Last night's Channel 4 TV programme "The Great Golbal Warming Swindle" turned everything we have recently heard about climate change on its head. According to several scientists from around the world those who blame carbon emissions for the rise in temperatures have got it wrong.
Its not carbon dioxide that causes global warming, say these intellectuals, but sun spots. When these cause temperatures to rise emissions of carbon increase. So the politically motivated scientists who say different are promoting the opposite of the real facts. Moreover. they are using these spurious arguments as an excuse to raise taxes and inhibit development in the Third World. Or so said the climatologists who appeared on Channel 4 last night.
Even the founder of Green Peace, who resigned several years ago when his colleagues started exaggerating things in order to continue confrontation with the establishment, agreed with them.
Meanwhile politicians are meeting in Brussels to try to agree yet another EU action plan to deal with the received wisdom that most people have come to accept.
Who is right? I for one would not claim to know for sure. Although I did read a novel last year entitled "A State of Fear" by Michael Crighton which put forward the same kinds of arguments. It suggested there was at least as much evidence to show global warming was not caused by man as there was to prove it was and was the only novel I had ever read with several pages of scientific references at the back.
The only conclusion I can draw from all this is that while scientific opinions may differ world supplies of fossil fuels decline and prices soar. And there seems little likelihood that will change whichever theory turns out to be right. So, for economic reasons alone it would seem sensible to try to use less conventional fuels and urgently seek cheaper alternatives, most of which can only come from agricultural sources.
Comments (3)
David, I think your point at the end is absolutely right - regardless of the rights and wrongs of the global warming debate, resources are an issue.
I think it was the Guardian or Observer that ran a story last year saying that we had reached a tipping point whereby we are now consuming resources faster than the planet can replenish them, so the countdown has started if you like.
Doubtless someone else will contest that too!
You only have to do a flight in China - as I did in January 2006 - to realise how bad global pollution is, and I find it too hard to believe this is not having an impact on climate, and our health.
Posted by Julian Gairdner | March 9, 2007 5:01 PM
Posted on March 9, 2007 17:01
Julian,
David is either right or he isn't. There is absolutely no need to qualify it with absolutely.
"Absolutely" is thoughlessly sprawling all over the English language.
Perhaps it's time for another visit to my blog at
http://flutefriend.blogspot.com/
Andrew
Posted by Andrew Blake | March 9, 2007 10:42 PM
Posted on March 9, 2007 22:42
Here is the web page of the documentary.
http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/G/great_global_warming_swindle/index.html
Posted by Max | March 10, 2007 12:15 AM
Posted on March 10, 2007 00:15