Climate debates and using the media

November 26, 2009

Only a few days ago, climate skeptics were gloating because supposedly the climate wasn’t changing anymore. “Climategate” proved they had been right all along. Fair enough, I thought, that’s a score for the skeptics, but our politicians won’t change the policies over one scandal… not with the scientific evidence showing clearly that our weather is gradually changing.

Then this morning. Front page headlines in mainstream newspapers screamed “Energy bills to rise sharply”, with on the first line the explanation: “energy bills used to generate billions for sustainable investments”. What an incredibly stupid timing for this really wonderful news.

Right now, the first association people have with sustainable energy is “fraud” and “scandal”. People do not think of the slowly spinning wind turbines, beautiful solar panels or hydro power. They don’t think of the need to be self sustaining. They don’t think of the jobs that will be created. They don’t think that this industry might actually generate more money than it costs. And they certainly don’t believe our climate is changing anymore. And I’m afraid that they will link these billions of Euros to the scandals.

I’m terribly pissed off by the person who leaked this news (it was a leak – the source was a confidential conceptual letter sent within the government). If the fools had waited just a few days or weeks! Many people believe that our climate is changing. I deliberately use the word “believe” because the large majority can only check the weather forecast and read the newspaper to learn about the climate. Not a very good source. But the timing of this news actually strengthens the skeptics case: money is being thrown away, and the only reason we’re made to believe in the greenhouse gas theory is to be able to squander more money.

A poll on a newspaper’s website asks if the extra expenses are a good idea. 82% answers no, only 18% says yes (approx. 1000 people voted).

Fools – the world is full of fools!

The total budget for the next number of years, those billions, is the same amount of money that we spend on oil alone each year…

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