For the next ten days most world leaders will put in an appearance at the climate change conference in Glasgow. Glasgow business men will be gleefully wringing their hands as about 10000 people will be attending the conference.
However , the rest of the world should be wringing their hands in grief as this conference will probably be like all the other climate conferences. Country after country will tell the world how much they will do toward control of climate change. The heads of state will go home and do little or nothing of what they promised.
Our government , Canada, has done very little to bring about any changes. Our provincial governments scrap with each other and the federal government. How will they ever come up with some practical ways of dealing with climate change? We do have a carbon tax that will be increasing. I'm not sure that a carbon tax will do much in controlling emissions.
We do have the Athabasca tar sands which is a heavy producer of carbon. Oil companies have great PR staff and make us think that they are doing much that will begin bringing down carbon.
To me it's obvious. Climate change has already gone too far. A very major change in our behavior has to take place right now . Climate change is in gear and it won't stop on a dime. Change will keep taking place long after carbon has been limited .
I've spent much of my time outdoors. I love the outdoors and all the flora and fauna out there. I can notice changes. Well you don't have to be outside to recognize changes. We all know when it's too hot! We know when it's too wet! We know when it's too cold! By "too" I mean much more than normal.
What we're talking about are human activities that produce carbon. All of us have to make major changes. In Alberta, where I live , there are many huge pick up trucks being driven around for fun. That and many other unnecessary activities have to stop.
I believe that man made climate change started long before we knew . Only recently have we had the technology to test and measure changes.
I'm not hopeful for results from this conference. Climate change has already gone too far.
Even if we immediately do something to stop climate change, it is all for not unless we control our over population problem which will just make any climate improvement temporary. I feel sorry for those generations yet to come who will be impacted by all this far more than I have been, and it has been very noticeable to me.
ReplyDeleteThere may be billions of people on the planet but it's not that many billions that contribute most to climate change. Most of the world's population is too poor to contribute much to carbon.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI am seeing changes, especially more violent storms. I think I am seeing less birds than in the past. We can all make changes in our lives. Take care, enjoy your day!
The song bird population in the west has almost collapsed.
DeleteAdd in the fact that tons of cats - pets and feral former pets - are also killing tens of millions of songbirds every year. Responsible owners should NEVER let their cat out of the house like that. My dog doesn't get to wander all over the place, so why should cats?
DeleteI’m certainly no expert on the subject, but if the two worst offenders (the ones contributing the most carbon emissions) are the two most populous countries on earth—China and India, which together have more than a third of all humans on earth—are doing little or nothing or promise to begin trying by 2050 or some such ridiculous pledge, what, to put a Biblical spin on it, can the righteous do?
ReplyDeleteNot that we’re so righteous, but I think you get my point.
And even though the climate has always been changing, consider this quote from Adrian Ward of Aucjteuchy , Scotland (which can’t be all that far from Glasgow): if the oceans are still rising, rise, why are the Maldives still there?
I do realize that merely bein argumentative does nothing to solve the problem, if there is a problem. But China and India produce a whole lot more bad stuff than the western countries nowadays.
Per capita the USA is the worst culprit.
DeleteIt's more complicated than just looking at the numbers. Wealthier countries have more toys that produce carbon.
DeletePart of the problem in Alberta is that you could run a tar sands supporting, climate change denying turnip as a rightwing conservative and it would win! All in support of a moribund technology whose days are clearly numbered.
ReplyDeleteYou're exactly right. I think that may change in the next election.
DeleteI thought you lived in Saskatchewan, which is neither her not there, I am just chatting.
ReplyDeleteI expect that climate change began to occur along with the industrial revolution in 1650. I mean that's when the process which has led to this began. It looks like the true effect began to be felt ~1850 and really jumped ~1950.
I was born nd raised in Sask and left when I was 23. I think there's much more to be learned about climate change...most of it bad.
DeleteI agree with you, climate change started way before we knew it. I don't have much faith in believing people will do what's necessary to stop it. They can't handle wearing a mask never mind climate change.
ReplyDeleteI think there will be some major battles for some limited resources.
Deletewell said dear Red very well actually !
ReplyDeletehubby goes to conferences and meetings once in a while and each time he seems annoyed because according to him and (all of us for sure ) such gathering bring not a slightest change for good but are held only to adjust funding so paper work can be justified .
i agree there is hardly a chance that conference you mentioned will help in any level .
we the human are in our premature state on earth until now .like new specie is having a fun right now and no body want to listen anything that can stop that "fun"
i think it will take few centuries when next generations will learn from the mess and disaster their ancestors created .
until then party is on no matter what unfortunately !
The party is on but it's going to end sooner than we think.
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ReplyDeleteYes, I so agree with you, Red. The problem is over-population. When I was born in 1952 the human population on earth was 2.6 billion people. Here we are nearly 70 years later and the population is nearly 8 billion. That's an overwhelming number of humans who all need water, shelter, food, and an income. The cost to our planet is overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteOver population is only part of the problem. the wealthy population produces much more carbon than people who don't have money to spend.
DeleteAll talk and no action. The wheels for climate change are already in motion...I doubt that it can be stopped:(
ReplyDeleteI also have the fear that we will not be able to stop the change.
DeleteI agree with you, Red. I don't think much change will take place (not in my lifetime anyway).
ReplyDeleteWell, there will be little true effort on change to prevent change but the climate will take a major change for the worse.
DeleteWhen I saw that the Biden contingent consists of 37 limos brought aboard huge planes, I knew nothing would change. And the population of the world just keeps on growing, even with more than five million dead from Covid. Just a drop in the bucket. :-(
ReplyDeleteHauling 37 limos half way across the planet is the height of stupidity . Next time he'll take half the army!
DeleteI hear you.
ReplyDeleteHow do I sound?
DeleteEffective!
DeleteIt says something when a guy like you - normally so sunny and positive - looks at this climate conference with very little hope. We have seen and heard it all before. Even when the last people struggle to breathe on this dying planet, there will still be entrepreneurs trying to make money.
ReplyDeleteMoney certainly is the main issue here.
DeleteRed, I'm afraid I have to sadly agree with you. I don't think much will come out of the conference except a lot more fuel usage and a lot of talk. Talk means nothing without action.
ReplyDeleteWe've seen it all before , haven't we?
DeleteI fear for my grandchildren. It may be gone too far as you say!
ReplyDeleteWell, it's affecting this old Grandpa. It was just too hot and smoky this summer.
DeleteWhile we can hope that human changes will have some impact, I agree that it's mostly too late and we need to start figuring out how we are going to continue to live on this planet.
ReplyDeleteThe sad part is that there are so many options to slow climate change. Climate change will leave us with some very challenging living conditions.
DeleteWow, Red, I couldn't agree more! You've nailed it. I once mentioned climate change on John's Island and someone left me a comment ... the climate has always been changing. That is true, but what we are dealing with now is human caused climate change. What we need now is for more humans to wake up to the fact that nature is going to come back and bite us in the butt. It's not going to be pleasant.
ReplyDeleteMany people miss that the issue is man made climate change. We have the power to stop it.
DeleteIt is immensely frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI think the figuring out will be violent. There there will be fighting over few resources and food.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find super hypocritical in all this is those leaders all flew in (many on private jets). In the midst of pandemic, how about doing what the rest of us do and have some Zoom meetings instead? Wasting a ton of resources while taking turns yelling about resources is all smoke and mirrors - business as usual.
ReplyDeleteGreat term "business as usual"
DeleteWell, the conference is just another small step in the right direction. I place my bet not ton the public doing the right thing, but on the scientists who will do the smart thing and come up with some kind of solution with hydrogen, fusion, tidal, geothermal ... something.
ReplyDeleteClimate change is the biggest issue for life on earth.But, we still need the aeroplanes, we need cars. Electric cars and solar and wind energy is not enough. What will be the solution???
ReplyDeleteVery true! Do hope something can be done sooner than later.
ReplyDeleteI'm really frightened for my little grandchildren. They will be inheriting a world that was not of their making but the people who came before who knew of the disaster to come but didn't try to prevent it. Our beaches are disappearing. Waikiki could some day be underwater.
ReplyDelete