Following on from the Electric Bikes thread - I thought I'd measure the amount of guilt - if any - we feel through having fun burning hydrocarbons.
I thought they called it climate change now the scientists proved the Gov's wrong over global warming and changed it ..:smile: It's pissed down all summer so they need to change it to weather change TAX
Global warming is a mis-nomer, it should be called accelerated climate change, changes that used to takes thousands of years are now happening in decades/centuries. Look at glacial retraction for instance.
I hereby offer my apologies for not using the current PC expression.:smile: But you know what I mean.
Whatever you want to call it....it's horse Sh*t! I don't recall too much gas guzzling and hydrocarbon burning going on the last time the ice caps melted at the end of the ice age, nor do I see any reason why it changed in the first place for it to freeze over. Its all just part of the bigger picture, just like our 4 season each year (though that is debatable these days) its just our small planet moving into a different season in the solar system.
No one disputes the earth goes through warm/cold cycles, but the speed/frequency is what is being debated, will evolution be able to keep up? Will the accelerated changes get to a tipping point? Who knows? Probably not in our life time, but if we continue down the road we are on now we are effectively stealing from the future generations are we not?
I see nothing in the poll or thread title about speed or frequency Dave? What will happen will happen.....no matter how much 'environmental' TAX our governments collects from us, it wont change it for any generation.
Which is why I haven't voted. Tax won't change anything, except newer cleaner technology requires investment, in education, as well as sciences. But for me it's not about politicians or governments, it's about personal, societal, corporate, and national responsibilities.
But penalising the countries and their people, that contribute a minimal pollution factor in the equation, if it actually has any effect at all, is like pissing in the wind. Till the China's and Korea's etc. of the world begin to introduce and abide by any environmental legislation, why should the rest of us hug trees while they fill the atmosphere with all and sundry?
This is very true. I know for a fact that back when the Montreal protocol was brokered and the west decided to it's bit and get rid of CFC's and HCFC's. All that happened was the equipment was sold to India and the developing world (just moving the problem). However it must be noted that the Fgas legislation has tried to negate this occurrence but with very little policing Lots of talking by governments, even more legislation which only the uk seem to stick too and not enough action by the people really responsible. Right enough of my ranting I'm watching the Bsb
The western world has had their turn at industrial expansion and pollution, it would be unfair to penalise developing countries to the same extent, but they must be helped or encouraged to expand in the most environmentally friendly way possible, because when China, India, the Philipines and others start producing to their potential the world will be in trouble. And who are we to deny them the same advantages and living standards as us. With the way the worlds population is expanding, how many countries have already lost the ability to sustain themselves internally, food, water, and energy are becoming an increasingly global commodity, but when push comes to shove, when things get tight who is gonna go hungry? Oooops, off topic rant over :redface:
Yeah....let's forget the consequences for half an hour and watch some hydrocarbons be needlessly burnt......the BSB is off! Did they move Oulton to another country....is looks lovely!
It's about balance, racing a few bikes around a circuit is nothing, it's the corporate greed and short sightedness that annoy's me, damaging the future for short term profits and bonuses. Individuals and governments are called to account, but large corporations can lie, hide and deny whatever they want with little ramification, people are too apathetic and trusting for their own good.
It's individuals and governments that run the large corporations. I personally think human nature is the route of the problem. It has always ceased to amaze me one human beings ability to f!!ck over another human being and find it acceptable. We are a selfish self centred breed.
So far, as i type this, there are 7 people who think that we can't and shouldn't be doing anything about climate change. And no one who thinks any different. So I am surprised at the comments above. If it's not an issue, or at least not our fault and we are impotent to stop it, then there is no problem and no debate. I don't subscribe to that view naturally. The issue of other countries not doing their bit is a bit thick. China is an export based economy. Who buys all their stuff? We do. This is being typed on a Mac, made in China by an American firm. Do they impose strict environmental controls on their suppliers? Do they f.. Should we penalise these countries when we polluted with impunity in the past? Yes, because we are now a lot wiser about pollution and CO2 emission. The hypocrisy is not to tax imported goods that are made in a polluting way. The only way you change people's behaviour is punishment and reward. Punishment works best, sadly, and that is tax. Who likes tax? No one. Who wants their house under water? Even fewer people. But hey. There is no need to tax anything at all because there is no problem. The extreme and accelerated climate changes that have occurred since the industrial revolution and the exponential expansion of the human race - just an unhappy coincidence.
'Tis population, far too many people in the World to sustain long term. Everything else is just froth.The issue is probably impossible to resolve and it's immoral to ask the Third World to cease their aspirations and impractical to ask them to reduce their birthrate so at some time in the future, maybe in 10 years or maybe 100, the whole thing is going to implode. We are very lucky to have lived in a wealthy country at a time when resources were freely available. Until everything falls apart I'm going to continue to ride my 900 content in the knowledge that if I choes not to ride, it wouldn't make any difference to the inevitable.
The ONLY problem to overcome is population rise in my humble view. Everything else and i mean everything comes back to this issue eventually. I have no idea how to reasonably reverse it but that does not alter the situation one bit.
