the “deadliest tornado season in a decade”!!!, gee thats such a long time. Its about the same time as the globe has been officially cooling.

it is bullshit correlations like that that give the climate change movement a bad name.

stick to real science assessments and STOP playing chicken little. You will get more credibility

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re: johnson, now that I look, admittedly there were quotes like this one being bandied about:

“Ending global warming, reducing carbon footprints, lowering carbon emissions and raising public funding of renewable energy – all were excuses used to hit the voters’ pocketbook with more taxes. Yet none of these taxes improved the quality of life.”

and some pessimists:

“For the first time in years, voters seem skeptical that solar, wind, ocean waves and currents, biofuels and other so-called renewable sources of energy can replace gasoline, petroleum-based diesel, home heating oil, natural gas, and propane to any significant degree in the foreseeable future”

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I spose frog could have mentioned research like this: http://www.groen.be/folders/docPage/NATURE03906.pdf

Emanuel found a close correlation between hurricane intensity and sea surface temperature, with a “marked increase” in intensity since the 1970s.

I have difficulty reading the paper myself, but I take his word for it.

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BP, Johnson is going to cut London’s carbon emissions by 60 per cent from their 1990 levels by 2025! I know it’s *usually* reasonable to assume the right will make environmental cuts, but in this case did you even know thats what he wanted to do?

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“one will do – the Greens are conscious of the carbon emissions from flying lots of people half way round the world” I didn’t realise that a 747 produces significantly less carbon emissions when it is only carrying one person rather than lots of people. IMHO toad’s perspective on air miles is as flawed as the concept of food miles. A systems analysis approach needs to be applied to transport emissions and fossil fuel consumption.

As an infrequent flyer, about once a decade, I really haven’t needed to give this issue much thought till now. I think air travel has gone the same way as car travel. Both began as tools of business and toys of the rich. Then economies of scale made them recreational vehicles for the masses. Only then did either become a serious threat to the environment through sheer numbers. As long as governments see votes in protecting mass access to these recreational vehicles they will continue to threaten the environment.

If Kieth had been travelling to the Rio Carnival then he would have been committing an environmental sin but travel for a valid reason is different.

I also see no merit in the argument that air travel needs to be excluded from carbon taxes or trading schemes because the demise of the airline industry would have serious economic repercussions and cause mass unemployment. Sure the banks stand to lose a lot of money but the expertise in aerodynamics, aeronautics and avionics that would become available to the renewable energy sector would be invaluable. I say treat air travellers and car drivers the same as industrial polluters. The activity that will be curtailed isn’t essential or productive. Set the capital and intellectual resources free to find an essential and productive use elsewhere. Hopefully renewables will be that elsewhere.

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BB

That’s why I vote for people with integrity – not pollies.

Quit your trolling and accept that it’s a good idea.

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May 2008 is the date that the green movement peaked.

tinyurl.com/3l9me3

Take careful not of what is happening in the UK, frog. The hairshirt approach is losing traction now that economies are tanking and people have more pragmatic concerns.

“Gordon Brown, Ken Livingstone and 300 Labour councillors were not the only casualties of the local and London elections. No one seems to have noticed, but the other big losers were those people who care about the environment.”

BTW:

Boris Johnson (Conservative) 1,043,761 votes
Sian Berry (Green Scam Party) 77,374 votes

Change the frame to positive before it’s too late….

And reign in the ban/social agenda/communist brigade….

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Ash

Oh yeah..I can really see our pollies giving up their baubles in favour of a video conference.

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Thanks toad,

I’m glad there was some representation and agree with just sending Keith. Hopefully it was worthwhile – I’ll keep an eye out for his comments.

Video conference needs to make a serious come back… it could result in higher rates of participation while creating less pollution.

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I always love hearing from Keith Locke. Hopefully he can spare the time!

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Yep, Keith Locke was the (sole) NZ Green MP there (one will do – the Greens are conscious of the carbon emissions from flying lots of people half way round the world).

I’ll ask him if he can post something on frogblog re the discussions at the Global Greens conference.

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Excuse me Frog,

do you know if the NZ Greens attended the Global Greens conference in Brazil this month? I haven’t heard anything and was wondering if we took part.

Counting the casualties of climate change is indeed a momentous, difficult and controversial issue…though one that must be discussed.

A few more catastrophic natural disasters affecting the economically developed world and we will be on our way to considering it perhaps.

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