Climate Crisis, Bah Humbug and Complicity

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr

The above is the only way to describe the present-day war raging between those who believe in Climate Crisis justified by science, and those who oppose the Climate Crisis hype also defensible by science.

Those who oppose the whole Climate Crisis brawl are in the minority as the news media have now also joined the ranks of those proclaiming climate crisis a human disaster: The methods employed by the media are mostly based on ‘by association’ reportages.

*It must be noted that the Climate Crisis spin-doctors have modified the moniker often in the hope of attracting more adherents to the cause.

A recent report drafted by a scientific group, predicates that there is no statistical data that proves or highlights the fact that there is a climate emergency taking place.

Most climate crisis computer models to which predictions are based, are based on northern hemisphere models: the southern hemisphere models are based on extrapolations of the northern hemisphere representations. And then there are the eastern and western hemispheres eventualities that add to the headache. And not forgetting that climate, unlike the weather, is vastly more complex than is proclaimed or admitted i.e. The volume of the atmosphere is around 4,200,000,000 cubic kilometers which is way larger than what mere mortals can satisfactorily comprehend!?

The climate crisis debate has been around since (at least) the 1970’s and already then, it was proclaimed that climate change was 50 thousand years in the making and that it was going to happen irrespective of what interventions humans tried.

The one topic that is not being tackled with any conviction is the employment issue: What to do with the workers of the world once the traditional ‘carbon’ jobs are done away with? Every topic is about sustainability, saving the earth and the ice-shelves.

*A (coal) Power Station employs around 3000 workers whereas a solar farm employs a team of 10 workers (average) once the construction phase is completed.

Presently, Governments have instituted some form of Climate/Carbon Tax to offset the costs of fighting the Climate Crisis; as if money is going to staff off the eventuality.

Still humanity continues on its path of technological development, information cataloguing and digital self-improvement. Those who feel mortality knocking will be vitriolic in their condemnation of a dreaded human-caused tomorrow. Those without jobs continue on their quest for food, shelter and some form of human vulgarities: and climate crisis be damned. Those with means; do they really care about tomorrow or are they just making the right noises for it is what is demanded by the woke-culture?

Maybe if humans stopped pushing back the sea, the predicted Armageddon of rising waters would not be that significant!?

Enter stage right, the complex subject of what to do with all the non-recyclable materials used in the manufacture of ‘sustainable’ implements.

Ends

Me, Myself and I

A few months ago, I restarted my blogging endevours in an attempt to voice my counter-opinions on various subjects pertaining to life, the media and other subjects deemed holy by the ‘woke’ mindset.

Politics is an easy subject as said practitioners of the art open themselves up for criticism, ridicule and praise. Their job description means that they must speak for a living. They must also make discissions that very few in society are willing to make. This opens them up for criticism even further for ‘one can’t please everyone.’

*As much as individuals want their voices heard and their needs taken care off, it is impossible to enact as ‘the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.’ It is a given that, more often than not, condemned decisions work themselves out pretty well; just not when we want them to happen.

Then of course there are the opposition parties that, in their quest for power and supremacy, will stir up public emotions in an attempt to outs the ruling party. They hide behind well-meaning wordage thus gathering those predisposed to their ideals. Right or wrong, this is how politics functions.

Another subject I found fascinating is the one of Law Enforcement. Note Law Enforcement! Not please let’s be nice and cordial but Enforcement: When a Police Officer asks one to carry out a certain action, the word ‘please’ is used in the request sentence. This terminology is not a request but and instruction veiled in niceties. Refuse at your own peril is the caveat.

In most law-and-order TV series, the producers will show cops using force, bully tactics, aggression, intimidation and moral indignation in their fight against criminality. Tactics that were frowned upon at the conclusion of the second great war.

The other accepted form of Law Enforcement is the advent of ‘victim advocacy.’ This is where victims are presumed to be honorable, and without guilt. The accused is then treated with all the bile and nastiness that the investigating officers can muster. The fact that the ‘accused’ life is damaged beyond repair does not come into the picture for ‘We are only doing our jobs!’ A good example of the above idiosyncrasies is Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

The one sad highlight of the above situation stems from the fact that the public in general are happy that it is ok for the police to incarcerate people irrespective of them being guilty or not. It is as if the removal of the perceived evil threat is calming and reassuring: life can thus return to normal!?

The news media are a sacrosanct lot who believe that they are the ‘lord saviour’ of humankind: They alone hold the power to question public figures without fear or favour; And they alone hold the moral high-ground against a deteriorating society.

Interestingly, their failings stem from the fact that they are organized, managed and run by fickle humans; the very essence of humanity that they claim to be guarding against. The other fact is that they are a business thus bottom-line driven: the more sensational the story, the more it sells.

To assume that the news media are honourable in intent is looking for trouble, and diminishing our rationale abilities. Allowing them freedom to mold our minds by veiled suggestion is tantamount to mental suicide.

There are two inviolable truths where the news media is concerned: Their rights is assured under most constitutions, and most editors (in-chief) are not honourable people: a story must have barbs, emotive material and by-association expressions. And not forgetting the liberal use of exaggerated-speak.

My conclusion to the news media conundrum is to accept very little they publish as the truth, to read more than one published story on the subject in question, to question, to verify, to validate…, and to divide everything they claim by six.

Modern day funerals are jestful in content. Not only are funerals expensive, the preparations exorbitant and the religious intent is always to convert the visiting cohorts of ‘non-believers’ to the ways of the ‘real’ truth.

And then there are the eulogies. Pieces of verbosities (some written) that expound the recently passed as heroes, as unilaterally unblemished persons who could do no wrong, lived for their family, were persons of character, morally strong and are now in ‘heaven.’ My investigations into this phenomenon revealed that these practices are there to alleviate grieving and to lighten the load on those left behind. Interesting how ‘works of the flesh’ are used to assuage the bereaved.

What about the world of activism? Here is a world where minorities want the majorities to view the world in their way as they alone have the answers to fixing the ills ravishing humanity.

Name a subject and there will be activists fighting for its rights and fixing what is perceived to be broken. They of course feed into the frenzy usually driven by the news media.

If one disseminates all that activists claim, very little of substance remains. But being aggressive about a subject means that they will get publicity; lots of it. The use of absolute-speak serves them well. Lace anything with a little drama, a pinch of bile and a sprinkle of doomsday and viola, one has a best seller.

The modern word ‘sustainability’ is their go-to word. Everything must be sustainable. History unfortunately is a harsh task-master where humans and their fixations are concerned: years ago, electricity, in all its guises and machinations was the way to go. Coal and Oil were seen as sustainable and the way to a prosperous future. In the modern world, wind, water (not so much,) and sunshine are hailed as the second coming of a deity. Unfortunately, as in the past, very little thought has been given to the collateral damage of these technologies. All that matters is the now!

Unionists are also activists. Labour activist at that. They use emotive-speak to garner votes from their constituents and absolute-speak when fighting the good fight on behalf of their members.

Listening to activists sprout their wares is a fascinating pastime but it is also annoying. All in all, the art of activism is that simple and that complex all rolled into one. 

Not much is left to say on matters that have interested me. One thing is for sure: Humans are a fascinating lot. It is their idiosyncrasies and rationalizations that make them a formidable force of nature and anything that stand in their way must just get out of the way or be damned.

In another few billion years (circa) the sun will decimate the world as we know it. Until then, smile and wave!

Ends

Climate Change versus Employment

Climate change is not a new phenomenon. It is a weather condition that has been taking part in cycles over the millennia; and by all accounts, the next cycle has been 50 thousand years in the making.

The bottom line is that climate change is a natural ecological event that is going to happen irrespective of humanity’s effort to stave it off; stave being the operative word.

Global-warming is another kettle of fish altogether: besides it being a natural ecological occurrence that takes place every-so years, it is also an occurrence that is aggravated by human consumption and industrial activity.

On the natural side, volcanic activity, solar radiation and the earth’s cyclic movement through the Universe, et al, all play a role in keeping the environmental scales in fine equilibrium, or not.

On the human side, industrial growth, human green-house gas generation and fossil fuel usage all contribute to upsetting the fragile balance that encompasses the environment, atmosphere and the way the eco system deals with these eventualities.

Although the Industrial Age is lauded and praised for much of the technological development that is being experienced today, it has brought with it unforeseen (maybe) side-effects; side-effects that have malignantly contributed to the many environmental problem and human enslavement being experienced today.

Yes, medically, technologically and financially, humanity finds itself riding the waves of success and development (although the last one is debatable.) Humanity is at an all time high: lofty life-spans, healthy bank balances and prosperity. And now that the ‘east’ has caught up and surpassed western developments, life has accelerated to the next level faster than anticipated.

Humanity has become technologically and information hungry. It has huge wants-and-needs that are being met by extravagant usage of natural recourses and over capitalisation of available real estate, all drawing upon the human propensity for avarice to drive those wants-and-needs along.

The main challenge facing modern Governments is employment: how to create avenues that help foster employment versus creating avenues that produce profits, thus keeping the economic status-quo fresh, is the quandary? It may be argued that other systemic life issues are of more importance but without employment, the system will consume itself to the overall detriment of humanity – the money energy cycle needs to be maintained.

To my mind, all the talk of climate change and or global warming will come to naught if the employment factor is not fixed. A hungry person does not care about the environment. A dejected unemployed person does not care about the environment. As a matter of fact, both types of people are more given to fits of pack-rage and destructive tendencies than those that are gainfully employed.

The South African Minister of Energy Affairs recently stated that renewable energy initiatives will cut employment as renewable-energy power generating plants, besides being more energy efficient, are also human real-estate efficient e.g. wind farms require less human-power to keep the equipment operational than that of a coal fired power station. Solar farms face the same employment dilemma.

With the growth in the human population expected to reach nine billion by the year 2030 (by recent extrapolations,) the employment quandary increases with each passing year. A prospect that is going to place even greater stresses on the environment due to the logarithmic growth in energy demand, food requirements, and other natural resources. A prospect that is neither positive nor captivating for the coming generations of humans.

I am of the opinion that the existing democratic (or whatever other forms of Government there are around the world) and capitalistic energies are in dire need of an overall. These energies worked well during the birth of the Industrialisation age to about 20 years ago. Since then, they have been faltering and overwhelming humanity at a dizzying pace of consumption. Changes to both systemic energies will not be easy, but the alternatives are worse.

Carl Sagan once said that if humanity can survive past its puberty stage (speaking of human development in the greater scheme-of-time,) the future will be humanity’s oyster. Unfortunately, very little positivity is pointing in that direction.

“The needs and wants of the people need to be addressed and pacified. Workable solutions have to be constructed in such a way that either gainful employment is generally guaranteed or alternatively, that a new means of income generation is implemented i.e. doing away with the traditional capitalist way of doing things.” ~ Global Warming: A Growing Woe

Global Warming: A Growing Woe

I am of the opinion that the whole so called global warming/climate change issue is too complex a subject to just apportion blame willy-nilly onto the veritable human being, especially as no real workable solutions are put forward by the activists and pundits of global warming/climate change theories.

We live in a self perpetuated and accepted way of life that puts much emphasis on finances and wealth. We mostly all work for a living because of that culture: Those that sponge of the system are looked upon as just that; spongers (why don’t you get a job, you lazy good-for-nothing so-and-so.)

The accepted capitalist system is devoid of emotion and empathy: two human qualities that make life liveable and mostly comfortable. We are becoming automaton of technology and convenience while overlooking the consequences of those actions (I have money, why should I care.) Anyway there are enough charities to contribute too to pacify that nagging conscience.

I am also of the opinion that the capitalist system as we know it is long overdue for a makeover. The fact that the living-wage gap (rich vs. poor) is getting larger by the moment, is enough of an indication that all is not well in the land of finances.

Add to the above equation an emotional subject such as global warming/climate change and a calamity is created at the forefront of the human perception and psyche. The situation is mostly aggravated by the fact that traditional means of incomes are threatened by the call for closure/minimalisation of factories, manufacturing plants and energy utilities – oil is bad, coal is bad, CO² is bad, methane is bad, flatulence is bad, meat is bad, mercury is bad, sugar is bad, cholesterol is bad, obesity is bad, paper is bad, planes are bad, motor vehicles are bad, smoking is bad, fertiliser is bad, et al.

The above-mentioned commodities supply a large percentage of workers with employment/wages on a global basis.

The call for cleaner and renewable energy utilities is adding to this woe for most of the proposed renewable energy generating theories require little human intervention and hands-on skills (not labour intensive); and are expensive to boot.

Developed countries are being asked to provide assistance (money) to developing countries so that they too can implement ‘earth saving’ initiatives. This in itself is seemingly the-proper-thing-to-do, but the underlying catch is that it’s the tax-payers living in the developed countries that will have to foot this noble expense. It must be said that altruism and charity, although seemingly noble, do not fix the underlying problem(s).

So yes, global warming and climate change is a reality of life on earth. It has been for countless of centuries and nothing we do will stave off that inevitably. And yes, our contribution to that ‘inevitably’ can also be counted and measured. And yes, many proposals have been put forward by pundits and activists alike – some more aggressively than others, to what needs and must be done to put off that ‘inevitably.’

What most do not want to take-in is that the problem is not that simple to solve. Those that are at the forefront of the war for change, are mostly gainfully employed or living of the welfare of others, or living on some plot of land (usually wrongly occupied or left behind as an inheritance) growing their own meagre crops feeding themselves and their offspring: close to nature, so to speak.

What most also do not take in is that there are factors outside the control of the veritable human being viz. Volcanic eruptions, solar flare-ups, earth’s passage through the galaxy/universe, moving tectonic plates, etc, that add to the ‘inevitably’ equation.

The ‘legacy’ issue also plays an emotive role in the whole cry for survival i.e. what of the future of my children, what about the poor animals, etc.

And then there is technology; another detractor.

Technology has provided a portion of the human race with tools that have made the acquisition of knowledge easier and cheaper. Technology has also provided a portion of the human race with powers that were previously not easily enacted i.e. freedom of expression (good and bad,) global empathy (good and bad,) power to circumvent despotism, cyber anarchy, etc.

Technology has also provided a portion of the human race with feelings on invincibility and immortality i.e. blogs will live long after one has expired, I can say what I like to whom I like without fear of physical consequence, the power of anonymity, governmental/corporate feel-good marketing campaigns, etc.

And not forgetting the power that technology has granted the giants of human-thought-manipulation i.e. the media, the swaying of public opinion, bending of outcomes to suit a given objective, popularising a certain way of life, sensationalising a happening for the sake of profit, etc.

I have over the past years made it my business to follow the reasoning behind the global warming malady by reading, watching, researching and pensively thinking about the issue at hand (from both sides of the spectrum.) I have also, in view of the few points mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, tried to formulate an opinion that encompasses the problem as a whole, without going off the activist deep-end.

My take on the problems facing the required ‘global warming’ mindset change always comes back to one glaring point: economics. What happens to the petrol industry workers when the petrol plants are done away with? What happens to the meat farmers when people minimalise eating meat? What happens to the livestock when people discontinue feeding on them? What happens to the pilots when people minimise flying? What happens to the motor vehicle industry workers when motor vehicle manufacture is minimised or done away with?

Thus in essence, solve the economics of living and the problem at hand is minimised!

Although the predicament of the human-inflicted global warming danger is a growing one, being self-centred and antagonistic in forcing people to change their sceptical fearful mindsets will not change the internal motivational drives of the human being.

The needs and wants of the people need to be addressed and pacified. Workable solutions have to be constructed in such a way that either alternative gainful employment is generally guaranteed or, that a new means of income generation is devised i.e. doing away with the traditional capitalist way of doing business.

Irrespective of what is said and done, my overriding opinion is that the inevitable will happen and that no amount of political posturing and or activist will and or new-age bluster will change that ‘inevitably.’

It is the now-or-later scenario that remains on the table.