and so the Earth's energy imbalance caused by increased greenhouse gas levels is increasing the required surface temperature and thus driving an ever-increasing forcing on ice melt and the rate of sea level rise.
We COULD get onto a war footing to do what we can to stop the rot, while making prudent and straightforward provision for the perils of climate change and resource depletion (the perfect storm, isn't it!?!).
As so many other scientists and commentators have observed. if we do nothing but persist with Business as Usual catastrophe is certain.
This catastrophe is way more certain than the likelihood of a fire burning down your house (an eventuality that most homeowners pay thousands of dollars a year to insure against), yet right now very few people are making any provision against the consequences of climate change and resource depletion.
The IMF and IEA are now both shouting that the time of plentiful energy supplies are behind us and we are entering a time of increased scarcity of oil supplies. It would pay to listen.
But if instead we initiate a national mobilisation to produce our food locally and sustainably, and to reconfigure our entire society to a low-energy operation (which WILL entail turning away from our present economic and social paradigm) then we can give ourselves and our children the best chance that we can to make it through with some sort of dignity and a fair chance of living to a ripe old age.
Time to write some letters to MPs, Councillors and newspapers, methinks!
Just discovered your blog Nigel - excellent work. Led to you by David Williams excellent story in The Press (http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/5130776/Flood-risk-grows-as-ground-slumps)
ReplyDeleteWriting to influencers like newspapers, MP's council is EXACTLY what we need to do. In the recent Auckland spatial plan discussion, sea level rise got a paragraph out of 220-odd pages. They seriously have their heads in the sand going by your 2100 Auckland map!
wow!!!
ReplyDeleteman i really like this blog...!!!
Keep posting !!