Read Online Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout: The Making of a Sensible Environmentalist by Patrick Moore - Free Book Online
Authors: Patrick Moore
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claims to support wind energy it actively opposes another wind farm in the Western Isles of Scotland because it is “too big.” [3] I don’t think Greenpeace will stop global warming with small windmills.
This is the predicament we all find ourselves in today. Not so much that the world is coming to an end but in the words of the late Michael Crichton: “The greatest challenge facing mankind is the challenge of distinguishing reality from fantasy, truth from propaganda. Perceiving the truth has always been a challenge to mankind, but in the information age (or as I think of it, the disinformation age) it takes on a special urgency and importance.” [4]
It all started with computers and the 1960s adage, “garbage in, garbage out.” That was nothing compared with today’s Internet frenzy. Just search the Internet for “mass extinction” and you will find we are in the midst of the apocalypse already, in case you hadn’t noticed. [5] According to some authoritative-looking websites and ecology research groups, 50,000 species are going extinct every year and 100 years from now 50 percent of all species will be gone. Never mind that there isn’t a shred of evidence to support such claims, it makes good grist for sensationalists, doomsday prophets, and CNN. Not coincidentally, it is good grist for milling up research grant renewals.
Of course much of this mass extinction is attributed to global warming, or climate change as it is more generally referred to. It is hard to find a problem that isn’t linked to climate change these days. Again from Robert Kennedy Jr.:
Global warming could give us a future where erratic and chaotic weather, rising sea levels, and melting snowpack usher in an epic of drought, crop failure, famine, flood and mass extinctions-and the political instability that invariably accompanies dwindling resources. Millions of environmental refugees uprooted by these calamities will challenge the existence of democracy, freedom, justice and human dignity in every corner of the globe. [6]
While Kennedy scales the heights of hyperbole, there are admittedly many reasonable people who believe human-caused global warming is a problem that needs to be addressed. Plenty of knowledgeable climatologists and scientists in related fields believe continued greenhouse gas emissions could pose a threat to climatic stability.
And there are, of course, knowledgeable and reasonable people who don’t believe humans are causing the planet to heat up and rather that we’re experiencing natural climate fluctuations. And there are people who believe even if we are causing global warming it may be beneficial, increasing growing seasons and reducing energy needs. The earth is actually relatively cool now compared to the many periods of warmer climate that occurred in the past.
So how do we, as a society, sort out the differing opinions, stances, and prescriptions to find a collective way forward when so many groups proclaim calamity at nearly every turn, while others proclaim no calamity at all?
First, we can look at the basic realities. Without accurate information on the current situation, it is hard to chart a sensible course for the future. This must be done scientifically, which means we must make decisions based on solid, credible information-not hype, dogma, or political agendas. Science is not a religion; it is the art of making accurate observations and interpretations of reality. From there we assess the various options and make pragmatic, sensible decisions.
We can all agree that humanity faces serious environmental challenges as we struggle to provide food, housing, clothing, transportation, and energy to the nearly seven billion people who call Earth their home. Currently, about two billion people, roughly one third of the total, have reasonably comfortable lifestyles.
But the challenge is growing. The world’s population is predicted to grow from 6.8 billion people in 2010 to 9.5 billion people sometime
This is the predicament we all find ourselves in today. Not so much that the world is coming to an end but in the words of the late Michael Crichton: “The greatest challenge facing mankind is the challenge of distinguishing reality from fantasy, truth from propaganda. Perceiving the truth has always been a challenge to mankind, but in the information age (or as I think of it, the disinformation age) it takes on a special urgency and importance.” [4]
It all started with computers and the 1960s adage, “garbage in, garbage out.” That was nothing compared with today’s Internet frenzy. Just search the Internet for “mass extinction” and you will find we are in the midst of the apocalypse already, in case you hadn’t noticed. [5] According to some authoritative-looking websites and ecology research groups, 50,000 species are going extinct every year and 100 years from now 50 percent of all species will be gone. Never mind that there isn’t a shred of evidence to support such claims, it makes good grist for sensationalists, doomsday prophets, and CNN. Not coincidentally, it is good grist for milling up research grant renewals.
Of course much of this mass extinction is attributed to global warming, or climate change as it is more generally referred to. It is hard to find a problem that isn’t linked to climate change these days. Again from Robert Kennedy Jr.:
Global warming could give us a future where erratic and chaotic weather, rising sea levels, and melting snowpack usher in an epic of drought, crop failure, famine, flood and mass extinctions-and the political instability that invariably accompanies dwindling resources. Millions of environmental refugees uprooted by these calamities will challenge the existence of democracy, freedom, justice and human dignity in every corner of the globe. [6]
While Kennedy scales the heights of hyperbole, there are admittedly many reasonable people who believe human-caused global warming is a problem that needs to be addressed. Plenty of knowledgeable climatologists and scientists in related fields believe continued greenhouse gas emissions could pose a threat to climatic stability.
And there are, of course, knowledgeable and reasonable people who don’t believe humans are causing the planet to heat up and rather that we’re experiencing natural climate fluctuations. And there are people who believe even if we are causing global warming it may be beneficial, increasing growing seasons and reducing energy needs. The earth is actually relatively cool now compared to the many periods of warmer climate that occurred in the past.
So how do we, as a society, sort out the differing opinions, stances, and prescriptions to find a collective way forward when so many groups proclaim calamity at nearly every turn, while others proclaim no calamity at all?
First, we can look at the basic realities. Without accurate information on the current situation, it is hard to chart a sensible course for the future. This must be done scientifically, which means we must make decisions based on solid, credible information-not hype, dogma, or political agendas. Science is not a religion; it is the art of making accurate observations and interpretations of reality. From there we assess the various options and make pragmatic, sensible decisions.
We can all agree that humanity faces serious environmental challenges as we struggle to provide food, housing, clothing, transportation, and energy to the nearly seven billion people who call Earth their home. Currently, about two billion people, roughly one third of the total, have reasonably comfortable lifestyles.
But the challenge is growing. The world’s population is predicted to grow from 6.8 billion people in 2010 to 9.5 billion people sometime
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