Saturday, February 14, 2009

Get a Grip!

as a trained environmental scientist I was aware that there was something seriously amiss with both the way we as a species 'conduct our business' and the long term impications of this: overuse of resources; an exploding population; pollution; imbalances in wealth; and underlying all this - those impossible to measure things which only become apparent when the whole process is in train and getting harder and harder to sort out - the whole climate change/global warming is a case in point.

I'm afraid I'm a cynic when it comes to mankind's actual ability to do something about the man made elements of this process - not the practicalities - stop driving cars, use less co2 producing energy.

No, the difficulties lie in the business-as-usual mindset of most governments, be they western capitalist economies, centrally organised dictaorships or emerging third world powerhouses.

The rows between those who believe that climate change aka global warming is a done deal and those who deny it's existence or think we might as well carry on as we are because it's a natural event we can do nothing about are unhelpful in the scheme of things and just give ammo to the real blowhards like Jeremy 'big car' Clarkson; who are making a great living from rubbishing the environmental community as yougurt eating beardies... a stance made easier by some of the deep green crusties out there who see the environmental field as a lifestyle choice rather than a field where hard science, together with it's proofs must reign supreme if we are to move along with the major problem we have ahead [a similar argument is occuring within the homeopathic/alleopathic medicinal field]

So it was with some surprise and relief that i was sent this little nugget which emenates from the UK Met office which [BBC weather forecasts aside!] are not noted for their sensationalising of facts.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2009/pr20090211.html


Go take a read and then take a deep breath stahnd back and look at the situation rationally and then take appropiate action.