Comments on: Martin Wolf on the Difficulties of Combatting Climate Change Inertia http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2007/12/martin-wolf-on-difficulties-of.html Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:11:10 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: MF http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2007/12/martin-wolf-on-difficulties-of.html#comment-2160 MF Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:03:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2007/12/martin-wolf-on-the-difficulties-of-combatting-climate-change-inertia/#comment-2160 If anything, Martin Wolf is not even remotely pessimistic enough on this issue --- if you think that any red-blooded American SUV owner, along with his/her family's other 4 or 5 vehicles, plus their grotesquely large McMansion and their vacation homes, will voluntarily give any of that up --- short of being lined up in front of the firing squad --- you are seriously out of touch with reality. <br/><br/> I happen to be in the American "upper-middle-class" economic bracket, and I can assure you that NOBODY I know or have even heard about in this bracket has the slightest intention of giving up anything for "global warming", no matter what the evidence may be or what the experts may warn. GOD could so pronounce to no avail.<br/><br/> Nothing will change until there are massive calamities (Katrina was minor, very minor) from climate change, and even then the change will be way behind the curve. <br/><br/> And if the Americans won't change, why should the Chinese, the Indians and everyone else aspiring to the American lifestyle change?<br/><br/> Furthermore, any American politician who proposes a drastic curtailment of the American lifestyle would simply be committing political suicide. The current presidential campaign is clear evidence that NO CANDIDATE, Republican or Democrat, would even touch this topic with a ten-foot pole. Total poison. If anything, Martin Wolf is not even remotely pessimistic enough on this issue — if you think that any red-blooded American SUV owner, along with his/her family’s other 4 or 5 vehicles, plus their grotesquely large McMansion and their vacation homes, will voluntarily give any of that up — short of being lined up in front of the firing squad — you are seriously out of touch with reality.

I happen to be in the American “upper-middle-class” economic bracket, and I can assure you that NOBODY I know or have even heard about in this bracket has the slightest intention of giving up anything for “global warming”, no matter what the evidence may be or what the experts may warn. GOD could so pronounce to no avail.

Nothing will change until there are massive calamities (Katrina was minor, very minor) from climate change, and even then the change will be way behind the curve.

And if the Americans won’t change, why should the Chinese, the Indians and everyone else aspiring to the American lifestyle change?

Furthermore, any American politician who proposes a drastic curtailment of the American lifestyle would simply be committing political suicide. The current presidential campaign is clear evidence that NO CANDIDATE, Republican or Democrat, would even touch this topic with a ten-foot pole. Total poison.

]]> By: Mencius Moldbug http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2007/12/martin-wolf-on-difficulties-of.html#comment-2150 Mencius Moldbug Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:35:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2007/12/martin-wolf-on-the-difficulties-of-combatting-climate-change-inertia/#comment-2150 Two words for you, dude: <a HREF="http://www.climateaudit.org" REL="nofollow">Climate Audit</a>. Two words for you, dude: Climate Audit.

]]> By: mike http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2007/12/martin-wolf-on-difficulties-of.html#comment-2148 mike Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:18:00 +0000 http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2007/12/martin-wolf-on-the-difficulties-of-combatting-climate-change-inertia/#comment-2148 Atmospheric CO2 levels have increased as a result of industrialization. But it was higher in dinosaur days than today. Carbon has been sequestered in many forms over the eons increasing atmospheric O2 levels.<br/><br/>CO2 is not the only greenhouse gas. Water vapor is a greenhouse gas. <br/><br/>While atmospheric CO2 changes are conclusive, climate change is not. <br/><br/>If global warning is happening and is the result of greenhouse gasses, is it bad? The greenhouse affects night-time lows more than daytime highs, a distinction ignored in global warning articles. Anyone want to grow tomatoes in Canada?<br/><br/>Considering the limited wealth available for the environment and the expanding human foot print, habitat preservation deserves the attention and resources that global warning is getting.<br/>Daniel Botkin MP3<br/>http://www.econlib.org/library/Downloads/y2007/Botkinnature.mp3<br/>Daniel Botkin in WSJ:<br/>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119258265537661384.html Atmospheric CO2 levels have increased as a result of industrialization. But it was higher in dinosaur days than today. Carbon has been sequestered in many forms over the eons increasing atmospheric O2 levels.

CO2 is not the only greenhouse gas. Water vapor is a greenhouse gas.

While atmospheric CO2 changes are conclusive, climate change is not.

If global warning is happening and is the result of greenhouse gasses, is it bad? The greenhouse affects night-time lows more than daytime highs, a distinction ignored in global warning articles. Anyone want to grow tomatoes in Canada?

Considering the limited wealth available for the environment and the expanding human foot print, habitat preservation deserves the attention and resources that global warning is getting.
Daniel Botkin MP3
http://www.econlib.org/library/Downloads/y2007/Botkinnature.mp3
Daniel Botkin in WSJ:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119258265537661384.html

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