Global Warming Once More

As mentioned previously, I don't know whether there is any global warming going on, or whether we humans are responsible for it. The evidence as I see it is too mixed: any search on the Internet comes up with wildly differing views, out of date evidence, hearsay, scaremongering and more. Real, hard information is not really available to Joe Public.

Nevertheless, there is another way to look at the problem that suggests a course of action that we, as individuals, can take, almost regardless of the actual situation. Consider the Copenhagen Summit, where the 'great and the good' (and the bad and the ugly) got together to try and cobble together some worldwide scheme to cut emissions of greenhouse gases that are claimed to be endangering the future survival of our civilisation (at least). Unsurprisingly, they failed to come up with a substantial agreement. China, a vile dictatorship, and a few other countries, it is claimed, held the talks to ransom and refused to agree to cuts in their emissions. Well, I don't like the Chinese government system, so why should I support it by buying their goods? Furthermore, I can help the poor Chinese cut their emissions in the same way: by not buying their goods (when there is a choice, I suppose).

The counter-argument to this is that we should link these dangerous foreign countries to our economies so that it would be too costly to them to go to war with us. Well, it might work, but what psychopathic dictator really cares about the welfare of his people enough to avoid war if he thinks he can gain from it himself? I think that once the sales of goods starts to fall off, even a psychopath's mind can be focused on doing what other people want - or on starting a war to make more profit, and sooner... It is a difficult call to make, really. However, in these days of nuclear weapons, I don't think they'd want to be nuked and it's really not so terrible to reduce pollution and sell more goods, is it? So on balance, I favour not buying their goods where possible.

And... actually, not buying needless goods in general is a good way to go. Bad for the economy? Well, partly: but is an economy based on burning up limited resources to make unnecessary gimmicks really such a good thing? I know we all want a nice standard of living, but it is possible to go too far with that when there are so many people on the planet. Focusing on necessary items like education, especially of third-world females because it has been shown that educated females have fewer children, can help solve both problems at the same time. Where will the money come from for this? Ultimately the economy can be reorganised so it doesn't simply produce junk to be taxed - anyway, most of the money in the system is debt not cash: it is all fiction, and it can be arranged differently, if we really want it to be.

We all want a few luxuries, but do we need them all? Think of the money that is wasted on unproductive junk like ringtones, 100 varieties of mobile phone, 100 varieties of shampoo, and... all those cars.

Yes, cars. I know all the lads need one to impress the girls, and all the girls need one to prove their independence, but those reasons aside, most people could, in fact, use the bus, train or taxi - and it would be cheaper too. In the UK running a car costs at least £4,000 a year. You'd have to travel a lot to pay that much on public transport or even with taxi fares (over 300 journeys at £13.33 each). Yes, cars are more convenient, and possibly for parents with young children, one car may, arguably, be 'essential', even though previous generations seemed to manage all right without any. But cars are expensive, they pollute the environment badly, they are dangerous, and they require enormous quantities of limited resources to make and to run. Mind you, maybe I'm biased: I don't have one. The ridiculous expense, danger and damage to the environment have always put me off. Taxis have always seemed more efficient to me: I can take a journey, and instead of the car sitting by the kerb for the rest of the day getting in the way and rusting, it can be used by other people: one car for some 20 people, instead of 20 cars for 20 people. The saving to the environment is huge.

Think about it. It's your fault. Maybe.