Sharing, Scaring Feeling

The Australian ^ | May 3, 2009 | David Burchell

[Oldeconomybuyer]

THE 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes liked to joke that his mother fell into labour when she heard the guns of the Spanish Armada off the south coast of England. Hence, he claimed, fear and he were twins. In his famous meditations on the passions that draw us together into human society, Hobbes always gives fear the highest priority. [snip]

I have no reason to doubt that human-made carbon emissions are having a worrying effect on the planet's health. Yet whenever I hear Al Gore sermonising on our imminent doom, I can feel my hackles rising. In a speech last year Gore told us we were doomed to extinction unless we switched entirely to renewable energy sources within a decade. Yet, as researchers on the Arctic's thinning ice sheet have observed, "because excess carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for centuries, it will take at least a few decades for concentrations to peak and then to decline even if concerted efforts to reduce emissions are begun immediately". By this logic, Al's message is the counsel of despair. Any reasonable citizen, taking him seriously, would do better to eat, drink and be merry because to listen any further to the Gore gospel would reduce you, again, to a huddled fearfulness.

But there is at least this to be said for Gore's foolishness; when these ideas come out of his mouth, he no doubt sincerely believes them to be true. In the case of our public health authorities, I'm not quite so sure.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

[Secret Agent Man]

Wow he even looks like a big ol’ carbon emmission, straight from the horses’ patoot...

[Ole Okie]

One big pile of pollutant.

Manbearpig Algore.

[ChicagahAl]

"I have no reason to doubt that human-made carbon emissions are having a worrying effect on the planet's health"

No reason? The author is an imbecile.

[Bahbah]

I have no reason to doubt that human-made carbon emissions are having a worrying effect on the planet's health.

Then you are not doing your homework, mister.

[chiya]

My husband and I know a guy who just got back from a stint at a base in Anartica, His stories were very eye opening. He tells about how the base is built on special supports so that every couple of years they can raise it up because if they didnt the rising ice would swallow it up.