by frog
In her State of the Planet speech on Sunday Jeanette said:
These phenomena have led the atmospheric chemist James Lovelock to the view that the climate is past the point of no return and nothing can now be done to prevent the planet becoming uninhabitable. That is an extreme view, which I don’t share. Any new state of the climate will be dynamic and even if action now is too late to prevent major change, it can still prevent things getting even worse. We must not encourage views that are likely to add to the sense of powerlessness that is our worst enemy.
Isn’t it strange how overnight public discourse can go from the view that nothing is proven yet, it will all take a long time and there is no need for urgent action, to the view that it is now all too late and so there is no point in doing anything? What happened to the logic of doing something in the period between these extremes?
I touched on Lovelock’s new view the other day.
Don’t really want to have a dig at DPF twice in one day, but he did put up the first comment to that ‘Download’ post’s thread, one which sums up quite well the second position Jeanette refers to:
Well if Lovelock is right, we’re all fucked and there is nothing we can do about it.
So the solution surely isn’t to conserve energy, but to have a huge 100 year long party and go out enjoying ourselves with a bang!!
Well, actually we’re already well into that “100 year long party”, that’s the problem. And India and China can see we’re having a great time so understandably (and, one could argue, legitimately) want to gate crash.
That’s probably why so many claim to find the Greens and greenies annoying, we’re not so much the conscience of the country, more noise control for the planet and future generations. ;o)
[POSTSCRIPT: that DPF 'second dig' comment seems a bit weird cos for some reason the first post I wrote today was delayed and has only appeared just now, sorry about that]
Published in Environment & Resource Management by frog on Tue, January 24th, 2006
Tags: environment
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
Well…. Lovelock is in England and it IS fscked in the worst case…. we’re here in NZ with the roaring 40s providing us a means of tapping into the biggest Fusion generator in the solar system.
If we can keep our heads we’re OK. If we join the party animals… we’re fscked 2.
I don’t however, see this rowdy lot as being “noise control” anywhere
respectfully
BJ
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Hah this isn’t a party so far just a social gathering. Put me in charge and I’ll show you a real party
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David – This is the GREEN party. The concept of someone being in charge is alien to us.
respectfully
BJ
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BJ! you’re really an anarchist, then? How lovely!
my favourite Billy Connolly (scottish comedian living in LA) quote is:
“one more of us, one less of them”,
usually connected to the acquiring of tattoos, but I think it applies in this instance.
Back to the planet; it’s not too late until the last breath exhales from the last activist; each person making a difference is one less person poisoning the planet.
DPF, your self-poisoning practices are noted; compassionately, may I suggest that your experiences on earth might improve if you took note of your own health and the planet’s health within the same paradigm framework.
;-D
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