As much as I sympathise with your reader, Philip Christensen, his earnest plea for the truth about climate change is destined to fall on deaf ears among the movers and shakers of this world, Unfair to Gore? (October 22).
The reason is simple: to accept honestly the consequences of this man-made calamity would require such profound economic, political and social reforms that the current world dispensation could not escape drastic reshaping. To move from the growth-orientated life philosophy to a steady-state (non-growing) one will be a huge upheaval.
Therefore, we are bound to endure much more of the tug of war between the “concerned world citizens” and the “denialists” for as long as there is even a glimmer of hope that the gathering storm can somehow be weathered with as little deviation from the present course as possible.
No doubt this will ultimately prove impossible — the finite world demands that its boundaries be eventually recognised and respected — and drastic action will then be unavoidable. Even Al Gore is quite aware of this “realpolitik” by advocating primarily technological solutions to contain global warming (his own star would certainly shine much less brightly otherwise).
The only problem with this kind of approach is that for humanity to survive this self-inflicted impasse, it is of the essence not to miss the point of no return. And judging from the accumulating evidence, such time might be only a few short decades away.
So, the real question is: are we capable of the foresight essential for our continued life on this planet?
Ivan Brezovic Mlinaric
Halfway House
Letter in Business Day, RSA.
The crux of the issue is surely not just having the foresight of impending disaster, but the courage to take tough decisions resulting in action by the governments running the planet.
Those in power, have far too much money and power to lose to possess any genuine desire to "bring the party to a close" and need to be removed from power to be replaced by better, truer men and women.
If economic growth is carefully driven by a new breed of leader following policies adhering to sustainable utilisation of resources and the speedy development of new clean energy technologies, then we can defeat Global Warming and the unimaginable consequences of climate change.
It will take action from grass-roots level upwards, to ensure that a new understanding is shared by all the people on the planet insisting that the political will, even more, the absolute obligation of world governments is formulated so as to set aside short-term over-consumption and herald an epoch of sustainable co-existence.
How do we find such people with the moral strength and integrity to lead us?
How do we oust often corrupt and out of touch government officials?
How do we start the process of eradicating over-consumption?
The latter must be through example in our daily lives, each one of us.
www.reduceco2.co.uk is a good place to start to determine how we can influence those around us each day.
As for the other two, suggestions would be gratefully received.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Five positives about the Springboks beating England
A beautiful Sunday morning. Sunny, still air, yet something hung over the UK like a shadow. Yes, England lost to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final last night in Paris.
A list of five positives to draw from last night.
1. The Boks wore Green - an environmentally friendly colour.
2. England played like Lions and demonstrated massive guts.
3. The French took defeat on the chin and still held a fantastic tournament.
4. No crowd trouble whatsoever - why can't football fans learn from this?
5. Another opportunity for South Africa to unite as a rainbow nation.
The last 6 weeks has been a treat for all who watched and showed the very best of what we can do as humans, even when the chips are down.
Now, can Gordon Brown use his attendance to fuel his imagination of how to address the problems we face in the UK, particularly with regard to striking a balance between a sustainable environment and prosperity.
He did not look too pleased to be there, but was still more gracious than John Howard 4 years ago.
Congratulations to South Africa - the best side at RWC 2007.
A list of five positives to draw from last night.
1. The Boks wore Green - an environmentally friendly colour.
2. England played like Lions and demonstrated massive guts.
3. The French took defeat on the chin and still held a fantastic tournament.
4. No crowd trouble whatsoever - why can't football fans learn from this?
5. Another opportunity for South Africa to unite as a rainbow nation.
The last 6 weeks has been a treat for all who watched and showed the very best of what we can do as humans, even when the chips are down.
Now, can Gordon Brown use his attendance to fuel his imagination of how to address the problems we face in the UK, particularly with regard to striking a balance between a sustainable environment and prosperity.
He did not look too pleased to be there, but was still more gracious than John Howard 4 years ago.
Congratulations to South Africa - the best side at RWC 2007.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Fear of the future widespread in primary schools
So I am not alone.
Many harked back to a golden age not so long ago "when they roamed the streets, fields and woods unsupervised and without regard for traffic or strangers, and had ample time to do so".
Teachers condemned the tests and deplored "the national obsession" with celebrity, transient values and consumerism.
The report concluded that prospects for the society and world that young children will inherit look "increasingly perilous".
Prof Alexander said that, having travelled around the country to speak to people "inside and outside of education", he and his team had found "unease about the present and pessimism about the future".
BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7039966.stm
A Word Association Game
Plastic
Plastic - Carbon - Oil - Credit Cards - the Spice Girls boobs - Global Warming - Climate Change - War - "anxiety haunts primary schools".
The vast majority of plastics are composed of polymers of carbon and hydrogen alone or with oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine or sulfur in the backbone.
"Teachers condemned the tests and deplored "the national obsession" with celebrity, transient values and consumerism."
How do we stop the juggernaut of celebrity, transient values and consumerism?
Surely mankind is not so blind as to continue to worship these petty individuals with no message beyond cosmetic appeal and unfettered greed?
A good place to start would be with the media, who fashion these golden calves that 21st century man idolises!
How is the recycling going?
Denny
Many harked back to a golden age not so long ago "when they roamed the streets, fields and woods unsupervised and without regard for traffic or strangers, and had ample time to do so".
Teachers condemned the tests and deplored "the national obsession" with celebrity, transient values and consumerism.
The report concluded that prospects for the society and world that young children will inherit look "increasingly perilous".
Prof Alexander said that, having travelled around the country to speak to people "inside and outside of education", he and his team had found "unease about the present and pessimism about the future".
BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7039966.stm
A Word Association Game
Plastic
Plastic - Carbon - Oil - Credit Cards - the Spice Girls boobs - Global Warming - Climate Change - War - "anxiety haunts primary schools".
The vast majority of plastics are composed of polymers of carbon and hydrogen alone or with oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine or sulfur in the backbone.
"Teachers condemned the tests and deplored "the national obsession" with celebrity, transient values and consumerism."
How do we stop the juggernaut of celebrity, transient values and consumerism?
Surely mankind is not so blind as to continue to worship these petty individuals with no message beyond cosmetic appeal and unfettered greed?
A good place to start would be with the media, who fashion these golden calves that 21st century man idolises!
How is the recycling going?
Denny
Thursday, October 11, 2007
In the Press today - Climate Change and Global Warming allowed in schools.
So Al Gore's movie will be permitted to be broadcast in secondary schools, despite 9 scientific errors.
These errors are of timing as opposed to content. I wonder if the individual bringing the action, (a Mr. Dimmock) to prevent broadcast could not have spent £200,000 on achieving something positive, other than swelling the stocks of claret in the wine cellars of the lawyers involved?
Marcus Brigstocke, writing in the Daily Telegraph, (the online edition is environmentally better of course)has been seeking the funny side of human-induced climate change.
He says upon reflection, he thinks mankind a "brilliant animal"?
As an alien living on the planet, one would fall about in inter-galactic hysterical laughter.
A tiny minority of mankind demonstrate brilliance and vision; the remainder bullock through life in an orgy of greed-fueled desire, consumption and waste.
Locust-like, these brilliant animals consume everything with zero regard for sustainability.
When resources are depleted, man will turn upon his neighbour to grab what little he has left. A few brilliant minds can't undo the ignorance of billions!
Surely, lifestyle changes must come from our own choices and not from Government- induced modifications via taxation, which Marcus seems to feel would be best.
Denny
These errors are of timing as opposed to content. I wonder if the individual bringing the action, (a Mr. Dimmock) to prevent broadcast could not have spent £200,000 on achieving something positive, other than swelling the stocks of claret in the wine cellars of the lawyers involved?
Marcus Brigstocke, writing in the Daily Telegraph, (the online edition is environmentally better of course)has been seeking the funny side of human-induced climate change.
He says upon reflection, he thinks mankind a "brilliant animal"?
As an alien living on the planet, one would fall about in inter-galactic hysterical laughter.
A tiny minority of mankind demonstrate brilliance and vision; the remainder bullock through life in an orgy of greed-fueled desire, consumption and waste.
Locust-like, these brilliant animals consume everything with zero regard for sustainability.
When resources are depleted, man will turn upon his neighbour to grab what little he has left. A few brilliant minds can't undo the ignorance of billions!
Surely, lifestyle changes must come from our own choices and not from Government- induced modifications via taxation, which Marcus seems to feel would be best.
Denny
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Angela Merkel discovers climate change peril in S. Africa.
CAPETOWN, South Africa (AFP) - Climate change is already happening in South Africa, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday during a visit to a biodiversity centre in Capetown.
"You can see that climate change is already a reality here," said Merkel, as she visited Biota Africa, a centre where German and South African scientists conduct research on African climate change.
"Climate change is more obvious in South Africa than in Germany," she said.
"If the temperature rises seven degrees in South Africa, then it is too late," said Merkel, on her third day of her South African visit.
AFP
Have you ever experienced a Highveld thunderstorm?
Climate Change is not new. As many sceptics about human-accelerated global warming point out, over thousands, even millions of years, the world climate has been constantly changing.
The thing is that ice core samples prove major increases in harmful greenhouse gases in relatively a very short space of time. What we are also witnessing is a greater frequency of freak weather all over the world.
This is not just due to the latest communication technology broadcasting horrific pictures of devastation from all points of the compass, but in our own lifetimes we are able to recognise distinct noticeable changes.
30 years ago in Johannesburg, people used to set their watches by the summer afternoon thunderstorm. Lightning strikes used to cause havoc to overhead telephone wires! Not only have most of the telephone cables gone underground, but no longer do these quaint old sayings ring true. Today South Africa experiences far greater extremes of heat and rain than it used to.
Add to this mix the increase in poverty and displaced peoples living on flood plains and other dangerous areas. Sadly, you end up with more regular loss of life and more heartbreaking pictures in the media.
It is in these developing areas of the world that global warming will accelerate climate change and cause the most significant problems. These countries are already battling to cope with major catastrophes from diseases such as HIV and malaria.
Angela Merkel has traveled to Africa this week and witnessed the potential for calamity that climate change poses for the Continent's population.
One has little faith in Europe's leaders having the commitment to shift the focus of their dash for oil and do more than pay lip service to renewable energy, but just maybe a woman will possess the qualities required to point the way ahead.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Does Gordon Brown actually care about Renewable Energy?
Householders have all but abandoned their efforts to go green by using renewable technologies such as solar power, because the government's tightening of the rules has made grants almost impossible to obtain.
Since its relaunch in May when the grant money available was drastically reduced to a maximum £2,500 a home from £15,000, and the rules under which money can be claimed were tightened up, many frustrated householders have simply given up on the scheme, Labour MP Lynne Jones says.
The Guardian - 01/10/07
Iraq
As the executives toasted one another with cocktails sponsored by Lukoil at the Iraq Petroleum 2007 conference in Dubai earlier this month, ordinary Iraqis were living in a state of emergency. Oxfam reports that 28 per cent of the country's children are malnourished, that four million people regularly can't buy enough to eat, and that 70 per cent are without adequate water supplies. With 60,000 Iraqis fleeing their homes each month and reports of an average of 62 violent deaths per day, the soft carpets, piped music and quiet deal-making at the Hyatt Regency hotel were a world away from occupied Iraq.
Iraq, with proven reserves of 115 billion barrels represents the biggest untapped oil and gas market on the planet. Iraqi oil production stands at just 2.5 per cent of the world's total even though the country possesses 10 per cent (or potentially double that, according to some estimates) of global reserves. With just 4 per cent of the world's oil in the hands of multinationals and a growing trend for nationalisation in countries from Venezuela to Kazakhstan, Iraq is seen by many international groups as their best chance to turn the tables.
The Independent - 30/09/07
Global Warming, Climate Change and Renewable Energy Sources Ignored
Where does the UK Government focus it's efforts? Sending troops to their deaths to secure a slice of the Oil reserve underneath Iraq and spending countless millions of taxpayers money to do it. In the event of a snap General Election,the Tories would do well to remind the electorate that the Labour Government lied to them over Iraq and got Britain involved in a 21st Century Vietnam.
2% of UK energy from renewable sources, instead of the agreed 20% ! One has to wonder who the "Dick Cheney" of the UK Oil Business/government is? And what inducements the politicians have been offered to ignore the renewable sector?
Since its relaunch in May when the grant money available was drastically reduced to a maximum £2,500 a home from £15,000, and the rules under which money can be claimed were tightened up, many frustrated householders have simply given up on the scheme, Labour MP Lynne Jones says.
The Guardian - 01/10/07
Iraq
As the executives toasted one another with cocktails sponsored by Lukoil at the Iraq Petroleum 2007 conference in Dubai earlier this month, ordinary Iraqis were living in a state of emergency. Oxfam reports that 28 per cent of the country's children are malnourished, that four million people regularly can't buy enough to eat, and that 70 per cent are without adequate water supplies. With 60,000 Iraqis fleeing their homes each month and reports of an average of 62 violent deaths per day, the soft carpets, piped music and quiet deal-making at the Hyatt Regency hotel were a world away from occupied Iraq.
Iraq, with proven reserves of 115 billion barrels represents the biggest untapped oil and gas market on the planet. Iraqi oil production stands at just 2.5 per cent of the world's total even though the country possesses 10 per cent (or potentially double that, according to some estimates) of global reserves. With just 4 per cent of the world's oil in the hands of multinationals and a growing trend for nationalisation in countries from Venezuela to Kazakhstan, Iraq is seen by many international groups as their best chance to turn the tables.
The Independent - 30/09/07
Global Warming, Climate Change and Renewable Energy Sources Ignored
Where does the UK Government focus it's efforts? Sending troops to their deaths to secure a slice of the Oil reserve underneath Iraq and spending countless millions of taxpayers money to do it. In the event of a snap General Election,the Tories would do well to remind the electorate that the Labour Government lied to them over Iraq and got Britain involved in a 21st Century Vietnam.
2% of UK energy from renewable sources, instead of the agreed 20% ! One has to wonder who the "Dick Cheney" of the UK Oil Business/government is? And what inducements the politicians have been offered to ignore the renewable sector?
Monday, October 1, 2007
Will UK Government cut fuel duty 50%?
Tax rise fuels petrol price fears
The increase in fuel duty came into effect at midnight
Petrol prices could surge to near record highs from after the government's 2p rise in fuel duty came into effect on Monday morning.
The 2p increase could push up the average price of unleaded petrol to about 98p, while diesel could exceed £1 if the cost is passed on to motorists.
The increase, in line with inflation, was first announced in Gordon Brown's 2007 Budget when he was chancellor.
The duty rise comes amid soaring oil prices and high borrowing costs.
BBC
Well, the Government say this rise in duty is something they feel good about, because of the positive message for energy awareness it conveys. So we should all feel good and possibly grateful too!!! After all, this bitter medicine is to help save us from global warming and resultant climate change.
Not only is the UK motorist paying far more fuel duty than many similar countries do already, but oil is at record highs, creating a double whammy. But our CO2 emissions will hopefully be reduced.
So, as oil continues its inexorable march to higher prices over the next few years, will the British Government be able to blatantly continue to increase fuel duties without howls of protest and even public rebellion? Most likely, NO!
The Prime Minister has become the "King of Stealth" during his 10 years as Chancellor and we must expect a strategy of introducing new technology to raise revenue, supported by dire forecasts of gloom for the planet.
He will have stark options:
1. To carry on raising traditional duties and face major dissent.
2. To increase taxation in other sectors to sudsidise fuel duties.
3. To fox the public with an offer we don't quite fully understand!
Telling us to go to Hell so we all look forward to the trip !
The widespread introduction of SPECS monitoring systems mean that the basis upon which we pay for road use can be radically altered, to something many believe is a far fairer system. Pay according to your individual usage.
So imagine the reaction of the public when we are told that we have the choice as to how many miles we drive; our road fund licence charge will be in accordance with what type of vehicle we choose to drive about in; and petrol and diesel duties will be drastically cut, to say 50p per litre.
I can see this almost being applauded by a public who want to have more say in what they pay out. Rest assured,(as with all businesses behind the glitz of casinos), the odds will be heavily in favour for the Government to turn over a Blackjack.
And many of the British people may lose their shirts without realising it.
Tip of the Day; Look ahead, start reducing your consumption, live sustainably and the be ready for the energy, global warming and climate change spiral that lies ahead.
Denny
The increase in fuel duty came into effect at midnight
Petrol prices could surge to near record highs from after the government's 2p rise in fuel duty came into effect on Monday morning.
The 2p increase could push up the average price of unleaded petrol to about 98p, while diesel could exceed £1 if the cost is passed on to motorists.
The increase, in line with inflation, was first announced in Gordon Brown's 2007 Budget when he was chancellor.
The duty rise comes amid soaring oil prices and high borrowing costs.
BBC
Well, the Government say this rise in duty is something they feel good about, because of the positive message for energy awareness it conveys. So we should all feel good and possibly grateful too!!! After all, this bitter medicine is to help save us from global warming and resultant climate change.
Not only is the UK motorist paying far more fuel duty than many similar countries do already, but oil is at record highs, creating a double whammy. But our CO2 emissions will hopefully be reduced.
So, as oil continues its inexorable march to higher prices over the next few years, will the British Government be able to blatantly continue to increase fuel duties without howls of protest and even public rebellion? Most likely, NO!
The Prime Minister has become the "King of Stealth" during his 10 years as Chancellor and we must expect a strategy of introducing new technology to raise revenue, supported by dire forecasts of gloom for the planet.
He will have stark options:
1. To carry on raising traditional duties and face major dissent.
2. To increase taxation in other sectors to sudsidise fuel duties.
3. To fox the public with an offer we don't quite fully understand!
Telling us to go to Hell so we all look forward to the trip !
The widespread introduction of SPECS monitoring systems mean that the basis upon which we pay for road use can be radically altered, to something many believe is a far fairer system. Pay according to your individual usage.
So imagine the reaction of the public when we are told that we have the choice as to how many miles we drive; our road fund licence charge will be in accordance with what type of vehicle we choose to drive about in; and petrol and diesel duties will be drastically cut, to say 50p per litre.
I can see this almost being applauded by a public who want to have more say in what they pay out. Rest assured,(as with all businesses behind the glitz of casinos), the odds will be heavily in favour for the Government to turn over a Blackjack.
And many of the British people may lose their shirts without realising it.
Tip of the Day; Look ahead, start reducing your consumption, live sustainably and the be ready for the energy, global warming and climate change spiral that lies ahead.
Denny
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