'Climate change: Why we don't believe it'

(Reply to New Statesman article, 23rd April)

What is annoying about these discussions is the oft holier than thou assumptions of the new righteous. It is also alarming that these ideas are becoming evermore predominant. Yet no-one with any sense denies climate change as the world has been through many dramatic changes during its lifespan.

What is still in dispute is the level of impact our actions have had. Here again though we are able to see that we can also affect such things in a positive manner should we choose. Though such a view is anathemic to those that cry out doom.

That is the main problem with environmentalism, ie. its denial of human agency as a force for good on a grand scale. Instead we get repetitive and patronising advice as to the simple measures we can take to tackle climate change - turn down the heating, reduce, reuse, recycle, use pubic transport/bicycles and trade emissions.

(Some people really ought to be hoist by their own emissions.)

According to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution report: Urban Environments, just 2% of the world's landsurface is urbanised/built (out of 30% land/ 70% water split). That leaves a huge expanse that is wilderness, natural, preserved or farmed and suggests we've barely scratched the surface let alone depleted resources.

Shame on you treehugger types out there for it is your outlook that will condemn future generations to the whims of nature if unchecked. Intermittent natural power supply will not guarantee controllable and deliverable energy in any amount that gives us a comfortable life (eg. see Wind power in Denmark, Dr V.C. Mason, www.countryguardian.net).

Further, without an enquiring nature and the development of complex and cheap mass produced technologies we would neither have the time nor means to have this discussion nor have been any the wiser.

I think this will prove to be a dangerous and problematic route for, particularly western, society. The UK, seemingly lacking any other credible raison d'etre, is at the forefront of promoting this. How much the UK is reliant on convincing the rest of the world to slow down is anyone's guess but what's left of UK and european manufacture can't compete against it's growing far eastern counterpart, especially if they opt to take less of a head in the sand approach.