The Government's Chief Scientific Officer

johnhemming · Post by **johnhemming** » 01 Nov 2005, 17:57

Emailing me is essentially part of making a public statement.

Still the point remains that scenario planning is now being done. We need to find out which scenarios of course.

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 01 Nov 2005, 18:14

johnhemming wrote:Emailing me is essentially part of making a public statement.

Yes...precisely. I doubt any other senior civil servants are so forthcoming as regards personally representing government policy, even if in some cases they are its major instigators. They let their ministers take the rap.

Still the point remains that scenario planning is now being done. We need to find out which scenarios of course.

Absolutely. One does get the impression that things are moving under the surface. Obvious ministerial worry about this winters gas supply... John Birt becoming chief propagandist for nuclear power. TB dumping Kyoto. Things are moving.

johnhemming · Post by **johnhemming** » 01 Nov 2005, 19:00

I think that there has been some success on a number of fronts. The key to me is getting at least contingency planning done - which is sort of kicking off.

Getting the Chief Scientific Officer to make a public statement that completely undermines the government is just not likely to happen.

RogerCO · Post by **RogerCO** » 01 Nov 2005, 19:36

Notwithstanding recent strong rates of global oil consumption growth - which themselves are unlikely to persist - the ....

err ?
So the four billion Chinese and Indians are not going to be allowed to increase their consumption, and the Africans and South Americans can just whistle for it ?

I would love to know just what scenario the chief scientifc advisor envisages that will not cause persistant strong rates of global consumption growth (given the tenor of the rest of his response which is pretty much BAU). Perhaps he has secretly signed up to contraction and convergence ?

fishertrop · Post by **fishertrop** » 01 Nov 2005, 21:03

Even tho David King has rapidly declining credibity in my eyes (and not just on this particular aspect), I'd like to say thanks to John for posting this and other stuff here directly - I personally don't get such direct communications that often ! (tho I'm sure there's a lot of "public record" stuff out there somewhere....)

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 01 Nov 2005, 23:05

fishertrop wrote: I'd like to say thanks to John for posting this and other stuff here directly - I personally don't get such direct communications that often !

Seconded... thank you John. Very interesting. I doubt Sir Humphry would be so forthcoming to a mere member of the public.

The only time I ever engaged an MP in an exchange of views by email , I have to say she was very forthcoming and did her best to answer my queries, including putting down a written question for the relevant minister.

Liberal, of course

Sadly she's now moved on to the house of Lords... I haven't crossed pens with her replacement yet.