Climate Change

[Matt2112]

More apocalyptic news and panic porn reporting about wildfires; direct quote from ITV News: "As Southern Europe burns..".

FFS. No.

Isolated parts of Rhodes have seen fires, yes, and tour operators have evacuated holidaymakers as a precaution - not because they're in any immediate danger as heavily implied by MSM news reports.  Some of the evacuees have had their holiday curtailed, but many others have gone back to their resorts, as they have been declared safe by the Greek authorities.

In the south east of the island, Pefkos (where we had a wonderful holiday last year), and its main street's bars and restaurants has seen normal, bustling activity over the last couple of nights.

But all these pertinent facts are conveniently missing from the MSM's hysterical takes, which would have you think the infernal pits of Hades are engulfing the Dodecanese.

[David L]

More apocalyptic news and panic porn reporting about wildfires; direct quote from ITV News: "As Southern Europe burns..".

FFS. No.

Isolated parts of Rhodes have seen fires, yes, and tour operators have evacuated holidaymakers as a precaution - not because they're in any immediate danger as heavily implied by MSM news reports.  Some of the evacuees have had their holiday curtailed, but many others have gone back to their resorts, as they have been declared safe by the Greek authorities.

In the south east of the island, Pefkos (where we had a wonderful holiday last year), and its main street's bars and restaurants has seen normal, bustling activity over the last couple of nights.

But all these pertinent facts are conveniently missing from the MSM's hysterical takes, which would have you think the infernal pits of Hades are engulfing the Dodecanese.

"Arson". Wouldn't be at all surprised if fires were set by fire service employees - lots of corruption in that part of the world.
This is a gift for those who want you to junk your gas boiler and buy an electric car 😡

[Matt2112]

Fire in Corfu is suspected arson - another small point being overlooked in many reports.

So out of the mainland and 4,000 islands there is a problem with wildfires in three areas - yet according to BBC Radio Four's Today programme this morning fires are "ravaging across Greece".

Oh, and I see the deranged claims of Athens hitting 60 degrees Celsius (Sky News) have quietly fallen by the wayside.

[Slim]

Global warming is never, in itself, a direct cause of a fire as far as I'm aware. The problem is that the increase in temperatures that man-made climate change has brought about make wildfires more likely.

[Matt2112]

Global warming is never, in itself, a direct cause of a fire as far as I'm aware. The problem is that the increase in temperatures that man-made climate change has brought about make wildfires more likely.

Indeed - a relative nuance that's getting almost completely lost in the default catastrophism of MSM rolling news broadcasting.   

[The Picnic Wasp]

I usually understand your points very clearly, Matt, even when I perhaps don't fully align with your opinions, but on this occasion I don't really get your take on this. Do you think the media are being unnecessarily harsh on the tourist industry? I don't know whether or not I'll ever make a 'plane journey in the future, but it must surely be an area where activity must be curbed. Cars, heating systems, appliances etc all seem to be arguably necessary evils in the modern world but aviation's use of fossil fuel must be an area which can be reduced substantially and probably deservedly.

[The Picnic Wasp]

Just a chaser on the above. Income tax should carry a climate levy. Until you've contributed for ten years, your passport should not qualify for air travel. Bus, train or ferries until your contribution has assisted scientific advances to some extent.

Edit: Children are exempt of course.

[David L]

Just a chaser on the above. Income tax should carry a climate levy. Until you've contributed for ten years, your passport should not qualify for air travel. Bus, train or ferries until your contribution has assisted scientific advances to some extent.

Edit: Children are exempt of course.

Get back in your nest

[Slim]

OK I'm hoping no-one minds, but - there's nothing wrong with discussing the above in the time-honoured Grumpy thread and I don't propose to move them because they're misplaced, but because I think we ought to have a climate change thread - and the last few posts here look like an excellent start.

My view briefly is that the media are indeed becoming sensationalist about this. The new weather maps showing areas of land in glowing black and red like an overdone pizza are an excellent example of this.

The trouble with this is that it's obvious nonsense to many, and thefore it lends a wholly undeserved and illusory credibility to cranks like Neil Oliver who has now gone on record as saying that "a rising volume of CO2 in the atmosphere is a consequence of a warming planet, not the cause of one" - which is absolute, weapons-grade bollocks.

[Slim]

Just a chaser on the above. Income tax should carry a climate levy. Until you've contributed for ten years, your passport should not qualify for air travel. Bus, train or ferries until your contribution has assisted scientific advances to some extent.

Edit: Children are exempt of course.

I think that would be overly authoritarian, but I agree that doing nothing is not an option.

The real problem is that any measures like the above that we take here amount to little more than throwing the deckchairs over the side of the Titanic to try to prevent it from sinking. The Chinese are planning to build hundreds of new coal-fired power stations even now.

https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/china-permits-two-new-coal-power-plants-per-week-in-2022/

[Matt2112]

I usually understand your points very clearly, Matt, even when I perhaps don't fully align with your opinions, but on this occasion I don't really get your take on this. Do you think the media are being unnecessarily harsh on the tourist industry?

No, not at all. 🙂  All I'm saying is that the broadcast coverage seems far less about giving a true and fair reflection of folks' actual experience on the ground, and much more about creating an almost Hollywood-style disaster movie narrative to keep people stuck to their channel.

It strikes me that if you're going to report responsibly about legitimate concerns over climate change, then sensationalising and embellishing the language used, whether by accident or design, isn't a great way to go about it; audiences aren't stupid - I hope.

[The Picnic Wasp]

Just a chaser on the above. Income tax should carry a climate levy. Until you've contributed for ten years, your passport should not qualify for air travel. Bus, train or ferries until your contribution has assisted scientific advances to some extent.

Edit: Children are exempt of course.

Get back in your nest

Not an expression I'm aware of I'm afraid. What does it mean?

[Slim]

I'd also like to know .. I really do want to discourage personal attacks so I'd appreciate some clarification. Thanks.

[The Picnic Wasp]

I usually understand your points very clearly, Matt, even when I perhaps don't fully align with your opinions, but on this occasion I don't really get your take on this. Do you think the media are being unnecessarily harsh on the tourist industry?

No, not at all. 🙂  All I'm saying is that the broadcast coverage seems far less about giving a true and fair reflection of folks' actual experience on the ground, and much more about creating an almost Hollywood-style disaster movie narrative to keep people stuck to their channel.

It strikes me that if you're going to report responsibly about legitimate concerns over climate change, then sensationalising and embellishing the language used, whether by accident or design, isn't a great way to go about it; audiences aren't stupid - I hope.

They might not all be stupid, but I'm guessing a majority won't listen unless it is sensationalised, as a frightening percentage are totally selfish and don't care. Even evidently about their children, of which I have none. Take my neighbours (please). Two massive 4x4s, large garden but no clothes line and the tumble dryer drones incessantly. Plastic lawns, regular holiday and business flights, and yes, three children. I sometimes feel selfish owning a car but my mileage is minuscule and I frequently shop using my bike which is basically a glorified trolley given the size of the panniers. Last winter I mostly burned logs for heat which is supposedly carbon neutral although I don't quite see how the figures stack up. I think ironically my generation and the very young get it, but there's a big middle slice of the population who aren't prepared to listen and would prefer to like YouTube videos of peaceful protestors being arrested or assaulted.

[The Picnic Wasp]

Just a chaser on the above. Income tax should carry a climate levy. Until you've contributed for ten years, your passport should not qualify for air travel. Bus, train or ferries until your contribution has assisted scientific advances to some extent.

Edit: Children are exempt of course.

Get back in your nest

Just a chaser on the above. Income tax should carry a climate levy. Until you've contributed for ten years, your passport should not qualify for air travel. Bus, train or ferries until your contribution has assisted scientific advances to some extent.

Edit: Children are exempt of course.

Get back in your nest

Not an expression I'm aware of I'm afraid. What does it mean?

Duh! I think it's a wasp joke. Stupid username I know.😁 And I mention my bike a few posts later.😂