I'm pretty neutral in my opinions on global warming (I like the more scary name that was used before the sanitised 'Climate Change'), but I do like those disaster movies showing devastation.

I think to myself, maybe it exists, maybe it doesn’t, maybe it’s caused by humans, maybe it isn’t, but it’s probably a good thing to try to avoid polluting our environment.

What makes me angry though, is the recent phenomena of the carbon footprint narcissist. Letters like this to the smh for instance.

“When building my house three years ago, energy efficiency was foremost in my mind. By eliminating high-energy users such as electric hot water systems and installing only low-energy light bulbs, gas for water heating and cooking, I have been able to reduce my electricity usage to an average of $1.82 a day. And that is for a well-insulated three-bedroom house on tank water, with an in-ground swimming pool and associated pumps. If I can do it, anyone can. People just need to think before using useless appliances such as dryers and dishwashers.”

There is generally a handful of these letters a week, along with as much anger at climate change deniers as is reserved for holocaust deniers.

Environmentalism is, I think, basically a new religion. Being a new religion it’s created the effect where all the believers are like born-again evangelists, with more people converting to the cause of ‘Save the Earth’ and ‘Repent for your carbon footprint sins’ every day. I see parallels between the catholic sex guilt and the environmentalist long shower guilt. It’s also a vehicle for the chattering classes to one-up each other (it's even exceeded real estate in this respect) and get on their high horse and prove their moral superiority, founded on their ability to afford more 'religious donations to mother earth' in the form of financial/lifestyle sacrifice than the next person.

The sad thing is the effect of all this preaching and ‘noise’ is to hugely detract from useful and sensible discussion of the problem. Or lack of, if I dare to even SUGGEST such a thing.

I don't think you comprehend what science is. Do you know how much data and research scientists have been conducting on this? I always find it amusing when the layman in public questions the work of thousands of scientists across the world. It's akin to a creationist questioning evolution and asserting to them that intelligent design is scientific and competitive theory to evolution.

As for environmentalism, you would have to be exttremely ignorant to call it a religion. If you even remember some basic history on Australia you would realise the catastrophic effects of ignoring the environment. It's common knowledge to those with some education and many farmers.

Btw Howard's government was one to propose the extreme measure of outlawing incandescent light globes. If environmentalists had proposed such ideas, the reaction and the propaganda from many who dislike environmentalism would have been severely negative. However, not much of a word if a mainstream politician proposes such a measure.

Totally agree.Just a note about those low energy light bulbs.The fluro bulbs use mercury vapour to conduct the electricity and the phosphous gas causes the fluoresence.This is adding a lot more mercury to the environment.I have developed a servere allergy to small amounts of mercury.It is the third most toxic substance known to man excluding radioactivity.

So much for environmentally friendly solutions.Bio-fuels will just create more food shortages.

Solar has to be the way to go.There is plenty of energy for all,but the ideology of the greens and the left is playing right into the hands of the Multi-nationals who are now limiting supply under the ruse of being green friendly.

Guess who is really paying the price for all this mis-information?

TUS you must think like me.Just last night I posted the following on the Greens Blog on the Domain;
"Forget the scientific method.The Greens will have to fight this heresy just like the Catholic Church.What if Jesus really died?What if the CO2 was not the evil devil and the Great Global Warming God did not exist?Those evil deniars need to relegated to the bowels of discredibility.They are surely rich capitalists whose only philosophy is self interest."

Amazingly,it is still there.No comment has followed.Perhaps they are too stupid to realise that it was a parody.

TUS I feel similar to you and Arjay.

I dislike pollution and waste and have, over the past 30 years, spent a lot of time pondering (probably fruitlessly) the implications of oil depletion. I have designed software packages which automatically measure and cost “waste” from manufacturing processes, so managers can respond to what is most significant.

I have also seen a lot of good things evolve. Recycling batteries, mobile phones, ink cartridges, motor cars, glass, aluminium, mineral and vegetable oils etc.

Certainly the latter 5 items are all run as part of proper commercial operations. My knowledge of the glass industry tells me the use of cullet (broken bottles) is a considerable benefit in making new bottles etc. because the “fusion” point has already been reached. Similarly the electricity used for producing aluminium from bauxite is “recovered” in the recycling of cans and the same applies to motor cars. I have seen documentaries on recycling concrete and reinforcement steel from demolished buildings in USA.

These recycling processes are done because, commercially, they stack up and not because it is a “nice idea”.

Cars are moer petrol efficient than they were 20 years ago and GM is looking for someway of using domestic garbage to convert to motor fuel.

I agree with you regarding environmentalism as a new religion and like all religions, it has its fundamentalist zealots who are intent on inflicting their draconian stupidity on the rest of us. It is up to us to counter their stupid extremism with reason and determination.

My views are still as valid (and more reasoned) as those of the radical fringe dwellers and I believe, ultimately more likely to provide the balanced society where all are free to be themselves and life is worth living, than existing in some 11th century neo-feudalism, imposed by restrictive edicts of fundamentalist environmentalism.

I am also an optimist, identify a problem and capitalism allows someone to benefit from it. Waste and pollution are just opportunities awaiting to be discovered.

Let me hear you say yeah! Praise de Gore'd!

Recently heard a phone-in on 702 ABC Radio wherein contestants out bid each other in virtuousity by telling the world how few buckets of water they had managed to scrape out of their shower cubicles whilst showering.

Did not know whether to laugh or cry.