The question that I asked last Thursday ( 18th August ) - might it get wetter as it gets warmer - was not answered.
There was comment made that this question can't be answered. There was comment made that the question is irrelevant.
Phil Done has said he will do a summary of that long thread as it progressed the climate change argument/our understanding of the science of climate change, in particular by listing points of agreement. I look forward to this summary.
But I am also interested in moving beyond the detail of the argument about the science and the impact/potential impact of greenhouse gases on global temperatures and consider how we might/can adapt to climate change.
As part of the thread of the 18th August David Brewer provided a link to a talk given by Brian Tucker in October 1986 on the ABC radio program "Ockham's Razor". Tucker said:
"And finally there is an assumption that the total cost to society of such a drastic reduction of Greenhouse gas emissions, including social as well as economic consequences, will be less than the cost of adapting to any change in climate, for if it is not, then adaptation is the major sensible policy."
As I see it adaptation must be a component of any policy, anyway.
Yet there seems to be so little real discussion about adaptation - including how much easier it might be for the developed as opposed to developing world to adapt.
What are the issues? What are the risks? How might we adapt?
ooooo nasty insinuations .... you norty boy ...
Are you proposing then Rog ?
Jen - help - we've all become trolls !!
The blog vortex has got us ... implement some order before it's too late. Call Louis - this is an emergency...
Um, you two, ender & done, (or is it Done+Ender) are more than just a tad off topic.
But what the heck, its all fun, given that spring has sprung and the saps are running.
Do you do weddings?
Well Howard will still win the next election so Rog shouldn't worry.
If we have low interest rates and good house prices, and Harvey Norman and KMart stacked to the ceiling from our new Chinese mates - we're happy. With my new work contract I'll be really really happy.
This is all at risk if you don't go with the Asia Pacific Pact.
So happy that the bush has better broadband than I have ...
Who cares about the environment - didn't we do our bit with yellow wheelie bins and dolphin free tuna. Surely you don't want more ? Gee I turn the water off when I brush too.
And all those left wing types look very unhappy and so poorly dressed too. They all need a big shopping day at Myers and big T-bone steak.
Philip - yes our dear esteemed coal mining government is taking us down this track however when they are replaced at the next election (fervent hope) maybe somwthing will change.
I do agree that a well managed nuclear progam can be reasonably safe. Coal pollutes in so many ways. I do not think that there are many well managed programs - Sweden seems to be the exception. I still hold grave fears for the long term storage of waste as we are a very short lived species and are totally unused to dealing with time periods longer than 100 years. Also the uranium will only last a limited time so we are just putting off the problem rather than solving it.
Renewables will last as long as the sun shines with no disposal problems.
Mr Rog - Ans to your question - no - just suggesting you were drifting a tad off-topic ...
Dear Ender - Yes in some respects I agree there are risks and that solar /wind would be a better alternative but our dear esteemed leaders are taking us down the techno-fix Asia Pacific path which I bet will give us the extra CO2 with the sequestration issue getting sorted.
Is APP really about delivering us reliable sources of mobile energy from coal sources. It's about coal oil gasification to replace our dwindling reserves of petroleum and for a modernising China and India.
I at least think the disposal of waste in repositories established in geologically stable formations in central Australia and new safer reactor designs needs some debate to a 3x or 4x CO2 world. For all our angst nuclear technology has been relatively very safe.
Properly managed ... nuclear power may not pollute at all.... however we all fear - (perhaps irrationally) that the genie might somehow get out of the bottle.
Phillip
Are you assuming control of the debate?