Fiddling as Rome Burns

[Windguy]

The Herald - Editors Comment
Fiddling as Rome Burns


A Visitor from outer space, if one were permitted observer status at the meeting of earth's eight major industrial nations, would surely be astounded by it's failure to make real progress on greenhouse gas emission reduction.
Most of the world's scientists believe evidence overwhelmingly shows that modifying the make-up of the planet's atmosphere will affect the great cycles of climate and weather and may threaten the continued existence of human civilisation as it presently exists.


Their firm advice is to act without delay to cut carbon emissions and slow the rate of change of atmospheric composition. They have repeatedly warned that it may already be too late: that the slow-moving machinery of the planet's deceptively fragile biosphere may have been tipped too far. Most of the world's educated population - while accepting that the scientists' warnings may prove in the long run to be overstated or incorrect - believe it is wiser to act then to do nothing.


Under the circumstances the imaginary interstellar observer might have expected the leaders of the so-called G8 nations to have moved with some urgency to help ensure that their industries and economies became as carbon-neutral as possible as quickly as possible.


These nations can move with great speed when threatened by economic turmoil and they are hair-trigger sensitive to military or strategic threats. But when faced with an infinitely greater potential danger they have shown themselves to be paralysed by considerations of perceived national self interest.


Last year the G8 declared they would "seriously consider" halving carbon emissions by 2050. This year the best they could do was adopt a shared "vision" to "consider and adopt" the target.


These developed nations don't want to adopt measures which might restrain economic growth unless the fast growing developing countries make similar commitments. The developing countries argue that the mature economies made most of the mess and should make the first moves to start fixing it.


At a meeting alongside the G8 summit yesterday the leader of greenhouse minnow Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, urged the bigger nations, developed and developing, to view the problem with a greater sense of seriousness.


On progress to date the G8 can fairly be criticised for fiddling while Rome begins to smoulder.


A nice hard line comment from a mainstream Newspaper from a Country whose main export is Coal, 250 million tons going up to 350million tons at $170 a ton. Australia, was one of the worst on climate change, may end up taking the crown on being the best eventually.

[forfismum]

Originally Posted by Windguy

Most of the world's scientists believe evidence overwhelmingly shows that modifying the make-up of the planet's atmosphere will affect the great cycles of climate and weather and may threaten the continued existence of human civilisation as it presently exists

No they don't.The G8 is yet another political body composed of failing and failed politicians {Brown in the UK for example}.In the real world however the urge to "do something" is fading.

[prashamk]

Bush = Brown

[sandy winder]

Originally Posted by forfismum

No they don't.The G8 is yet another political body composed of failing and failed politicians {Brown in the UK for example}.In the real world however the urge to "do something" is fading.

Are you really an real estate agent, forismum? How would you sell the rapidly overheating earth to an alien?

[forfismum]

sandy ,you have not done your homework on this site have you ?

Estate agent? I'm not even a mum,although I was a pope for a time.

[Wobs]

What did Gordon Burns ever do to you?

[forfismum]

Rome Burns? maybe they mean Rope Burns?

[forfismum]

Originally Posted by sandy winder

the rapidly overheating earth to an alien?

Tsk tsk, are you into science fiction? overheating earths and aliens,whatever next

[Windguy]

The biggest problem is, people want their cake, and eat it too. Same goes with these nations. China has passed the US in emissions and India is about to. Do you believe we should doom the planet because they were too late to jump on the gravy train when it was available just to let them have some fun in the sun???

We shouldn't need to apologise to them, since it's now to late to go the fossil fuel route to economic expansion. They follow suit or the planet dies. Why blubber that they didn't get their share.

My parents weren't rich when I was born, I might as well go into a corner and cry like a baby.

Sorry life's tough, so stiff shit.

[Windguy]

Another parable... Would you do a deal with the devil to become rich, want for nothing and to be able to live life at the fullest. But in the deal, what ever you get, your kids lose out the same amount in the future. So because you wanted to be a millionaire, your kids have to live on the streets, begging for scraps.

Obviously for climate change we do not need to suffer that much to have half a decent outcome, or as I believe, at all, if governments get their shit together. But ignorance for the sake of protecting your own lifestyle can kill off your descendants.