Wednesday, 17 December 2008
EU EMISSIONS CUTS WATERED DOWN
EU emissions cuts could be reduced by as little as 4% by 2020, according to this report when all the offset schemes are taken into account. This will have zero effect on the amount of CO2 in the atmospheric level of the gas, which will go on increasing due to the increases from the likes of China and India. It is now clear that there is no way we can control our CO2 output, let alone control the climate. The public are fast realising this for themselves, despite all the hand-ringing from our political masters along with emotive pictures of melting ice and stranded polar bears.
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"It is now clear that there is no way we can control our CO2 output"
ReplyDeleteSure there is. There are many people controlling their CO2 output and benefiting from it (by, for example, consuming less and growing food). A path not chosen does not cease to exist.
We most definitely have influenced the climate, most obviously through deforestation, destructive agricultural methods and subsequent desertification. This can be undone. Look at the amazing work of Geoff Lawton by looking up 'Greening the Desert' on youtube.
I agree with you that some individuals and businesses can do it, but on a world-wide basis there is no consensus to do it. The issue is being used for political and economic gain. I also agree thatman is having an effect on local climates, as you describe, but there is no such thing as a world climate. It differs from place to place. The problem is that we don't know what our effect will be until it has happened.
ReplyDeleteWhat I do not believe is that we can alter the climate by attempting to control CO2 levels.
Politicians do not lead, the people do. Economic conditions will force people to live more sustainable lives and in the process, emit less and sequester more CO2. You would be more useful helping people to do this, rather than telling them the regulations are not in place for what they must naturally do.
ReplyDeleteClimates are connected and influence the others. The amount of vegetation on a coastal area can influence the rainfall of inland areas through humidification, for example.
"We don't know what the effect will be"
Bill Mollison has spent years studying the ecology of forests, and has founded the world wide movement of Permaculture. The ethics and principles of which are based on observations of nature and sustainable cultures. From these and careful observation, we are able to make effective changes to our environment and be certain the result will benefit ourselves, the Earth and other species.
Information about Permaculture and its principles can be found here:
ReplyDeletewww.permacultureprinciples.com/principles.php
"Politicians do not lead, the people do. Economic conditions will force people to live more sustainable lives and in the process, emit less and sequester more CO2." If what you say is accurate, then there would be no need for treaties like Kyoto, as it will all be achieved by force from economic conditions. This does not seem likely to me.
ReplyDeleteIt is not palatable for politicians to publicly acknowledge the prospect of economic collapse, even if they can foresee it. See all the talk about 'recession', giving people hope of recovery. Growth has become synonymous with prosperity, and they do not have a plan B.
ReplyDeleteAgreements such as Kyoto are made under pressure from the population and scientists, and as you point out are ineffective because they are mostly posturing.
There is only so much fossil fuel and wood available to burn, so emissions will decline one way or another. The worry is how much forest will be destroyed in the process: http://tinyurl.com/9994ej
I believe there is good reason to expect enough coal to last for well past the next hundred years and there is also plenty of nuclear fuel. By then we will have made advances with other forms of energy such as nuclear fusion. I think wind is too variable to be of much use.
ReplyDeleteThe pressure for treaties like Kyoto is coming from a very small number of activists. The majority of people have hardly noticed it yet. If it were to affect them to any significant degree the politicians know they would be in serious trouble - so they daren't agree to big cuts, unless they are some time in the future.
Economic collapse will not happen. We will have a short period of recession followed by a return to the long term trend of growth.
Perhaps collapse is happening before your eyes and you chose not to see it. Dmitry Orlov, who witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union, believes it is:
ReplyDeletehttp://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2008/12/from-prognosticator-to-witness.html