Cheers Wal,There are a few things in this that I recognise as...

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    Cheers Wal,

    There are a few things in this that I recognise as valid, albeit I am not very well informed on the matters discussed, and a few that I would take issue with. I don't intend to make comment on everything you have put to me, but to take it from the top down -
    1. If Schellenberger doesn't mention names, how do you know that he is ripping Thunberg and Ocasio-Cortez apart?
    2. As Pres of an org that wants to expand nuclear energy, of course he is going to spruik his business, therefore his opinions, especially with wanting to restrict production of nuke facilities to two companies, smack of bias in favour of his self-interest.
    3. Yes there are some commentators on both "sides" of the debate who will take extreme views as central and key, yet the majority of views are more moderate and its only the extreme that get the media attention. This doesn't deny the validity of any arguments on either side as I consider all arguments have a core of truth (even yours Wal ;-).
    4. As the IPCC "invited me" to do, I presume, a critical analysis of their data, it clearly demonstrates that the IPCC accept critical assessment rather than the claims by the right wing extremists that the IPCC refuses such criticism.
    5. Further to this, Schellenberger seems to make his approach to such critical analyses with the goal in mind of "debunking" such views. So I would expect his new book, which he is apparently keen to promote, would be widely read. Great for his self-interest but it does seem to damage the potential for credibility.
    6. The "death toll from extreme events" reads like a prediction Wal... I don't accept predictions as too many variables etc can influence future events and outcomes. Past extreme events have indeed had lower death tolls. Our recent fires have been more extreme than any other in Aus history yet the death toll has been relatively far less than some previous fires. This can be attributed to greater caution by fire authorities placing greater value on life than property, far better training and equipment availability to approach fire management, and mandated evacuations of people as fire fronts approach - more people escaped death by being removed from the fire path. Yet future fires, for example, may be even more fierce, floods more enveloping, droughts even more severe etc. We can only await the danger and see the consequences.
    7. Gas may indeed be cheap in the US but here it is very expensive. Moreover fracking has great risk and damage to aquifers and impacts considerably on the viability of farming. Also around 50% of Aus methane emissions are due to fugitive emissions from fracking. Methane is far more significant a GHG and needs to be curtailed if we are to meet our Paris agreement reductions. This is not a viable industry IMO.
    8. There have been significant innovations in small modular reactors (SMR) which reduce the risks of contamination and melt-down. I don't doubt that this will have significant uptake by countries around the world. However conventional reactors continue to be high risk and include waste disposal issues which remain unresolved. The future holds potential for nuclear, but at present even fusion and hydrogen have greater, lower risk potential IMO.
    9. Lastly I note the pics at the bottom. Why do anti-global warming sites always use pics of the 16 yo girl which make her look a devil? Why do these sites consider her such a threat? Is it because what she says undermines their supports?

    Wal, I thank you for thinking to post this to me, although I really wonder why... I don't have any special knowledge and this would be an excellent thread to start on the Politicals. Yet I thank you again for allowing me to make comments on your post.

    All IMO, nothing more... there are much more knowledgable people who could comment on this and I hope they do. I would be more interested in learning their views than putting my views forward. I hope to be corrected.

    namaste, Scott
 
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