientific between ID and evolution is suspect. ID is by definition not falsifiable, so it fails right there to even fit the paradigm of all science.

Now, existing climate models are by no means perfect, and we are right to continuously look at new data with an open mind, but the furphy here is that, by mere name dropping, this article has somehow demonstrated that there is significant uncertainty about anthropogenic climate change. I think conceding that this is an IPA member, the tone is not as bad as it could be, but it still repeats the fallacy that anyone with an opinion who works in science must be respected as an authority. But this is simply bunk. Anyone who's done significant research work in any critical enterprise can tell you, you go to the specialist journals to find out what relevant consensus is, you don't ask just any interested party with a good degree.

That's problem with these so-called expert sceptics. Basically every single significant dissenter in the climate change debate is either a representative of an astroturf organisation secretly funded by big oil, or a tangential-expert, who may be able to contribute intelligently in scientific or economic terms, but really has no business as a authority of what consensus in climate change might exist; they are several steps removed from the core scientific process. The fact is, almost none of these great sounding experts have ever published anything substantive in the relevant climate change journals, or best generalist scientific publications. To this end, we can see line by line refutations of their claims at blogs such as www.realclimate.org where real experts time and again have deconstructed these type of claims with a real understanding of the primary specialist literature.
Posted by BBoy, Friday, 14 March 2008 1:08:00 PM
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Guys, author is a researcher at The Institue of Public Affairs-right wing neo con think tank apologist for oil industry,cigarette industry & Johnny Howard ra ra squad. Guess what conclusion she is going to come up with?
Posted by pdev, Friday, 14 March 2008 2:46:14 PM
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Jennifer is of course talking about, and being an apologist for, the "freedom" of the merchant and ruling classes to be "free" to make a profit and enrich themselves by whatever means available.

And via Shock Doctrine tactics if necessary. The necessary "therapy" to get things moving so as to benefit international capital.

The golden rule always rules---profit first.

As in the case when huge amounts of grain were being shipped to "mother" England during the Irish famine.
And during the various famines in Indian history while the British ruled and huge amounts of grain were being shipped to "mother" England. The mother of all mothers!

This sort of thing has of course occurred all over the world including of course communist countries.
WFor instance while the Biafrans were starving in the late 60's food was being exported from Nigeria.
Last weekend's article about how the communist henchman delberatley created Ukraine famine and the stavation of 10 million human beings. China was even worse of course.
Posted by Ho Hum, Friday, 14 March 2008 4:21:57 PM
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