Wednesday, July 11, 2007
A short note on climate change policy
This, I think, is exactly right:
Is it climate-protection, or social engineering? As I've said before, the hairshirt approach to environmentalism is a mistake, but some people can't resist it -- because for them, the hairshirt isn't a bug, but a feature.
The activists would make a lot more progress if they started from the proposition that a mass consumer economy is a great and wonderful thing. I certainly believe it is, and would regard its passing as a tragedy of immense gravity. One gets the sense -- at least chatting with the door-to-door types in Princeton -- that they are as motivated as much or more by their loathing of consumerism as they are by its supposed consequences. Whether or not this is a fair assessment of their motives, as long as activists give that impression by pushing the "hairshirt" polices first they will not build and sustain the political majority necessary for proposals that require a lot of sacrifice.
13 Comments:
By 
, at
Wed Jul 11, 12:34:00 PM:
Behind "the global warming sky is falling" folks are the anti-American, neo-communist/socialists who are out to destroy the US.
Their objective is to put a handicap on the US, a carbon tax, that would divert US resources to some international authority. That authority would redistribute wealth to those who really deserve it. China, of course, would be exempt.
Global warming is an anti-American concept and that is it's main objective.
By 
GreenmanTim, at
Wed Jul 11, 12:38:00 PM:
Yes, of course. But it also gets a bit tedious when the critical focus is on form and not substance. Gore has a private jet and Sheryl Crow wants us to wipe with single sheets? So they are hypocrits and mindless aesetics: who cares? The issue remains and the right response to it is still open to debate.
The worst impacts will be felt -are already being felt - by those populations (human and otherwise)with the least ability to adapt to them. I don't see how your standard of living, and mine, will depreciate beyond minor inconvenience. I do not envision the level of sacrifice from us that you believe will be required to meet the threat. That doesn't make the question of what appropriate steps we should take something that needn't concern us. But neither should somebody else's hairshirt.
By Georg Felis, at
Wed Jul 11, 12:48:00 PM:
Ah, the modern day Self-Flagellant in all their concert glory. At least they can sing. Somewhat.
By , at
Wed Jul 11, 01:09:00 PM:
It seems as if the GW concerts might have had the opposite effect as intended, showing the hypocrisy of the proponents.
I am but a basic user of the internet. If I was more technically minded I would be producing a series of on line videos reflecting what the icons of the GW movement want and how it would affect them as opposed to the man in the street.
My first video would show a simple hut with a solar panel on the roof and a solar barbecue for cooking. The nuclear family living in the hut would be dressed in basic clothes. The wife is washing clothes on a washboard (lok it upm if you are to young to know what one looks like).
On a hill above the hut is the palace like residencef a Gorebologist. Lit up like a Christmas tree with power lines running away from the house.
The swimming pool with its barbecue cooking steak by the heat of charcoal. The pool is full of the Goreblogists six children.
The garage door open displaying a full range of SUVs and limosines.
A carton would do just as well.
By , at
Wed Jul 11, 03:17:00 PM:
Global warming is nothing more than a ploy to put control of some people's lives into the hands of others - a classic power grab by the socialist minded. Their aim, as always, is to usurp freedom and transfer liberty from individuals to those who they see as the elite.
It's really easy to manipulate weather news. If they can indoctrinate the masses into thinking that capitalism causes bad weather, they're golden!
I have a feeling that 30 years from now, global warming hysteria will be a source of embarrassment for scientists who sacrificed scientific principles for a few extra research bucks.
By SR, at
Wed Jul 11, 04:54:00 PM:
Anon,
I really hope those scientists begin to get embarrassed soon. They are getting very tiresome,
and unconvincing.
I don't hold out much hope, though, because "scientists" such as Paul Erlich have never given evidence of embarrassment despite being colossally wrong on all his Malthusian predictions, and actually losing a bet to Julian Simon because of it.
The danger is that for hairshirtists, there is never enough hair in the shirt.
By Purple Avenger, at
Wed Jul 11, 05:02:00 PM:
I really hope those scientists begin to get embarrassed soon.
My local rag, the Palm Beach Post, recently was singing the praises of the thoroughly discredited Silent Spring wishing/asking for a similar "harbinger of what's to come" WRT GW. (perhaps they don't think Goracle is good enough a messenger)
When they're not even will to admit past debacles, I hold little hope for them admitting current ones.
By Georg Felis, at
Wed Jul 11, 05:56:00 PM:
As in most media, there is big money to be made in Panic, very little to be made in Common Sense. Over the years a long line of books such as "How to Prosper in the Coming Bad Years" have littered the landscape, leaving their authors prosperous, and their readers poorer for the experience.
By , at
Wed Jul 11, 07:51:00 PM:
Frankly, after listening to the global warming foofaraw since 1990 (when James Burke produced an hour-and-a-half long video regarding humankind's impact on the environment, specifically, how peoples' lifestyles were warming up the earth), I've come to the conclusion that only a dough head would believe the manmade climate change crapola. Notice how it's become chic to refer to "climate change", and not "global warming"... always want to get things exactly correct!
Not sorry if I offend anyone with that statement because, well, one would simply have to be blind, deaf, and a complete dupe if one can't listen to both sides of this debate and not infer the anti-global warming experts have the vastly stronger argument. Unless the "true believer" is ideologically driven i.e. a Western-hating, anti-capitalist, left leaning loon who's against a wide open free market economy
By , at
Thu Jul 12, 01:11:00 AM:
The whole GLOBAL WARMING is a hoax and a lie being perpatrated by the warermellon enviromentalists the liberal left-wing news media and unscruplous politicians LIKE AL GORE who want to control our lives its just a excuse for WORLD GOVERMENT control by the sinister UN
By Catchy Pseudonym, at
Thu Jul 12, 09:26:00 AM:
Global warming is a pro-homersexuel pot-smoking anti-God abortion-loving bag of hose shite. Faggy demacats and their flimsy flamsy wrists trying to take away my liberties and make me drive a small car and worship a satan! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME WORSHIP SATAN, YOU TREE-HUGGING BARK SMOKING AMERICAN HATING COMMIE FREEKS! GOD BLESS AMERICA, PRAISE THE LORD AND FILL MY TANK WITH GOOD OLD TEXAS CRUDE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T MAKE ME CARE ABOUT THE EARTH AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME USE SPEEL CHECKERS! SPELE CHECKERS ARE FOR GAY COMMIE DICTIONARY NAZIS. NAZIS I TELL YOU. GAY ONES!
By Assistant Village Idiot, at
Fri Jul 13, 03:36:00 PM:
It must be comforting to see those who disagree with you in that light, Catchy. And saves the trouble of thinking, too.
Greenmantim, you are correct, and I posted on it yesterday. Thanks for the set-up. http://assistantvillageidiot.blogspot.com/2007/07/fairs-fair.html
By Catchy Pseudonym, at
Mon Jul 16, 11:39:00 AM:
Umm... you did read the comments above mine right? I didn't write those. They did. I'm just having a little fun with them. I don't see them "in that light". That's the light they put themselves in. Sorry if pointing that out bothers you. I guess I should have just let the absurdity of the comments mock themselves.
