Anyway, I received a forwarded email from a friend of mine this afternoon. It had obviously used the current carbon tax as its meme replicator. Generally I ignore these things (or don't read them at all because all forwarded mail gets filtered into the Trash) because they are not worth the eyeball tracks but I was compelled to 'Reply All' to this one.
Professor Ian Plimer could not have said it better!
If you've read his book you will agree, this is a good summary.
Are you sitting down?
Okay, here's the bombshell.
The volcanic eruption in Iceland, since its first spewing of volcanic ash had, in just FOUR DAYS, NEGATED EVERY SINGLE EFFORT you have made in the past five years to control CO2 emissions on our planet - all of you.
Of course you know about this evil carbon dioxide that we are trying to suppress - it’s that vital chemical compound that every plant requires to live and grow and to synthesize into oxygen for us humans and all animal life.
I know, it's very disheartening to realize that all of the carbon emission savings you have accomplished while suffering the inconvenience and expense of: driving Prius hybrids, buying fabric grocery bags, sitting up till midnight to finish your kid's "The Green Revolution" science project, throwing out all of your non-green cleaning supplies, using only two squares of toilet paper, putting a brick in your toilet tank reservoir, selling your SUV and speedboat, vacationing at home instead of abroad, nearly getting hit every day on your bicycle, replacing all of your 50 cents light bulbs with $10.00 light bulbs ...well, all of those things you have done have all gone down the tubes in just four days.
The volcanic ash emitted into the Earth's atmosphere in just four days - yes - FOUR DAYS ONLY by that volcano in Iceland, has totally erased every single effort you have made to reduce the evil beast, carbon. And there are around 200 active volcanoes on the planet spewing out this crud any one time - EVERY DAY.
I don't really want to rain on your parade too much, but - not to be outdone - I should mention that when the volcano Mt Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1991, it spewed out more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than the entire human race had emitted in its entire YEARS on earth. Yes folks, Mt Pinatubo was active for over one year - think about it.
Of course I shouldn't spoil this touchy-feely tree-hugging moment and - not - mention the effect of solar and cosmic activity and the well-recognized 800-year global heating and cooling cycle, which keep happening, despite our completely insignificant efforts to affect climate change.
And I do wish I had a silver lining to this volcanic ash cloud, but, furthermore, the fact of the matter is that the bush fire season across the western USA and Australia this year alone will negate your efforts to reduce carbon in our world for the next two to three years. And it happens every year.
Just remember that your government just tried to impose a whopping carbon tax on you on the basis of the bogus “human-caused” climate change scenario.
Hey, isn’t it interesting how they don’t mention “Global Warming” any more, but just “Climate Change” - you know why? It’s because the planet has COOLED by 0.7 degrees in the past century and these global warming bull artists got caught with their pants down.
And just keep in mind that you might yet have an Emissions Trading Scheme - that whopping new tax - imposed on you, that will achieve absolutely nothing except make you poorer. It won’t stop any volcanoes from erupting, that’s for sure.
But hey, relax, give the world a hug and have a nice day!
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Thanks for setting back the movement a decade, anonymous.
So anyway, I replied:
Hmm. I don't think this is the right attitude to take.
For starters, the carbon tax is not just about reducing carbon emissions. It is about a nationwide behavioural change in the way we consider our (often wasteful) consumption of energy. Forget about carbon emissions for one second and think of the energy crisis: peak oil etc. It is real. The only way we are going to get energy from *non-renewable* resources is to dig it out of the ground, whether coal, gas or uranium.
Despite a lot of Australia's wealth resting on these industries, the fact stands that it is damaging to our environment purely from a location perspective. Old growth forests and Aboriginal cultural sites are often the location of these energy deposits—sites that we will never be able to re-attain after mining. And for what? Energy that we could otherwise get from the sun, surf and wind?
While we cannot change the way nature operates (for example "who cares about rising sea levels when a tsunami could hit at any moment?") we can change our reaction to it and the way in which we control our own environment. That is why humans have survived for so long, our ability to adapt conditions to suit us. Alternative, preferably renewable, energy is one way we can adapt.
By the way, I should also mention that Prof Ian Pilmer is a geologist, not a climate scientist. I might also mention that he is a director of three mining companies so it is, of course, in his best interests to spread this kind of message.
Please think about it.
Adeline
Journalist and long-time environmental hobbyist (not lobbyist)
P.S: If you really want to know why they changed the name from 'global warming' to 'climate change', it's because the *extremes* in temperatures will get pushed both ways. While Sydney gets 43C days, London has its largest snowfall in decades.
P.P.S: Recommended reading: Tim Flannery's 'The Weather Makers', and for answers to most of your climate change questions: www.grist.org
What do you think?
