All the hype makes it a good time to recall the recent survey reported by the BBC under the headline 'Scepticism' over climate claims.
The Ipsos Mori poll of 2,032 adults ... found 56% believed scientists were still questioning climate change.So people are noticing that green policies surprisingly often mean more money for the Treasury. Odd, that.
There was a feeling the problem was exaggerated to make money, it found.
This is all the space that the report gives to the survey's findings (except to add that "terrorism, graffiti, crime and dog mess were all of more concern than climate change"). The rest is sage warnings from the great and the good that climate change is serious.
Certainly listeners to Radio 2 last week could have come away with the notion that scientists still had questions about climate change. They ran a balanced half hour discussion asking whether the recent floods were a symptom of global warming, with Tony Juniper from Friends of the Earth and Philip Stott of London University. Maybe the website team would be shocked. (Incidentally, Philip Stott also pops up on Richard & Judy, so viewers there might get the same heretical impression.)
The public might also wonder about "Greenland's lush past".
Armies of insects once crawled through lush forests in a region of Greenland now covered by more than 2,000m of ice.The BBC report concentrates on the suggestion that the ice sheet is more resistant to warming than previously thought. But what caused this warming? Surely not carbon emissions!
DNA extracted from ice cores shows that moths and butterflies were living in forests of spruce and pine in the area between 450,000 and 800,000 years ago.
Back at the concert, The News of the World reports that Madonna, who starred last night, has a carbon footprint equivalent to 54 average Americans, 102 average Brits, and 14,548 average Malawians. These stars, they'll do anything for the publicity.
2 comments:
Local, city, county, state and the federal governments should be first to "go green." Politicians should not be elected to public office unless they agree to convert every government building and vehicle to renewable energy. There are at least three reasons why this should be so.
When all levels of government are taken into account, they control 40% of the economy. With that kind of economic incentive anyone who wants to sell to the government will hasten to meet the demands of its largest single buyer. Government will no longer have to pass laws to enforce cafe standards for instance. Rather the Government will simply tell auto companies, we want to replace our fleet of vehicles but will not buy anything that does get at least 50 mpg if it is gasoline based, or it must be a hybrid, or it must be fueled with renewable fuels.
Another reason Government should go green first is national security. Part of every oil dollar paid for Middle Eastern oil goes directly into the pocket of terrorists. If we convert to renewable fuels that we control, we defund terrorism and protect ourselves simultaneously.
Yet another reason to heed Al Gore’s clarion call on global warming is economic security. OPEC can not ruin our economy if we convert to renewable fuels that we control.
And finally, suppose Gore is right? When anyone hypes anything as much as AL Gore hypes global warming, I have my doubts. But I can’t see what is harmed by going green so why not? The military is doing some research on alternative and renewable energy. Whoever is the next president of the United States should institute a “Go Green or Go Home” policy for the military. Those who come up with energy saving devices or methods as well as those who implement alternative or renewable fuels should rise quickly through the ranks. Those who don’t should be encouraged to seek employment elsewhere. As resourceful as marines are, for instance, I would bet they could make surprising advances in fueling everything from jeeps to an entire base through alternative means if left to their own devices. The military has through it’s contractors developed the most effective weapons in the world. If this same level of effort is turned toward greening the military we will be a safer, more secure, and more independent nation. We will create new jobs and industries and the air and water will get cleaner as a benefit.
Sure, put it to the people. Tell them how much is would cost and how reliable their services would be.
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