The Sky is Falling

Mother Nature, as we all know, can be sweet and generous, or a total skanky bitch.

The current panic over global warming is a case in point. Yet another report, this one released today suggests we're going to have significant climate changes: more drought, more cyclones, higher tides, the end of snow in the mountains, stronger winds, etc.

I don't disbelieve the scientists, but I don't quite believe them either. Sure, reducing your carbon footprint is good for the environment and yes, recycling water for the garden is great as is solar energy, electric cars, energy efficient light bulbs and faithfully doing your recycling every week leads to a reduction in the breakdown of the ozone layer.

It makes me wonder what type of world we'll have: Mad Max, Waterworld, The Day After Tomorrow or Demolition Man.

But, I wonder if these scientists have gone far enough back in history? Europe has had a history of the most atrocious winters, for example. Napoleon and Hitler were jammed up in Russia, the troops had an awful spring and summer during the First World War, the rye crops in Europe during the 1600s grew mould due to a wet summer and led to accusations of witchcraft when people fell ill. It's also rumoured that the Aztec, Incan and Mayan civilisations fell because of chronic adverse weather conditions - drought, in particular. Then there is the last ice age some 12,000 years ago and that we're overdue for another one by a couple of hundred years.

Mother Nature has a habit of correcting what is wrong with the environment. We humans could merely be advancing the next change - already the magnetic poles are shifting.

We dump millions of tonnes of chemicals into the air, oceans and land. Indonesian and Brazilian farmers think nothing of burning square miles of forest. Multi-national corporations think little of dumping noxious chemicals anywhere they can and in the past, the indigenous population here in Australia burned so much of the natural bushlands it changed the environment here (not that you'll hear them admit to such environmental vandalism); surely this has to affect the environment and I would agree that, yes, it does. But has two hundred years of industrialisation scuppered the natural balance? That I don't know, but when scientists use words like 'probably', 'most likely' and 'it's reasonable to assume' I get a little pissy. Words like 'definitely, here's the proof from five hundred years of records' would assure me that we're doomed by the end of the century.

Now I have a lot of respect for the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), they do a lot of good works, except for the rumours a couple of years ago accusing the hierarchy of slanting reports to support Ministerial opinion. Then, scientists were fired, forced to leave or do the bidding of the department, whether it be true or not. And there are certainly people high up in environmental portfolios who want/need Australia to sign the Kyoto protocol regardless of any follow on impact it might have. Including the financial and economic burdens it would impose on every citizen.

Australia doesn't need Kyoto, we're doing fine without out, especially when it comes to reducing emissions and recycling. Kyoto imposes ridiculous deadlines for such a large country, but that's another argument.

My point is that Mother Nature is going through yet another change of environment all on her lonesome. We are accelerating that change. Whether it comes this century or the next, it's going to happen. And one last thing: should terrorists get their filthy little mitts on some nuclear devices and use them, climate change is gonna happen a lot faster than current predictions.

This strident caterwauling isn't helping. Instead of predicting doom and gloom, I'd much rather see solutions. I want to know how I can help, like tree planting, composting, turning switches off, recycling, putting in a grey water system, useful stuff, because I am sick and tired of the doomsayers predictions without any positive solutions. I also want some real punishments for corporations - massive fines that will hurt, creative solutions for industrial waste, population control, you know, the bigger issues.

Whether it all happens is another matter. In the meantime, all we can do is await the next report of how we'll all be sorry by century's end for what we've done in two hundred years of progress.