Would be interested to read PowerSwitcher's thoughts on the political implications of the Arctic melt, being a major and visible change. Presumably the North Pole cover will melt before the very last of the ice on the Greenland north shore does, and that might even trigger a headline news report in a few years.
When will the MSM and politicians really take notice, and what might happen then?
Political impact of the melt
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Mean Mr Mustard
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Political impact of the melt
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It will be largely ignored by the MSM.
There will be no comment from any politician anywhere in the first world, except the green parties. Most people will remain in ignorance and/or denial.
It's the economy stupid.
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Sea ice area has now fallen to less than half the long term average for this time of year on some of the monitoring web sites, and volume by more than three quarters. And we are not yet at anual minimum.
There will be no comment from any politician anywhere in the first world, except the green parties. Most people will remain in ignorance and/or denial.
It's the economy stupid.
[edit]
Sea ice area has now fallen to less than half the long term average for this time of year on some of the monitoring web sites, and volume by more than three quarters. And we are not yet at anual minimum.
Last edited by PS_RalphW on 05 Sep 2012, 12:27, edited 2 times in total.
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emordnilap
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So long as fuel prices are kept down, nothing else matters.
OK, I had to post a cynical sentence. Yes, we should fight to protect our biosphere of course but we're just a very tiny bunch lentil-wearing hippies (even those that aren't) and, even if the whole world were with us, it's too late.
OK, I had to post a cynical sentence. Yes, we should fight to protect our biosphere of course but we're just a very tiny bunch lentil-wearing hippies (even those that aren't) and, even if the whole world were with us, it's too late.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
OPPORTUNITY!!
Faster, more efficient sea routes linking The west with emerging markets.
Easier access to lots of new potential oil and gas reserves in the Arctic ocean
Warmer summers and a longer barbeque season
No more nasty polar bears to eat our schoolchildren
Easier for the US to mount a pincer movement on Canada and turn it into the 52nd state
Face it. You've NEVER had it SO GOOD!
Faster, more efficient sea routes linking The west with emerging markets.
Easier access to lots of new potential oil and gas reserves in the Arctic ocean
Warmer summers and a longer barbeque season
No more nasty polar bears to eat our schoolchildren
Easier for the US to mount a pincer movement on Canada and turn it into the 52nd state
Face it. You've NEVER had it SO GOOD!
Engage in geo-engineering. Plant a tree today.
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UndercoverElephant
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Re: Political impact of the melt
Nil.Mean Mr Mustard wrote:Would be interested to read PowerSwitcher's thoughts on the political implications of the Arctic melt, being a major and visible change.
Never. It will never rise to the top of the agenda, or anywhere near it, because there are going to be too many other problems of much more interest in the short term. Climate change is currently getting worse (than predicted) and the MSM and politicians are taking less notice. Too much other stuff going on.When will the MSM and politicians really take notice?
We must deal with reality or it will deal with us.
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UndercoverElephant
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We've already had major and visible change, and of the sort that was most likely to prompt a reaction. That change has been been the plight of the polar bears, who are now starving all over the arctic because they have no ice to hunt on. There has been no shortage of pictures and stories involving distressed polar bears, and it is widely known that they don't have much of a future. And polar bears are right up there with pandas and tigers as poster boys of the popular end of the environmental movement.
If starving polar bears won't prompt a MSM/political response, why expect the loss of the last summer ice to make difference?
And what about when instead of it being arctic ice and polar bears that are disappearing, it is whole islands in the pacific and large chunks of Holland and East Anglia? Will that make, say, people in the United States decide that now is time to take climate change seriously and stop burning fossil fuels? No, they'll just accept that East Anglia is going to go the same way the polar bears did.
If starving polar bears won't prompt a MSM/political response, why expect the loss of the last summer ice to make difference?
And what about when instead of it being arctic ice and polar bears that are disappearing, it is whole islands in the pacific and large chunks of Holland and East Anglia? Will that make, say, people in the United States decide that now is time to take climate change seriously and stop burning fossil fuels? No, they'll just accept that East Anglia is going to go the same way the polar bears did.
We must deal with reality or it will deal with us.
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emordnilap
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Re: Political impact of the melt
UndercoverElephant wrote:Climate change is currently getting worse (than predicted) and the MSM and politicians are taking less notice. Too much other stuff going on.
Yup and yup. Like I said, it's too late so why worry? Be happy.UndercoverElephant wrote:And what about when instead of it being arctic ice and polar bears that are disappearing, it is whole islands in the pacific and large chunks of Holland and East Anglia? Will that make, say, people in the United States decide that now is time to take climate change seriously and stop burning fossil fuels? No, they'll just accept that East Anglia is going to go the same way the polar bears did.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
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emordnilap
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So they need to be put to work.JohnB wrote:Polar bears are only important if they don't affect economic growth.
Some kind of bear market?(I'd ask the wife, but it's not her scene.
)I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
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kenneal - lagger
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kenneal - lagger
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