Guest Post by Willis Eschenbach
As reported in the Guardian (so it must be true), we are treated to some great news:
World headed for irreversible climate change in five years, IEA warns
If fossil fuel infrastructure is not rapidly changed, the world will ‘lose for ever’ the chance to avoid dangerous climate change
Figure 1. Ominous looking clouds coming from smokestacks symbolize our uncertain future … or some nonsense like that. Photo from the Guardian article.
So … why is this good news?
Well, think about it. If the world “loses for ever” the chance to avoid dangerous climate change, then at least we’ll be rid of the thousands of people clutching their pearls and whining because of the understandable lack of action in response to the Boy Who Cried Wolf. Plus, we’ll be rid of the eponymous Boy himself, I’ll be glad to see his back.
And we’ll be rid of people wanting to pick our pockets to further their anti-development agenda under the guise of worrying about climate. If we get to where it’s “irreversible”, we won’t be bothered by them trying to take our bucks to reverse it.
Think about how peaceful that will be without that alarmism … bliss.
Then we can get back to the job we should have been doing all this time, which is trying to protect people now from climate disasters now. That way, whether or not CO2 turns out to be “teh eevil”, we will be protecting people as much as we can, and as soon as we can.
Only five more years until peace breaks out! I can hardly wait!
w.
PS—The headline itself was a howler too. Any climate change is indeed irreversible … to mangle the Rubaiyat,
The moving finger writes, and having writ, Moves on, nor all your piety nor wit, Can call it back to cancel half a clime Nor all your tears wipe out a word of it ...
Not only is any climate change irreversible, climate change is also inevitable … but please, don’t tell the IEA. They’re on a good path, we just have to stay schtumm for five years and we’re there.
PPS – I don’t think Willis will mind my pointing out that the deadline when Copenhagen COP16 was going on in 2009 was 10 years according to the Met Office:
Click image for story.
It seems that between 2009 and now, 3 years went missing. It must be worse than we thought.
I also made a screencap of the Guardian story for posterity, should it disappear.
– Anthony
Unfortunately I don’t have the answers, otherwise I’d probably be too busy to post here.
For every failed avenue explored knowledge is advanced a little, even if that advancement is just knowing where not to look again in the future. The idea of the next generation of power stations being built locking us onto a path that uses the same technologies for the next 30 years isn’t something to be celebrated.
Is peak oil taboo subject in this neck of the woods ( I don’t really want to get bogged down in that discussion)?
Easily reached fossil fuels are being depleted. Renewable energies along with nuclear will become more important in the future. We don’t have the capabilities to produce large amounts of renewable energy at the minute but just because we give up doesn’t mean other countries won’t. They will eventually be developed and surely it would be better to ride the crest of that wave rather than buying those technologies from our global competitors?
Or are you saying we cannot learn from our past mistakes? Because we couldn’t figure it out we should give up?
I’d like to get in touch with you Mr Willis Eschenbach, I read a previous post of yours where you mentioned a friend of yours (now deceased) who lived in Vanua Levu – I’m trying to piece together info on his life for his family at the moment.
Sorry to comment on an unrelated article, but wasn’t sure the best place to do it. Please let me know if you’d be willing to share some insight…