Global Warming? Why am I so dang cold?
Posted by jsmill on July 12, 2007
Ok – I’ll admit right up front that:
- I am not a climatologist, and
- I am a sceptic – about global warming and many other things.
Some people say that unles I am 1 above and not 2 above I have no right to have an opinion on global warming (hereafter GW). I do not subscribe to that view. I actually criticised the police for shooting someone shooting up the East Perth Station with a shotgun in front of a cop. He said that until I was in those cops’ position I had no right to criticise. While I am not entirely unsympathetic to that view – by this standard only ops could judge other cops, only politicians could judge other politicians, only judges could judge other judges (oh, hang on a sec’).
Ok – back to GW. Is the world getting hotter? I am reliably told that it is and I can accept that. Has the earth been both hotter and colder than it is today? Again, I am reliably told yes – and I accept that. Is the current temperature outside the normal range of temperatures over a reasonable period (I would have liked a long term, say the habitable lifespan of the earth)? I don’t know this one – I have heard both yes and no. If the increase in temperature is out of the ordinary, is it caused by humans? Again, this one could go either way. It is only really on the last two questions that I am sceptical. And much of this scepticism comes from my innate distrust of doomsayers and my contrarian nature.
So, about the big GW. What’s my position, I hear you all asking… I don’t really think it matters whether you believe in anthropogenic GW – we all have an obligation to look after our home. I am of the view that we don’t have the right to mess up our planet simply because we can. I believe our planet has been given to us in a sacred trust and we have an obligation to use it with care and not abuse it. I think our occupation of the earth is a form of stewardship where we have it for a short period, then pass it to the next generation in a state hopefully not significantly worse than how we found it and hopefully better.
Of course, we all need to live and that involves consumption etc. But we should be careful to ensure our footprints are smaller rather than bigger and we use resources with care.
Now, I ain’t no greenie, tree-hugger, touchy-feely type – but I try to do my bit. I recycle, I compost food and garden waste, I have a bore and am on septic. I have a dual flush toilet and a low-flow shower head. I use instant gas for my water heating. Ok – sure I could be better, but who couldn’t?
