Aust scientists call for urgent climate change action

(Full news item from the ABC.)

The group, which includes some of the country's leading scientists, population and health experts - as well as politicians - is calling for an urgent response to global warming.

Mate, this is Australia: its not going to happen. This is the country where work is what you often turn up to, to fill in time between weekend barbies.

They say global warming is accelerating at a greater speed than previously thought and the window of opportunity for avoiding severe consequences is rapidly closing.

I could have told you that years ago. And guess what, based on my understanding of human nature and history:

• most minds are still closed, most people with the resources to do something about it are and will continue to look to their immediate personal interests. That's the way the competitive western world (eg the 'Great American Dream') works. ("Eve of Destruction" by Barrie MaGuire is playing as I type this: co-incidence?)
  
• the window will close
• the rich will make good from global warning
• the poor will get still poorer, the very poor will die even more. Footnote: It appears that as fossil fuel runs out, sustainable green energy sources will sustain only 6 of the current 7 billion humans anyway. So most of us will need to leave and not breed on. "I've done my bit for the gene pool" will mean the opposite of what it has done until now. When China lost so many children in the earthquake last month, relaxing the one child per family policy was the wrong thing to do. Actually China's entire expansionist policy is going to be an overwhelming problem soon, just as the USA's is now, but that's fodder for another whole post, or more accurately, several entire websites.

I am off for a walk down On The Beach. The whales are back again this month. (Its playing 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' now. i think 'Fool on the Hill' should be next.)