Seasons are haywire

Phil David said:
As the evidence is now overwhelming and pervasive, only imbeciles and the insane deny that climate change is happening, so denialism has pivoted to the position that it's not anthropogenic. Or just as foolishly, to concede it is anthropogenic but claim there are no solutions so best to ignore it and crack on regardless. It is surprising how many people who have the intelligence to read and write express these opinions.
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The really deluded position is held by those conceited enough to think that the pratting around the edges measures presently being proposed, foisted upon us and promoted by the “We need to do this for our kids” lobby serve any purpose other than to make them feel warmly responsible and taking pompous delight cheering on their great Greta.
The naivety and smugness seems almost deserving of the denialism and insanity with which it is countered.

It seems mankind’s hardwired desire to consume more and more stuff ain’t ever gonna stop and it is going to be produced somewhere.And where it was once produced in Britains Empire then Europe and the USA it is now China, with India shadowing and Africa likely earmarked for the future….. if we get that far.
Let’s be real, when their turn comes for cars and aircon who are we to say no?

If we are going to do something meaningful it will be totally dependant on consensus and that seems in very short supply presently, perhaps it just is beyond us dinosaurs and AI will sort it :eek:
 
Steve Slatcher said:
Though the distinction is relatively recent, and some say "hanged" implies execution by hanging, and in this case hanging did not kill the victim. Just saying :). Must have been fun to be on the blue plaque committee for this one!
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Excellent pedantry! At the risk of being as tedious as possible, I think in fact the completely correct description should perhaps have been "half-hanged, drawn and quartered" - "half-hanging" being the punishment of being hanged but not unto death. In that case, the "half" modifies the "hanged", so it should remain as "hanged". Probably!
 
Raymond Tilney said:
In what regard Tom?
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Massive renewable energy deployment. There has for years been a regressive narrative that there is no point in the UK doing anything because of the endless consumption of coal in newly prosperous economies; while things are obviously a million miles from ideal the general trend is vastly and surprisingly going in the right direction and our excuse clearly no longer has any validity. It is economic advantage that will secure the future of sustainable energy.
 
Thom Blach said:
There has for years been a regressive narrative that there is no point in the UK doing anything because of the endless consumption of coal in newly prosperous economies;
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I'm not sure that's 100% true Tom - the UK has made huge strides in generating electricity from renewable sources. The policymakers have ignored the naysayers. In 2024, just over 50% of our electricity came from renewables.
 
Richard Zambuni said:
I'm not sure that's 100% true Tom - the UK has made huge strides in generating electricity from renewable sources. The policymakers have ignored the naysayers. In 2024, just over 50% of our electricity came from renewables.
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I agree entirely, Richard-it was the naysayers to whom I referred, of whom there remain many, though it is certainly now a minority position.
 
Most people will be sceptical of course until the oceans are to warm to sustain the catching and eating of fish and of course a true shortage of drinking water!
 
An encouraging story in The Economist today about how China's copious clean electricity, and its cheap tech for generating and exploiting the same, is now starting to benefit other countries in the 'global south'. Article concludes that the US (especially) and the EU are the foot-draggers in this respect.
 
As I repeat ...........global warming is happening and there is no one on earth that can stop it. Buying and electric car here will have no influence, even denying the burgeoning middle class in India cars, fridges or aircon, will impact nothing. Why worry about something you cannot influence?
 
Phil Marshall said:
As I repeat ...........global warming is happening and there is no one on earth that can stop it. Buying and electric car here will have no influence, even denying the burgeoning middle class in India cars, fridges or aircon, will impact nothing. Why worry about something you cannot influence?
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It is as obvious that we cannot influence it individually as it is that we can influence it collectively, something that applies to pretty much every aspect of our existence. Never previously has technology made making a swift difference so real a prospect.
 
An entertaining discussion with some big words thrown in. It does seem like the risk of global overheating is somewhat greater than the risks of a new ice age in the remainder of the 21st century - unless something terminal happens to the Gulf (of Mexico) Stream.

The reason I say this with my economist hat on is that between 1500 and 1800 global growth averaged 0.2% a year (in real and nominal terms) and between 1800 and 1900 it rocketed up to 1% a year and in the 20th century was 3% a year in real terms (much higher nominally after central banks came in to finance various wars), which meant a multiple expansion of the global real economy over 100 years, and pressure on resources. And climate.

Given policymakers’ obsession with growth, especially to finance the budgetary pressures associated with aging populations and war mongering, major catastrophes are assured in the last three quarters of the 21st century. Our kids will have to bear the brunt and clear up the mess if the planet survives.
 
Bryan Collins said:
Excellent pedantry! At the risk of being as tedious as possible, I think in fact the completely correct description should perhaps have been "half-hanged, drawn and quartered" - "half-hanging" being the punishment of being hanged but not unto death. In that case, the "half" modifies the "hanged", so it should remain as "hanged". Probably!
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Wow, you’re on fire Bryan!
 
Ian Hampsted said:
Our kids will have to bear the brunt and clear up the mess if the planet survives.
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Ian this suggests that you feel it's a negative rather than an opportunity. The environment will be different for sure, they will have to decide whether it is better or worse. What constitutes a mess a billion lifted out of poverty from 50 years ago, living on $20/day rather than $2/day with a better sense of well being? Or more air con units raising emissions which requires more air con units. Or summer temps in the UK so good, no need to use that aviation fuel to fly to Spain to find the sun. There are so many moving parts. We always talk of man impacting nature detrimentally but rarely nature impacting man, earthquakes, tsunamis, eruptions. Yet I hear no one saying how do we stop the next earthquake, because we can't. One final point the planet will always survive it's been around for 4.5 billion years it's the planet's flora and fauna which may not.
 
Thankfully if we cut down 100,000+ trees so that the world’s richest can fly to Brazil in order to tell the plebs not to go on their annual week in the sun then we can reverse it all (wink).
 
Ian Hampsted said:
An entertaining discussion with some big words thrown in. It does seem like the risk of global overheating is somewhat greater than the risks of a new ice age in the remainder of the 21st century - unless something terminal happens to the Gulf (of Mexico) Stream.

The reason I say this with my economist hat on is that between 1500 and 1800 global growth averaged 0.2% a year (in real and nominal terms) and between 1800 and 1900 it rocketed up to 1% a year and in the 20th century was 3% a year in real terms (much higher nominally after central banks came in to finance various wars), which meant a multiple expansion of the global real economy over 100 years, and pressure on resources. And climate.

Given policymakers’ obsession with growth, especially to finance the budgetary pressures associated with aging populations and war mongering, major catastrophes are assured in the last three quarters of the 21st century. Our kids will have to bear the brunt and clear up the mess if the planet survives.
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Two words … fiat currencies
 
Thom Blach said:
'Past Year' is actually pretty impressive.
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It is indeed as is the wider information about the renewable electricity production figures from China.
(Though who on earth thinks they have access to reliable data out of China is beyond me )…but nonetheless something to be optimistic about.
However, the data from the National Grid concerns electricity only, which is just 18-20% of the UK’s energy consumption.
So perhaps 39% of 20% of UK energy usage being from renewable sources is less cheery.
Then of course there is the complicated situation as to what renewable means……..

Caveat this is from a USA produced entertainment show so should be viewed with the same caution applicable to data around China.
 
Thom Blach said:
It is economic advantage that will secure the future of sustainable energy.
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Ian Hampsted said:
Given policymakers’ obsession with growth
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I am attracted to the merits of both these remarks.

We seem to have accepted and understand that the Survival instinct is at the core every living thing.
What we seem less comfortable with is Mankind’s hardwired extension instinct of Self interest.

“What’s in it for me and mine?” is the question needing to be addressed to change behaviours
 
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