How Should Mhks React To The Ipcc?

[Chinahand]

The International Panel on Climate Change reported on Friday.

 

Their report Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis, Summary for Policymakers is available here.

 

A web cast of the news conference is here

 

Anyone know if MHKs have been given a copy?

 

Stern using slightly older, and quite pessimistic models (but still in the IPCC ranges) said upto 5% of world GDP could destroyed by Climate change per year. That burden will be disproportionately borne by those who live in low lying areas likely to experience significant storms. That sounds too close to us for my comfort.

[Albert Tatlock]

They should pause, and not rush into anything too quickly.

 

There are workable solutions that may help aid negate climate change and there are knee-jerk reactions. So far there have been too many of the latter.

 

If they want to make an initial gesture, I would suggest negotiating with land clearers abroad with a view to possibly financing the protection of an area of rainforest e.g. the size of the island (and its territorial waters) that is due to be cut down imminently. A major issue is about keeping these people out of the rainforests and stopping them from cutting it down to produce food oil etc. that we don't really need and which we can easily come up with alternatives for. People need to be paid to grow and tend the rainforests which would be a good use of tax, as deforestation is, overall, a major cause of emissions. If other countries started doing that, it could all in theory, be negotiated for and protected, and additionally those countries paid to 'ring-fence' the rainforests. If a growing tree 'has a value' and people are paid to look after them - that means the alternative won't be that they take all of our jobs instead. The unit of carbon trading could be 'the tree'.

 

Knee-jerk tax measures will be cancelled out almost immediately if the real causes are not tackled e.g. we'll still end up with higher taxes AND no rainforests. We can all still maintain a high standard of life if we ensure things are balanced, and technology is made good use of.

 

That said, I am still not convinced that all of the science is in yet, and that the models are accurate enough yet, and am still expecting one or two suprises to drop out, particularly with regard to the Sun.

[Charles Flynn]

Reference will be made to the IPPC Report when Tynwald members are given a Report from the Acclimatise Steering Group in the next few weeks. The whole issue of Climate Change and what our Government will do about it will then be debated in Tynwald before the Summer recess.

[Lonan3]

and am still expecting one or two suprises to drop out, particularly with regard to the Sun.

 

Tanned tits on page 3?

[Albert Tatlock]

and am still expecting one or two suprises to drop out, particularly with regard to the Sun.

 

Tanned tits on page 3?

Funnily enough I was waiting for that one - and funnily enough thought it might be you

[Roger Smelly]

Haha this is another TAX for you to pay.

 

A few million years ago the ice caps covered the UK.

 

All this global warming has been going on for millions of years.

 

Who cares if it gets warmer if you look at the amount of harmful gasses that nature pumps out you will be suprised.

 

All it takes is for the sun to pump out a little more heat than usual and the green lot start saying its man.

 

We cannot control the sun so what happens if the sun starts producing less heat ? an ice age will start.

 

Pay your taxes and be a good little sheep

[Manxman In Exile]

Haha this is another TAX for you to pay.

 

A few million years ago the ice caps covered the UK.

 

All this global warming has been going on for millions of years.

 

Who cares if it gets warmer if you look at the amount of harmful gasses that nature pumps out you will be suprised.

 

All it takes is for the sun to pump out a little more heat than usual and the green lot start saying its man.

 

We cannot control the sun so what happens if the sun starts producing less heat ? an ice age will start.

 

Pay your taxes and be a good little sheep

 

 

Hear hear!

 

It was the cave men lighting their fires that started it all melting.

 

And I have often wondered what size carbon footprint an erupting volcano has. I think one pop from Mount St Helens would negate anything the Kyoto protacol tried to do.

[stookie]

I might have agreed with some of these sentiments a short while ago, but do yourselves a favour and watch Al Gore's film "An Inconvenient Truth", if you haven't already, and see if you think the same afterwards. It should be shown in our schools as it's the kids who will suffer most for our mess. I think it's easy to be sceptical and ignorant as I was and probably still am, but that's a cop out.

 

What scientists everywhere now agree on it seems is that with measurements they have made mapping out temperature and CO2 levels over hundreds of thousands of years (more years than man has occupied the planet) through analysis of ice core samples obtained in the Antarctic there is a correlation between the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and the earth's temperature. Sure the graph isn't a smooth line because of aforementioned blips with the sun and volcanoes and asteroids etc, but this is unmistakably about CO2 emissions. As there are 3 times more people on the planet than there were 60 years ago and there is projected to be another increase of 50% in the next 40+ years, and as people themselves and/or their consumption are the contributors to those emissions, the temperature graph is starting to look exponential.

 

What is needed is education of everybody right now, not a knee jerk reaction, that gets the message across that reducing consumption of carbon fuels etc is a moral and world imperative - we will all suffer the effects of a hotter climate and saying to our grandkids "it wasn't my fault" will be pretty lame in my view. What can any one person do? Not a lot, but they can do what they can and encourage it in others. Me? I've started by making sure we have no unnecessary lights burning in the house and garden (we did that a lot!) and by eliminating two car journeys a week from my routine. Not a big sacrifice I know, but as the monkey said, "every little helps". It may sound corny, but planting a tree all of a sudden sounds like a good idea - our household isn't particularly 'green' I must admit, but I know it's 'greener' than it was a month ago and I love my grandson too much not to want to try.

 

When I see cars driving around in broad daylight with their lights blazing or sitting at traffic lights with their brake lights (if they're working!) drilling holes in the eyes of the driver behind because they've forgotten that they were taught to use a handbrake I wonder if anyone has calculated the associated waste. How many motorists regularly check their tyre pressures properly? According to Bridgestone 1 in 3 tyres are incorrectly inflated, meaning purely statistically 1 in 6 is underinflated. It is of course worse than that, because air tends to escape from a tyre, not go in and underinflated tyres wear out more quickly resulting in more pollution to meet the demand! And what about floodlit office buildings at night - as well as being immoral that should be illegal and a lot of us can influence the people who have/leave them switched on if we're constructive about it. Small moves maybe, but this is an imperative.

 

I'll get off my soapbox now - I've been dying to say this for weeks!

[Millman]

I like our government are all for global warming. The hotter it gets the more tourists will flock back here. Ok so Ramsey and the north of the island will be submerged but thats just another benefit. I look forward to packed beaches, those cheeky cartoon picture postcards, and whippy ice creams with a 99. Well done our government for the incinerator and the gas burning power station. Global warming, bring it on.

[Roger Smelly]

I hope these people in power start using smaller cars and go green with there houses.

 

Its great for certain people to tell us how to live but i bet they don't lead by example.

 

I personally don't see the point in it all, until china, india, USA & the rest of the countries cut back why bother.

 

I read that all the polution that the uk causes in one year is the same as what china produces in 80 days.

 

I am with clarkson on this one.

 

And who cares if Ramsey sinks, might give the smelly b@stards a wash.

[stookie]

I hope these people in power start using smaller cars and go green with there houses.

 

Its great for certain people to tell us how to live but i bet they don't lead by example.

 

I personally don't see the point in it all, until china, india, USA & the rest of the countries cut back why bother.

 

I read that all the polution that the uk causes in one year is the same as what china produces in 80 days.

 

I am with clarkson on this one.

 

And who cares if Ramsey sinks, might give the smelly b@stards a wash.

 

No one person, even in China, can do what's needed, but if we all had your selfish attitude wouldn't that be an achievement. Clarkson doubts the science, but the scientists don't any more, so as entertaining as he is, he's talking bollocks on this one. Why is it when people are confronted with a situation and have the intelligence to act that they look around like bloody lemmings looking for someone to 'lead'? I know there are vested interests all over and I don't profess to being that green or even a recycling fanatic - but the plain truth is I'm personally taking responsibility, without the need of any politician, but as someone who cares a little about his children's and grandchildren's future to reduce my so-called carbon footprint. I'm hardly changing my lifestyle at all (we're not going back to living in trees just yet!) and saving some money in the bargain, all by using my brains. Wouldn't that be something more constructive than burying my head and trying to blame it on our lack of leadership?

[Chinahand]

I personally don't see the point in it all, until china, india, USA & the rest of the countries cut back why bother.

 

I read that all the polution that the uk causes in one year is the same as what china produces in 80 days.

 

No one person, even in China, can do what's needed, but if we all had your selfish attitude wouldn't that be an achievement. Clarkson doubts the science, but the scientists don't any more, so as entertaining as he is, he's talking bollocks on this one. Why is it when people are confronted with a situation and have the intelligence to act that they look around like bloody lemmings looking for someone to 'lead'?

 

China's aware of the problem and has multiple millions of people at risk from the effects of climate change. BBC link

 

Climate change 'affecting' China

 

The country's top meteorologist, Qin Dahe, said the recent dry and warm weather in northern China was related to global warming.

 

But he told reporters that China was committed to improving energy efficiency, and planned to reduce carbon dioxide and other emissions by 20% in the next five years.

 

Mr Qin was China's representative on an inter-governmental panel on climate change, which last week released a report saying mankind was very likely the cause of global climate change.

 

His comments, at a press conference in Beijing, mark the Chinese government's first official response to the report's findings.

 

"The Chinese government is taking climate change extremely seriously," he said. "President Hu Jintao has said that climate change is not just an environmental issue but also a development issue."

 

China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Jiang Yu, reiterated the government's commitment to curbing greenhouse bases.

 

But, at her regular briefing, she also attacked wealthy nations as being the most of the blame for the current crisis.

 

"Developed countries bear an unshirkable responsibility," she said, adding that they should "lead the way in assuming responsibility for emissions cuts".

 

Although China is trying to develop alternative energy sources, it is still the world's biggest consumer and producer of coal.

 

It is expected to surpass the US as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the next decade.

[Cambon]

This is my first post, although I am a have been reading this forum for some time.

 

Stookie, Global warming has and would have happened regardless of what the scientists say. Human pollution / carbon emmissions have undoubtably speeded up the process. However, there is no real proof that cutting carbon emmissions will reverse the problem. It may not even slow it down. I guess we will see.

 

However, I agree doing nothing is not an option. I have been living relatively "green" for nearly 20 year. In my house I do not have central heating. It is not really necessary on the Island, and it certainly is not cost effective. Instead I have invested in very good insulation. What heat I do use is by electricity which is potentially available from renewable sources. I use energy saving light bulbs in every place possible, and generally turn things off when not in use. I am currently considering some form of renewable energy source at home, although this has more to do with the MEA's mismanagement and ridiculous prices!

 

Switching off a few lights and cutting out a couple of car trips a week is a good and commendable start, but you will make bigger saving to both your pocket and the planet by knocking back the thermostat on your central heating. Most households central heating systems burn more fuel, and emit more CO2 that a car doing 12K miles per year. This can virtually be cut in half by cutting the room temperature by a couple of degrees and the hot water temperature by 5 degrees (if you use a tank system).

[Miss Take]

Soylent Green, I tell you - that's where we're headed - Soylent Green!

[stookie]

However, there is no real proof that cutting carbon emmissions will reverse the problem. It may not even slow it down. I guess we will see.

 

Watch the film - no scientists studying this agree with you. The correlation between CO2 and temperature is established, it seems.

 

I continue to try to adopt sensible measures to reduce my impact at least. I think everyone should be encouraged to do the same - it might even catch on, you never know.