I’ve tried to stay away from talking about climate change lately. It’s become the third rail of politics because a large and growing section of the American populace believes climate change is a crock.
Also, have I mentioned that I grown to hate politics? Both major political parties in this country are run by and for crooks. If you need evidence to support that thesis, just look at how government has been run over the past 10 years. Did you vote for “hope and change”? Did you get more of the same? That’s because the front men change, but the crooks remain in charge.
However, I recently got two negative reviews on my book that were negative for the simple reason that I talk about climate change in the book. The reviewers had nothing against the recommendations I make in the book; they just hate the fact that I won’t drink the climate change denial Kool-Aid.
I think there are more immediate concerns than climate change. An energy crisis, potential economic collapse, potential food crisis and more. These are more likely to happen in the shorter term than climate change that is severe enough that it affects my life.
But in the longer term, the evidence is heavily stacked that the climate is changing, and it could serious affect the world our children live in.
So, I wrote a three-page piece about my feelings on this issue. Then I realized that’s a lot to ask you to read on a “spring-forward” Sunday.
So, I’ll ask you to watch this short video instead …
Have a good Sunday.
Related Posts
- A Post I Really Don’t Want to Write … On Climate Change (03/16/10)
- Update on Energy, Water, Food, Climate, Debt and More (01/22/10)
- Gold and Silver … and Zombies (04/20/10)
- HoweStreet.com Interview on ‘4 Tips to Beat the Next Crisis’ (03/08/10)
- Yakking About My Book (02/24/10)
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
In column “A” if the “False” row causes a global depression, then so does the “True” row. In fact if it is real, and globally we spend $Trillions before all the bad stuff happens causing a global depression (no doubt what ever we do will be insufficient to stop it) that will only cause us to be financially unable to help those who need it most when they need it most.
The real problem is how he’s painting the outcome of climate change (either natural which we can do nothing about, or in the case that the climate is influenced by man’s existence on this planet no matter how large or small) due to our inaction, which by the way is what the humans on this planet have by default agreed to do for some time. Selling by using the worst possible outcome feeds the Fear Uncertainty and Doubt in most people. When someone uses FUD, your antenna should be at their full extension. This presentation is NOT a conclusive argument, even if you are a man made global warming believer, so it adds nothing to the debate.
The response to this question from a recent interview with Lindzen (the climate science professor from MIT) sums it up best regarding the pseudo-science of global warming.
“Q) Having said that, are there any behaviors we should be changing, as a society, in order to protect our planet?
A) Yes. We should learn math and physics so we don’t get fooled by this idiocy.”
Here’s a link so you get to hate politics a little bit more.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRealNews#p/u/31/QqIWqLylZj8
Also the increased anti-muslim bigotry takes off to the races at the same time the islamic banking industry is growing faster than any banking industry in the world.If you ask me,under islamic financial law,there are no taxes and interest,it eliminates what the western financial system is built on,taxing us to death and as far as interest goes,I’m sure you know about that more than me.
Imagine a system with no IRS and what you borrow is what you owe,wouldn’t that be a perfect world.
Everything western media attacks,once the dust settles,you realise that they just destroyed something that could benefit us.
If you have friends who live in Dubai,Doha or Bahrain,it’s simple,what you earn is yours to keep.That’s why they end up never wanting to comeback here.
Well! Read your book,very informative and useful.As far as the climate change part goes,some people will assume you’re marketing Al Gore’s agenda,nothing more,nothing less.
Perception wise,I’ve sincere faith in it being nothing but genuine intentions to cover the underlying issues facing us today.
You can’t make people happy all the time,even god is having a hard time at that,keep your head high and the battle carries on.
My regards.
Interesting video. It’s a tough call. e.g. when it comes to electric cars I’m a ready buyer, if they can ever actually get them on a show room floor with a for sale sign on them. The reasons why are many, electricity prices are cheaper and more stable then gas prices, going forward we need less oil use not more, and in sum we have less pollution. But why do we need Al Gore and his companies taking a cut of new taxes and this causing economic depression to do it? Gore told us NAFTA would be good for American jobs. Well, that was a lie. Now he’s a former politcian turned climate expert who is profiting from something which, as you said, may not even be true. And with cap and tax he profits even more. And we pay for all this? It’s crazy. Get the dam cars for sale and people will buy them, add an electric bill sur-charge for electric utility expansion to increase electic generating and delivery capacity. We don’t need a 25% tax increase and a economic depression to buy electric cars.
The video is oversimplified and illogical or misinformational. The matrix is NOT 2×2, but 3×3: Climate Change (NO, YES but natural, YES & manmade) vs. Action (YES but wrong action, YES & correct action, NO action). The results in the video’s Climate Change but No Action quadrant would also apply to the NO Climate Change but Action quadrant — government’s misactions would themselves create or cause very similar political and social problems.
The best approach is to objectively look at all of the scientific evidence, not just at government propaganda. FIRST, evidence indicates that the earth has been COOLING for 10-12 years, not growing warmer. SECOND, the global warming that we have experienced (very real) is LESS than what has happened previously in history and not man-caused. In fact, centuries ago Europe went through significantly more warming than what we have recently experienced and which lead to one of the greatest agricultural development periods in history. Warming and cooling periods in earth’s history are natural occurences not attributable to man’s actions — although people do do inconsiderate things that are destructive to our environment.
The video asumes incorrectly that climate change is caused only by man’s actions and therefore correctable by man’s actions. Man’s efforts to change what is only natural to earth’s fluctuating environmental characteristics will only cause what he is trying to forestall.
What human activity presented the Norsemen with temperate views of Greenland and Vinland in the 10th to 12th centuries? Answer: NONE!! Climate Change? Look to variations in solar output!!
Oh yeah, Linzden. He’s a real winner.
Did you know that he thinks lung cancer has only been weakly linked to smoking?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Lindzen
Did you know that he gets paid $2,500 a day by oil and coal companies as a consultant? They’re not underwriting his research, he says. If that were true, I gues the only thing they can be paying him for is his advocacy. But, in fact, the oil and gas companies do underwrite his research, presumably so he comes up with whatever findings they want.
http://dieoff.org/page82.htm
Here’s the thing: I know I’m never going to change your opinion. I’m okay with that. And while I think there is no certainty on anything, including climate change, you should also accept that it’s very unlikely you will change my opinion. Sincerely, Sean
Well, the worst case of grid 1/1 is a lot worse than a mere world depression and financial collapse of current systems. Try world depression + financial collapse leading to Too Big to Fail countries going under with a Bailout by something New and Bright and Shiny beyond the UN. The One World Government where all petty border and race and religion and food and water squabbles will be resolved for the good of Mother Earth. Where education and health and police will all be free and friendly - to nudge us to be better world citizens with correct think and behavior. Where we all will have a meaningful job and none will be better than another…. Ah - will be just so great. Kinda like the Great Leap Forward or like the Soviet Union of old.. only better because only smart people will be at the top… yeah….
I won’t touch the argument about Lindzen, but I agree with the other comments. The argument in the video is fatally flawed because he assumes that severe climate change can occur only because of man’s influence. He does not consider the possibility that severe climate change will occur whether or not we take action. He also does not consider the possibility that man’s action could have unintended consequences. For example, I read a fabulous article in National Geographic that posited that the beginning af agriculture by man several thousand years ago coincided with a warming that halted what could have become the next ice age. If true, the actions our governments are proposing could result in a global cooling that would put his doomsday scenario to shame. His analysis is too simple. The argument in the video is about fear - not real science.
Sean I know I will not convince you, you must convince yourself. All I ask is that you carefully answer the following questions. Don’t rely on the carnival barkers who have an agenda, look at history and the science. I know you do your own independent thinking on stocks/commodities, do the same on global warming:
1. Is Global Warming (GW) Happening? Check the records, and you’ll see it has been cooling for a decade.
2. Is GW bad? Look at history (like you do with stocks/economies). The middle age warm period was excellent for agriculture, food production.
3. If #1 is deemed true, then ask yourself is it CAUSED by CO2? You’ll find that CO2 is a lagging indicator. It follows warming by 800 years. As temps increase, the ocean (a huge CO2 sink) releases CO2. Try warming Coke to see what I mean.
4. If you still believe, ask yourself, is it man-made - Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW)? You’ll find that the vast majority of the greenhouse gases are water vapor, not CO2. You’ll find that a volcano in one eruption released more GHG than man since the invention of the combustion engine.
5. If you still believe in it, what can man do that will be EFFECTIVE at turning the tide of this warming? In the cost effective manner, the answer is nothing.
Don’t listen to me, do your own research, just as you go onsite at mining locations to do your own research. You’ll find that AGW is a hollow movement.
BTW, don’t fall prey to the Hegelian Dialectic, anyone can pose options and then paint one in such a scary manner that you are forced to take the other. It is a political and debating trick for suckers, don’t be suckered in by this technique (e.g. the embedded video).
I look forward to your answers in these comments.
I can not believe how totally stupid your argument is; why don’t we use the logic diagram to convince ourselves to build an asteroid deterrent system as there is about the same accuracy in prediction an impact as there is in the UN IPCC Data. Anyone who on their own has studied available information knows that CO2 does not cause Global Warming and that it is a just a scam to collect worldwide taxes and to establish Global Governance. You are assisting in the destruction of our nation with your foolishness.
Dave
Scientific research takes (lots of) money. Do you believe “findings” from “research” funded by companies with products to market or “research” from agencies of government whose primary goal is to take complete control over every aspect of our lives, a government promoting a point of view (indoctrinating?) that gives them that control and whose ex-president is profiting financially from that point of view. Remember, wrong actions do not solve problems but only create other problems.
No matter, what I want to know is what actions I should take financially to survive and profit from whatever actions are taken, whether I agree with those actions or not.