I see that Nigel Farage MEP may be summoned for his outrageous rudeness to Herman Van Rampuy. Farrage will become wet with smugness that if it goes ahead. It will give him more media attention, and an opportunity to rant about EU as a threat to free speech. To be banned from the EU Parliament would give him a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure.
Farrage's attack is a classic example of the debating style of extreme right wingers. They major in ad homs and personal abuse. To try to exchange insults with a free market fundamentalist would be as if to enter a crapping contest with an elephant.
Why are extreme conservatives like this? The reason is that as fundamentalists, they believe that their point of view is absolutely and completely right. They scorn any kind of relativism, and they regard anyone who differs from their POV as 100% wrong, and stupid with it. They regard the rest of humanity with contempt, and for them, society does not exist.. The EU to them is a socialist plot, a deep conspiracy dreamed up by unnamed defeated Communists who went underground in 1991.
The best punishment for Farage would be somehow to compel him to debate the philosophical basis of his faith in such a way that he was unable to use personal abuse. His presupposition, that the individual human being is the basic building block of economic reality, if not of all reality, would be shown to be absurd. The out-workings of his philosophy, from his boorish and contemptible words in Parliament, to the monstrous, debt-based free market economy that is predicated on his philosophy, will be exposed as the dysfunctional behaviours that they really are.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Public scepticism over climate change - Ipsos Mori poll.
The Guardian reports an Ipsos Mori poll finding that 69% of the public do not think that climate change is a reality.
The fact is that CC is a reality, even for professional AGW deniers; the godfather of deniers, Patrick Michaels, accepts that the global climate is changing, and even that CO2 plays a part, though he disputes the magnitude of CO2's input. This was shown in the first film of Iain Stewart's Earth Wars, though it is not now available. Patrick Michaels has received much money from business with a reason to continue pumping out CO2.
So the 69% is badly informed. Although only 10% are definitely convinced climate change is not happening at all.
20% believe that climate change is man-made. Pedantically, this should be 0%, since the human component is just one of 6 factors that cause climate change.
This shows an appalling state of public misinformation. When we think of the vast amount of money people pay for newspapers and TV, we should be able to expect that they would be able to convey facts, even among the acres of celebabble. But no.
The funny thing is that the deniers believe that the mainstream media are not reporting their point of view. So the media (Latin = middle) are caught in the crossfire between the scientifically informed and the climate change deniers. They probably answer, "Well we have got it about right, then".
Not so. Offered a choice between truth and wild fantasy, the correct response is to opt for the truth, rather than something in-between.
The fact is that climate change is happening, global temperatures are at a historic high, and the only plausible explanation for these temperatures is the component due to man-made changes to the greenhouse gas composition of the atmosphere.
The AGW deniers have scored a huge propaganda victory though their exploitation of the CRU hack and the IPCC errors, and weak-minded journalists have failed to see through the tissue thin nature of their arguments, which are almost completely based on the fallacy of the Hasty Generalisation. In failing to convey facts, journalists are setting back the necessary economic changes that homo "sapiens" needs to make by many years.
Climate change FAQs
The fact is that CC is a reality, even for professional AGW deniers; the godfather of deniers, Patrick Michaels, accepts that the global climate is changing, and even that CO2 plays a part, though he disputes the magnitude of CO2's input. This was shown in the first film of Iain Stewart's Earth Wars, though it is not now available. Patrick Michaels has received much money from business with a reason to continue pumping out CO2.
So the 69% is badly informed. Although only 10% are definitely convinced climate change is not happening at all.
20% believe that climate change is man-made. Pedantically, this should be 0%, since the human component is just one of 6 factors that cause climate change.
This shows an appalling state of public misinformation. When we think of the vast amount of money people pay for newspapers and TV, we should be able to expect that they would be able to convey facts, even among the acres of celebabble. But no.
The funny thing is that the deniers believe that the mainstream media are not reporting their point of view. So the media (Latin = middle) are caught in the crossfire between the scientifically informed and the climate change deniers. They probably answer, "Well we have got it about right, then".
Not so. Offered a choice between truth and wild fantasy, the correct response is to opt for the truth, rather than something in-between.
The fact is that climate change is happening, global temperatures are at a historic high, and the only plausible explanation for these temperatures is the component due to man-made changes to the greenhouse gas composition of the atmosphere.
The AGW deniers have scored a huge propaganda victory though their exploitation of the CRU hack and the IPCC errors, and weak-minded journalists have failed to see through the tissue thin nature of their arguments, which are almost completely based on the fallacy of the Hasty Generalisation. In failing to convey facts, journalists are setting back the necessary economic changes that homo "sapiens" needs to make by many years.
Climate change FAQs
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Is political blogging just about gossip? If so, where does that leave the Green Party?
I have been blogging since 2004, have put up 1,300+ posts, much of which were about what I thought was "politics". Recently I have been wondering if I am indeed a political blogger. I have been looking at the top political blogs like Iain Dale and Paul Staines Guido Fawkes, and realised that what they do in fact is purvey political gossip.
Theri stuff is mainly about political personalities in and around Westminster. So no wonder that Greens, despite having more bloggers per capita than comparable parties, are out of the loop - we're not in Westminster.
In any case, I have no interest in gossip. This is not meant in a lofty or superior way. I just do not care, except insofar as it has a bearing on policy. It looks as if on the balance of tittle tattle that Gordon Brown has a volcanic temper and maybe is a bully. Well, I have a tendency to lose my rag in meetings, for specific personal-historical reasons, so I cannot cast the stone at Gordon - but I do wonder whether his temperament might lead us into a war. It hasn't so far - he has just had to continue the wars started by St Tony of Bliar. Might Gordon start the Second Falklands war, in order to destroy that Conservative 7% poll lag (remember the rule - the corporate media always supports a good war)? It is a possibility - but this decision would be much more likely to be the result of calculations by his spin doctors, rather than an explosion of personal rage.
Wouldn't it?
Anyway all this leaves us Greens out of the political loop, as usual.
Which is probably a good thing. It is impossible to think while your mind is saturated with the noise of gossip. And somebody needs to do some thinking about the real political and economic problems we face. So, Iain, Guido and the rest, carry on with the gossip, and leave the thinking to the Greens...
Theri stuff is mainly about political personalities in and around Westminster. So no wonder that Greens, despite having more bloggers per capita than comparable parties, are out of the loop - we're not in Westminster.
In any case, I have no interest in gossip. This is not meant in a lofty or superior way. I just do not care, except insofar as it has a bearing on policy. It looks as if on the balance of tittle tattle that Gordon Brown has a volcanic temper and maybe is a bully. Well, I have a tendency to lose my rag in meetings, for specific personal-historical reasons, so I cannot cast the stone at Gordon - but I do wonder whether his temperament might lead us into a war. It hasn't so far - he has just had to continue the wars started by St Tony of Bliar. Might Gordon start the Second Falklands war, in order to destroy that Conservative 7% poll lag (remember the rule - the corporate media always supports a good war)? It is a possibility - but this decision would be much more likely to be the result of calculations by his spin doctors, rather than an explosion of personal rage.
Wouldn't it?
Anyway all this leaves us Greens out of the political loop, as usual.
Which is probably a good thing. It is impossible to think while your mind is saturated with the noise of gossip. And somebody needs to do some thinking about the real political and economic problems we face. So, Iain, Guido and the rest, carry on with the gossip, and leave the thinking to the Greens...
Methane Venting from the Seabed can be used
One of the fascinating episodes in Iain Stewart's film (see yesterday's blog) was to see him diving on a seabed release of methane. Huge amounts of methane were bubbling up around him.
Geological methane (natural gas) often combines with water at high pressures and low temperatures to form clathrates, a white solid. There are 1-5 million cubic kilometers of this within the earth, equivalent to 500-2500 GigaTonnes of carbon, which is more than the ~230 GigaTonnes of natural gas reserves.
Global warming increases the release of methane from clathrates, and one potential tipping point (the "Clathrate Gun Hypothesis") leading to catastrophic runaway climate change, would result from ever increasing release of this methane.
Methane has 25x the global warming potential of CO2, so it is better to collect it and extract its energy, saving on the use of more carbon dense fuels like coal and oil.
I could not find the amounts of methane which are bubbling up from the seabed in the situations of Iain's film, but it makes perfect sense to collect and use it.
Collection is not rocket science. I knocked up this little design for a Methane Capure Tent last night.
Vents (1) on the seabed outgas methane (2) which is captured in a conical fabric structure (3) which is fastened by cables (4) to anchor blocks (5). The methane collects at (6) and is pumped away for use at the pipe (7). In the physical embodiment the pump and pipe could preferably be below the sea surface, to isolate the whole structure from surface waves.
Simple, no? This design is offered free of charge to anyone who wishes to realise it.
While we are at it, it is totally mad to flare off gas at drilling rigs and refineries. Apart from the waste of energy, it is bad for birds and local humans. Pumped, purified and compressed, it becomes CNG, which can be used as transport fuel. Years ago, I asked an oil company why they flare, and they said "It is only 2% of the total production". 2%! You only need 50 2% savings, and you've saved the whole lot. Words fail me.
Geological methane (natural gas) often combines with water at high pressures and low temperatures to form clathrates, a white solid. There are 1-5 million cubic kilometers of this within the earth, equivalent to 500-2500 GigaTonnes of carbon, which is more than the ~230 GigaTonnes of natural gas reserves.
Global warming increases the release of methane from clathrates, and one potential tipping point (the "Clathrate Gun Hypothesis") leading to catastrophic runaway climate change, would result from ever increasing release of this methane.
Methane has 25x the global warming potential of CO2, so it is better to collect it and extract its energy, saving on the use of more carbon dense fuels like coal and oil.
I could not find the amounts of methane which are bubbling up from the seabed in the situations of Iain's film, but it makes perfect sense to collect and use it.
Vents (1) on the seabed outgas methane (2) which is captured in a conical fabric structure (3) which is fastened by cables (4) to anchor blocks (5). The methane collects at (6) and is pumped away for use at the pipe (7). In the physical embodiment the pump and pipe could preferably be below the sea surface, to isolate the whole structure from surface waves.
Simple, no? This design is offered free of charge to anyone who wishes to realise it.
While we are at it, it is totally mad to flare off gas at drilling rigs and refineries. Apart from the waste of energy, it is bad for birds and local humans. Pumped, purified and compressed, it becomes CNG, which can be used as transport fuel. Years ago, I asked an oil company why they flare, and they said "It is only 2% of the total production". 2%! You only need 50 2% savings, and you've saved the whole lot. Words fail me.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Iain Stewart and the Last Ice Age
Iain Stewart is your man for getting a handle on what is happening to our planet. Today he tells the story of how human economics have affected the planet. Great photography, clear narrative, and few if any annoying habits. Great guy.
It is worth listening to right through, but the thing that interested me is his assertion that agriculture about 7000 BC released CO2 from soil and forest, and prevented an expected Ice Age. This is new to me, and of course it is not gospel, it's science, so it may be wrong. However, looking at the graph of ice age cycles, they all have sharp peaks except the last one. The level area after the last peak, on the extreme right, may be what Iain is talking about.
If the idea that we have postponed an Ice Age by our early greenhouse gas emissions is well attested, then this is another mighty piece of confirmation for AGW theory.
He also dived on some undersea methane emissions. That'll keep me busy tomorrow.
Changing to BT
I've just had a nice chat with Kim Blagdon from BT and she has persuaded me to change my broadband from onetel to BT and save £10 per month.
It's all so complicated now. I had no idea who I was getting my broadband from.
Anyway well done Kim. You've made a sale.
It's all so complicated now. I had no idea who I was getting my broadband from.
Anyway well done Kim. You've made a sale.
Blogspot working again; Green Party Conference; time to mend the Broken Society
Hooray! I'm back in to Blogspot again. For the last 7 days I have been unable to open any URL with "blogspot" in it - including the blogspot help. I got some advice from a .blogger site, and it seems to be a known issue (not a Government hack on my site because it is so subversive, sadly); I cleared my cookie list as advised, but that did not help immediately. Anyway I'm back to being able to consume vast amounts of my time and yours in writing.
Main event last week was Green Party Conference. I put an account on my Facebook while the blog was down.
The highlight of Conference was the panel on Equality with Johan Hari and Kate Pickett. Kate works with Richard Wilkinson. Their book The Spirit Level should be required reading for all politicians and commentators, because it shows that the RPG (Rich-Poor Gap) lies at the root of our "Broken Society". So if Dave "I'm not Gordon" Cameron is really sincere about mending said Broken Society, he will aim to do what NuLabour has failed to do, i.e. reduce the RPG.
It would be churlish to add "Pigs might Fly".
The RPG is a lethal weapon aimed at the heart of society. There is good scientific evidence, chiefly from Richard Wilkinson et al. to show that inequality causes unhappiness, ill-health, social breakdown, crime and stuff.
So what do we do about it? Here's what:
1 Citizen's Income, introduced by means of the Green Wage Subsidy.
2 Community spaces and community workers.
3 Government issued QE grants, zero- or low-interest loans to sound investment projects for the Green New Deal.
4 Progressive taxation
5 Robin Hood Transaction Taxes
6 Close tax loopholes used by rich individuals and corporations
7 Internalise all environmental and social costs caused by multinationals (that is, make them pay for the damage they cause)
8 End the monopoly of banks on money creation
I am probably going to blog obsessively on this over the next few weeks.
The other Green Party Conference highlight for me was getting an Emergency Motion on the
Dodgy Donations Disgrace.
Tories: "Lord" Ashcroft:
Labour: "Lord" Paul and Lakshmi Mittal;
LibDems: Convicted fraudster Michael Brown.
All 3 main Westminster Parties are up to their ears in doggy-doo, in terms of massive political donations. So it's up to the Green Party to kick up about the issue. Spent yesterday researching it.
Main event last week was Green Party Conference. I put an account on my Facebook while the blog was down.
The highlight of Conference was the panel on Equality with Johan Hari and Kate Pickett. Kate works with Richard Wilkinson. Their book The Spirit Level should be required reading for all politicians and commentators, because it shows that the RPG (Rich-Poor Gap) lies at the root of our "Broken Society". So if Dave "I'm not Gordon" Cameron is really sincere about mending said Broken Society, he will aim to do what NuLabour has failed to do, i.e. reduce the RPG.
It would be churlish to add "Pigs might Fly".
The RPG is a lethal weapon aimed at the heart of society. There is good scientific evidence, chiefly from Richard Wilkinson et al. to show that inequality causes unhappiness, ill-health, social breakdown, crime and stuff.
So what do we do about it? Here's what:
1 Citizen's Income, introduced by means of the Green Wage Subsidy.
2 Community spaces and community workers.
3 Government issued QE grants, zero- or low-interest loans to sound investment projects for the Green New Deal.
4 Progressive taxation
5 Robin Hood Transaction Taxes
6 Close tax loopholes used by rich individuals and corporations
7 Internalise all environmental and social costs caused by multinationals (that is, make them pay for the damage they cause)
8 End the monopoly of banks on money creation
I am probably going to blog obsessively on this over the next few weeks.
The other Green Party Conference highlight for me was getting an Emergency Motion on the
Dodgy Donations Disgrace.
Tories: "Lord" Ashcroft:
Labour: "Lord" Paul and Lakshmi Mittal;
LibDems: Convicted fraudster Michael Brown.
All 3 main Westminster Parties are up to their ears in doggy-doo, in terms of massive political donations. So it's up to the Green Party to kick up about the issue. Spent yesterday researching it.
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