[LINK] Scientists offered cash to dispute climate study

[Richard Archer]

At 10:57 AM +1100 5/2/07, Daniel Rose wrote:

>> That said, even if global warming is complete hogwash, it is
>> still absolutely critical that the world acts right now to
>> counter it, because Peak Oil is right upon us and the two
>> problems require pretty much the same responses.
>
>How can one accept the scientific case for peak oil, and not the case
>for global warming?
>
>Although clearly distinct, there are enough similarities between the two
>that I find it unusual that you assume peak oil as fact, but entertain
>the idea that gw could be complete hogwash.

Peak oil is completely unavoidable. Even if we haven't peaked
yet it's only another 5, 10 or 20 years until we do. Even in
the most optimistic scenarios, oil production (and probably
fossil energy production) will peak well within my lifetime
(unless I die of a heart attack from worrying about it ;)

And peak oil will inevitably lead to the same actions as any
other resource scarcity... war. Except the resource in question
is THE resource which is responsible for almost all the wealth
in the modern world so the ensuing wars will be on a massive
scale. The Oil Wars have begun, and we've not seen anything yet!

To me, living here in a nice developed country, peak oil
represents the gravest threat to my lifestyle and to the future
of my children that I can imagine. I see no indication that the
world is taking the threat of peak oil seriously.

I see peak oil as inevitable and the consequences dire.

But my message contains no indication as to whether I believe in
climate change or not. In fact, I haven't seriously considered
whether or not to believe in it because I see climate change
as almost irrelevant. The knowledge and technology exists right
now to deal with anything climate change can throw at us.

Droughts: we have the knowledge to completely drought-proof
Australia and even to reclaim deserts. See the work of Peter
Andrews, P.A. Yeomans and the water-management aspects of
permaculture. That we instead choose to have a "water crisis"
is either gross stupidity or a politically expedient stunt.

Storms: we can design and erect buildings that can withstand
any weather nature can produce. Or in the third world, erect
buildings that are so cheap that they are almost disposable.

Floods: humans have lived with floods forever. No problem.

Rising sea levels: if you live on the beach, SELL NOW!
Even if you live in Bangladesh, you can move inland now.
Kiribati probably imports enough rubbish and packaging material
to raise the level of the islands faster than the sea level
is rising. And with the right impetus, people can be relocated,
as demonstrated by the Three Gorges Dam project.

Mass extinctions: climate change triggered extinction events
will be nowhere near the scale of extinctions humans have
directly caused.

Etcetera.

So, I see the reaction to climate change as a welcome first step
towards preparing for peak oil. I must admit I do wonder whether
the people driving the climate change agenda are actually trying
to prepare the world for peak oil but using this facade because
"climate change" is so much less terrifying than "peak oil".

But I subscribe to Hanlon's Razor: "Never attribute to malice
that which can be adequately explained by stupidity".

Sorry, didn't mean to rant :)

 ...R.