I must admit I’m increasingly confused by climate scepticism. Afterall – its a bit like that old joke about believing in heaven. If you’re right, you’re saved; if you’re wrong then you’ve lost nothing anyway. If man isn’t having a major impact on the environment and it is warming naturally – then what have we really got to lose by trying to achieve sustainability anyway? What have we really got to lose by innovating new ways to exist that are less damaging to, and even harmonious with, the planet on which we depend?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m no eco-warrior. I drive to work for a start (although I only started driving 5 years ago so I figure I’ve got some points saved up!) But this is the point, its people like me that have to change.
Maybe scepticism and questioning of the science is perhaps a more healthy debate that what we had which was a pseudo-fanatical tone that only made those that questioned heretics. So I don’t think its scepticism I’ve got a problem with, its this new trend – anti-climatarianism – that seems to have emerged. I was watching that awful show Q&A last night (that I actually hate for dumming down political debate in Australia) and it turns out that there was a group of Liberals* (probably the same people responsible for crashing the Carbon Trading Bill) that recommend people celebrate “Human Achievement Hour” during Earth Hour on Saturday – and turn on all their lights and consume as much electricity as possible:
''Don't be stuck in the dark with the communists. Turn your lights on!'' Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi urges on his website..Are these people seriously responsible, democratically elected representatives of the people?
If you promote human achievement hour vs earth hour – that says nothing more to me than it is people vs the earth. How fcuking stupid is that?
Their bluntly made point – delivered with the political sophistication of a vomiting baby – is I suppose that Earth Hour is mere Greenie symbolism. Well that may be, but I’m not sure thats so worthless to be honest. It hadn't been convenient to properly get involved before and so I hadn’t actually forced myself to disconnect myself from the electricity grid before. It was really quite thought provoking. Not only did it put you in touch with a world movement which is always powerful, but it enforced unnecessary deprivation. To be honest even so I couldn’t turn off the fridge - for which I did get grief after admitting it on Twitter (however, I monitored the fridge, which I didn’t open all hour, and it didn’t come on throughout that hour!) But everything else not only went off but was unplugged. Lights, TV, cooker, Foxtel box, stereo, everyfing...
You quickly realise that there is a lot you take for granted but could equally easily do without – but just don’t as there is simply no opportunity cost. (They even say that Google Search uses up the same power as boiling a kettle). If you had to consider actual real-life carbon implications, we would all be so much more inventive in the way we lived our lives. If we had to think about stand-by pulse, we’d wire our homes up differently. We’d structure our days differently to take account of peak times, natural light availability and so on. I wonder if - like AFDs (Alcohol Free Days) - an EFH (electricity free hour) is a good idea every week. You don't know what you can do wiuthout until you try and do without it.
I’m not sure what I’m trying to say – but at the front of my mind is that if it weren’t for the Minchin-type right wing lunatic fringe of the Liberal Party that think “Human Achievement Hour” is funny or a sensible contribution to the debate, we’d have a carbon trading scheme now that would force us to think more carefully about the energy that we consume by appealing to the only effective human motivator – monetary cost – and thereby begin the process of living more within our carbon-means.*=for those outside Australia, the Liberal Party is actually the Conservative Right. I know, weird huh?