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May 04, 2005
The N word
Of course everyone is for the environment. People rush around saying Kyoto, and global warming, and recycle. They're kind of the 'must use' PC words, the exact opposite of the 'don't use' PC words (you know, disabled, chairMAN, etc.)
The biggest problem, if we're to believe the pols, is CO2. Dreadful stuff, a greenhouse gas, and guaranteed to lead to world doom if not checked.
Here are few things the Greens say: -
"Greens have warned voters that "a vote for Labour is a vote for economic disaster", following the release of their new "Costs of climate change" briefing, which outlines how the bill from climate change damages will increase dramatically in the future under the "business as usual" scenario."
and
"THE GREEN Party has unveiled its ice sculpture of Tony Blair melting on College Green, warning that 33 Billion sq metres of polar ice melting annually"
As an aside it should be noticed that the Green party web site is one of the slowest I've ever visited. Probably using one of those low energy computers...
Their full manifesto is available here.
There's a few exciting policy initiatives here, like banning fur, banning battery hens. They're also going to replace the EU's Common Agricultural policy, and its Fisheries policy, nationalise all public transport, and ban genetically modified food. There is talk of renewable energy resources but, interestingly, not once does the word 'tide' or 'tidal' appear, though there are a few references to wind and wind/wave sources.
What they have got hold of is the story in the Telegraph yesterday that Ms Toni is planning to re-look at nuclear power after the election. Nobody trusts nuclear. It produces the biggest bangs the world has ever seen, and allows the making of movies like the China Syndrome. It also produces no CO2. Like zero. Needless to say the Greens will "close the nuclear fuel programme". In fact, by 2020, nuclear power will fall to 4% of the nations consumption if just left alone, as stations come to the end of their useful life, and the greens say in the smaller print, that they will do nothing to accelerate this.
There is certainly a major issue in attempting to meet the Kyoto agreement. Of course evil Bush is not bothering his ass trying, but the question is "why are we?"
According to The Sceptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg full conformance would slow the effect of global warming by somewhat less than 6 years at the end of this century. And this could cost upwards of $300 Billon per YEAR to achieve. Bjorn has been universally villified by green's and environmentalists, but all he is trying to do is ensure that the best facts available are used for policy making. In Science 19th December 1997 Jerry Mahlman of Princeton said it might take 'another 30 Kyotos over the next century' to control warming. And, of course, each one is potentially MORE expensive than the last, because the job is getting harder. Now of course the COST of having global warming is non zero also, estimates run up to around $500 Billion annually, but to all intents and purposes Kyoto puts an additional cost of 300 billion on that for effectively zero (5 and a bit years) gain.
Clearly under these cirumstances someone has to think the unthinkable, and by thinking about nuclear power Toni does herself great credit. Of course, it's not an easy option, but nor are any of the others.
Especially as, as Margaret Beckett admitted last night, the UK is falling way behind on its Kyoto commitments.
Margaret trained as a metallurgist but never worked in industry, and apart from a few years as a researcher for Granada Television has spent a lifetime as a public parasite (sorry, I meant servant...). She is 62 years old but retains the supercilious air of much younger person and is guaranteed to enrage anyone in search of real dialogue.
And currently she's in charge of Environment.
Scary-lady!
Toni Bliar
Sometimes it takes a foreign newspaper to put things in context.
Today's Irish Times has a corruscating article on Blair, Goldsmith and Iraq. The quotes from the earlier, leaked, Goldsmith opinion on the legality of the war are damning. Unfortunately the paper does not allow access without a subscription to many areas so you will not be able to read it. Vincent Browne's extracts make it clear that Goldsmith believed that Toni knew the war could be illegal, and that he, Goldsmith, knew he had to come up with something to get Toni off the hook. This is much stronger than the opinion change which has been sold through the UK meeja.
She's gotta go. But won't.
Political Betting's Balance of Money Projection:- ZNL by 92 seats
Posted by Flo Ting Voe Tah at May 4, 2005 02:07 PM
Comments
Excellent. There has obviously been alot of work put into this study.
Posted by: Paul at May 9, 2005 01:48 PM