The global warming debate

Whilst watching the ABC host the debate between Bracks and Baillieu for the upcoming state elections, I wanted to throw my shoe at the TV when an Age journalist asked Baillieu a particularly smarmy and arrogant question about global warming. Today, Andrew Bolt has a brilliant editorial which scrutinises the arrogance of the global warming believers, and he even refers to that same question by the Age journalist Paul Austin.

Victoria now has its own green version of heretic-hunting, and you saw it at work in Friday's election debate between Premier Steve Bracks and Liberal leader Ted Baillieu.

Two questions were asked of the leaders that should make even believers in man-made global warming fear rational thought is under threat from a new faith.

The first came from Age reporter Paul Austin who, shaking with intensity, demanded of Baillieu: "Do you accept that climate change is real and is caused in part by human activity, or are you one of the very last sceptics?"

The second came from ABC newsreader Ian Henderson, who asked: "Have you both installed low-flow, water-efficient shower heads in your homes?"

Well, Baillieu knew he was in hostile territory on the ABC, and that he had to pay lip service to their demented belief in man-made global warming. Here is how I would have answered the questions.

1/ Thanks Paul. For the first part of the question, I'd have to agree with you. Certainly climate change is real, and its been occurring for centuries. Its also very complex and dynamic, and no computer model on earth can closely predict the changes in temperature and weather that occur. I also agree that it is caused *in part* by human activity, however small that part may be. Seeing as human activity contributes less than 0.1% of C02 in the atmosphere, I wouldn't go jumping to conclusions about regulating our industry and emissions.

As for the second part of the question.. I am not a skeptic when it comes to climate change, because as I said, the climate undoubtedly and continually changes in unpredictable ways, that are also linked to solar cycles and cloud formation. If, by skeptic, you refer to someone who doesn't believe all the hyseria, who doesn't think human activity needs to be regulated and that human's will manage to adapt to changes in climate, just as they have in the past, then I suppose you could call me a skeptic.


2/ No. I like normal showers, not the low flow rubbish.