05 December, 2009

Climate Change Debate

In Toronto, Canada this week there was an excellent debate on the issue of climate change-(Google Monk Debates). I watched it all live and much of it a second time. I remain convinced that like with the Millennium Bug, much of the world has been the subject of a huge "con". Allbeit that most of the "conners" genuinely believe what they are saying.

In saying this I am not referring to the scourge of what I would call general pollution, where much needs to be done, particularly in the developing world. It is the narrower issue of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the minute level of less than 400 parts per million and the claimed link of this to an increase in global temperatures, that I find hard to swallow. The UK "climategate" scandal does not surprise me at all and only adds to my scepticism.

If I am wrong, I still don't think creating a big "money churn" by putting a price on carbon is the way to go. I don't trust politicians with another revenue source (tax). In Australia we have just voted down (in our Upper House) an emissions trading scheme. It took a change in Opposition leader to do it, but I am very glad we did. There could be an election on the issue and I have a feeling the 'conventional wisdom' might at last be changing.

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