Climate change

I think it is interesting that the current furore about the leaked e-mails suggesting climate change isn't man made comes just after the survey which showed the majority in this country do not believe climate change is anything to do with human beings. It seems common sense may be re-asserting itself. I've always thought climate change is a natural phenomenon if only because there have been ice ages before there was much human activity.

I know that doesn't mean we're having no effect but I do think it is easy to over estimate the effect and to underestimate the effect of such things as volcanoes. I have read supposedly serious articles which suggest earthquakes are man made though I have a feeling they originated with David Icke and are probably a fantasy. Paul Hudson - who does the weather forecast for this area and Yorkshire has suddenly become involved in the whole business because the e-mails were sent to him before they were made public. Some people are asking why he didn't make them public. I really can't see why he should feel obliged to do so but people get some strange ideas.

Earthquakes

I was interested to see many people who don't seem to understand even basic geology are attributing the earthquakes in the Pacific to climate change. This is a natural event which cannot be predicted or prevented - as far as we know. Yes I'm desperately sorry for those affected by it but I really don't see why the rest of us need feel guilty.

I got into an argument on a forum yesterday about ethical purchases - big mistake. I only joined in because everyone was saying how dreadful it is to buy cheap clothes made by child labour. I said I really didn't have any interest in assuring myself of the origins of any clothes I bought - provided what I was buying was legally sold. I also said that as I buy many of my clothes second hand I felt I was doing my bit. I was accused of being amoral and not caring about the effects of my actions on other people. So several people on that forum now think I'm a really horrible person. I'm afraid I am amused rather than shamed.

These are not issues I'm interested in - maybe I should be but I get a bit tired of being told what to think and believe about the world I live in and I prefer to make up my own mind. The ethical/climate change/green lobbyists have been exploited by certain bits of the political spectrum for their own purposes - which I dislike. Added to which many people who support these ideas do so unthinkingly. I have not made up my mind about any of it yet - except that I think climate change is natural and not something man in his wisdom can control or influence. I don't like waste and will recycle anything I can - but that is far as I go. I cannot take on the troubles of the world so I pick and choose