I have been trying for the last few days to discover a coherent logic towards my feelings on man’s relationship with his environment. This is proving not to be simple.
The process started when I heard on World Service radio a gentleman from the International Panel on Climate Change discussing their latest report. As you know, I tend to accept the established opinion on climate change, and rather take the view that if all our industrial activity were not affecting the atmosphere, that would be strange.
But what struck me was that the gentleman said that a pause in warming for the last fifteen years was not significant, as fifteen years was a blip in processes that last over millennia.
Well, that would certainly be very true if you are considering natural climate change. But we are not – we are considering man-made climate change. In terms of the period in which the scale of man’s industrial activity has been having a significant impact on the environment, surely fifteen years is a pretty important percentage of that period? Especially as you might naturally imagine the process to be cumulative – fifteen years at the start when nothing much happened would be more explicable.
Having tucked away that doubt, I started to try to think deeper. Man is, of course, himself a part of nature. Anything man does on this planet is natural to this planet. I do not take the view man should not change his environment – otherwise I should not be sitting in a house. The question is rather, are we inadvertently making changes to the environment to our own long term detriment?
That rejection of what you might call the Gaia principle – that the environmental status quo is an end in itself – has ramifications. It is hard to conceptualise our relationship with gases or soil, but easier in terms of animals. I am not a vegetarian – I am quite happy that we farm and eat cattle, for example – and you might argue that the cattle are pretty successful themselves, symbiotic survivors of a kind. Do I think other species have a value in themselves? Is there any harm in killing off a species of insect, other than the fact that biodiversity may be reduced in ways that remove potential future advantages to man, or there may be knock on consequences we know not of that damage man somehow? I am not quite sure, but in general I seem in practice to take the view that exploitation of other species and substantial distortion of prior ecological balance to suit men’s needs is fine, so presumably the odd extinction is fine too, unless it damages man long term.
I strongly disapprove of hurting animals for sport, and want to see them have the best quality of life possible, preferably wild. But I like to eat and wear them. I am not quite sure why it is OK to wear animal skin on our feet or carry it as a bag, but not to wear “fur”. What is the difference, other than that leather has had the hair systematically rubbed off as part of the process of making it? A trivial issue, but one that obviously relates to the deeper questions.
Yes I draw a distinction between animals which are intelligent and those which are not. I would not eat whale or dolphin. But this does not seem entirely logical – animal intelligence and sensibility is evidently a continuum. Many animals mourn, for example. The BBC World Service radio (my main contact with the outside world at present – I have just today found my very, very weak internet connection just about works if I try it at 5am) informed me a couple of days ago that orang-utans have the ability to think forward and tell others where they will be the next day. Why cattle and fish are daft enough to eat is hard to justify.
I quite appreciate the disbenefits to man of radically changing his environment, even if it could be done without long term risk to his existence – the loss of beauty, of connection to seasons and forms of behaviour with which we evolved. But I regard those as important only as losses to man, not because nature is important intrinsically. In short, if I thought higher seas, no polar bears and no glaciers would not hurt man particularly, I don’t suppose I would have much to say against it. I fear the potential repercussions are too dangerous to man. At base, I don’t actually care about a polar bear.
and this version of Shapps!
Grant Shapps: my Michael Green alias was only a ‘joke’
Grant Shapps, the Conservative Party chairman, has claimed he was only joking when he used a fake name to promote his get-rich-quick business. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9590294/Grant-Shapps-my-Michael-Green-alias-was-only-a-joke.html
~~
Well. That’s all over for another year -the conference season that is. The unlovely and mostly hate filled Tories have just packed up. Agent Cameron has learnt to use the autocue and no longer has to look down at his notes.
Back to the bun fights at the Hice but not until next Tuesday to give them time to recover from their conference excesses. Could not make it up.
http://services.parliament.uk/calendar/#!/calendar/Commons/MainChamber/2013/10/3/events.html
And Clegg’s father is a….ughhh…banker…..
http://www.utbank.co.uk/about-us/corporate-governance/
For lulz –
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/nick-clegg-id-like-to-wring-1097262
Look out, Dad.
“The Daily Mail’s stomach-churning attack on Ed Miliband’s father – and him by association – is a warning. The British right are preparing one of the most poisonous, vicious all-out wars against the left in post-war Britain. If this is how far into the gutter this wretched “newspaper” is already willing to plunge, what’s it going to be like six months before the election?”
http://owenjonesramblings.tumblr.com/post/62811986074/be-prepared-the-right-are-preparing-all-out-war
I think it is time the left took the gloves off. There’s no sense in being politely apologetic when you’re being hit. This is Lynton Crosby country now. Fair enough, let’s Lynton Crosby the bastards back.
“I think it is time the left took the gloves off.”
The left done that many, many years ago, they did it in order to fight each other, still at it to this day, far too busy fighting each other to help the people out in their hour of need, the people can forget any help from the many left parties, for there isn’t any!!!.
Owen Jones mentions Hunt in his piece about the Mail.
Look at his Daddy here, and his cousin, Virginia, now Baroness Bottomley of Nettlestone.
See his Daddy’s post at the NHS trust and in private hospitals.
http://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/revealed-at-last-the-hunt-bottomley-link/
There are several ex Navy types holding chairmanships of NHS trusts. One is Dunt at the Royal Surrey.
http://www.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/new_chair%20and%20non_exec
Positions in the Tory hierarchy depend on who your Daddy is/was and in Hunt’s case, who your cousins are.
Hunt, Dunt, Punt, Runt, …I wont go on! 🙂
Dear old Beryl (75), Grant Schapps’ mother, owns ‘
Money For Old RopeAuction Girl Ltd’. I’m not supplying the link. So you want to sell your old schmutter to make the (Schapps) family fortune already, give it to the Salvation Army, you tight schmuck.Can’t find much on Grinning Grant’s graphic designer father though. Perhaps he died of something unpleasant. Which, if I were a Mail journalist, would doubtless make me pmsl.
Maybe with a common enemy, the Left will stop fighting itself, Someone. We can always hope. I share your pessimism, though.
Of course those on the far left hate their country. We have had an admission of as much on this blog from Mary. They are for the most part embittered individuals who seek to subvert and destroy the very fabric of society. They want to wreck the concept of the family, of marriage, to break up any sense of identity through mass-immigration, to poison young minds in the education system. The societies they have created are a far cry from the principles they propound, being amongst the nastiest and most repressive to have ever existed. Marxists long ago understood that in order to destroy a country, you undermine it from within.
^ (Anon(you can see why)) Predictable. Must try harder. How about ‘Marxists caused the banks to crash’? Always goes down well at parties.
ex Vice Admiral Dunt is on this list of directors along with Manningham-Buller.
http://companycheck.co.uk/company/04533902/THE-POLLEN-ESTATE-TRUSTEE-COMPANY-LIMITED/directors-shareholders
http://www.thepollenestate.com/?doc=32943 Rolling in it presumably – Mayfair property.
He was a director of http://www.newstatesman.com/company-profiles/construction/consulting-services/enterprise-group-holdings-limited until 2011.
Also Chief Executive Defence Estates Ministry of Defence of UK
Government Agency; 10,001+ employees; Defense & Space industry
2002 – 2007 (5 years)
Linked In.
Someone at 1.12 pm. Unless they can be united.
http://leftunity.org/socialist-platform-statement-of-aims-and-principles/
Danny Alexander’s dad was some kind of a hippy. Obviously a Marxist (made pottery) and obviously hated his country (couldn’t get far enough away from the commercial capital):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1284326/Castaway-Danny-New-Liberal-Democrat-axeman-s-idyllic-childhood-remote-Scottish-isle-Colonsay.html
Dad divorced Mum (cue muffled amusement from Mail newsroom) and is now a – gasp – social worker. How Marxist can you get?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1284326/Castaway-Danny-New-Liberal-Democrat-axeman-s-idyllic-childhood-remote-Scottish-isle-Colonsay.html
Love the picture, btw.
I repeat (how many more times? – reminder of Habbabkuk – shiver) that I do not hate MY country. I hate its historic power systems, the gangsters in charge and their warmongering.
Agent Cameron manipulated his adoring audience to stand and applaud the armed forces for at least five minutes. Surprised that Land of Hope and Glory was not played.
I actually love the country – its landscapes, its people of all varieties and even the weather which is hardly ever the same two days running.
Stop it now Anon for the nth time.
Ay, John. Look at the comments to see why not.
Komodo, look at the comments on here. There will always be detractors and distractors and non-well-wishers but it is in its infancy. It has not been constitutionally formed and there are only a roomful of individuals in a city as big as Birmingham taking the lead in helping to get it established. Having said that they span a number of left parties and in my opinion it is worth people getting their weight behind this initiative because unless the left unites we’re all going to end up as micro-chipped slaves with no rights except the rights to work for the big-bankers.
Can you ‘wreck a concept’?
Not quite as funny as Anon’s post, but still quite funny:
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/daily-mail-hates-everyone-in-britain-2013100279973
and!
http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/samantha-cameron-calls-off-divorce-to-get-tax-break-2013093079893
The Mail readers are not interested in SamCam’s clothes (or her £196! crocodile effect Emilia Wickstead belt) or her millionaire husband judging from the comments below this piece.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2441325/Conservative-Party-Conference-Samantha-true-blue-teal-navy-ASOS-dress-Emilia-Wickstead-belt.html
Fashion snippet. Emilia Wickstead also favoured by Kate Middleton. Wonder how the happy couple are getting on spending all our money on kitting out their new pad at Kensington Palace. I await the christening with eager anticipation.
Any takers? http://www.royalmint.com/shop/The_Christening_of_HRH_Prince_George_of_Cambridge_2013_UK_5_pound_Platinum_Proof_Piedfort_Coin
So touching seeing some poor naif trying to pit left against right, as if they still existed.
http://dissidentvoice.org/2013/05/the-warring-camps/
I think there’s a couple of useful points here, John –
http://leftunity.org/saying-revolutionary-less-wont-make-us-less-revolutionary/
Socialist
Socialism means different things to different people. Ed Miliband, Ken Loach and Stalin have all said they’re socialists. Two of them are lying. Which one depends on your personal definition of Socialism. At a Left Unity meeting we had a debate about the word socialist. It was said that we have to be honest with people but if I tell a stranger I’m a socialist, and they think that socialism is the same as supporting the Soviet Union, am I really being honest with them? One time I was chatting pleasantly away with a Czech woman in a café in Sheffield, I mentioned that I was a socialist and she stormed away saying the socialists had killed her grandparents. A friend of mine, knowing that I’m a socialist, said I should write a blog, sincerely adding “they’ll love it in China and Russia”. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Let’s explain what socialism is before we call ourselves socialist.
Capitalist/Anti-Capitalist
I’ve heard people at meetings endlessly saying things like “I don’t want to be part of a party that tries to reform Capitalism”, “Capitalism’s rotten to the core, we need to get rid of Capitalism”. What I’ve never heard is someone explain what Capitalism is and what getting rid of it would look like. For me, Capitalism is where businesses aren’t owned by their workers which is a ridiculous and undemocratic arrangement. Does this make me an anti-capitalist? I would say it does, many would say it doesn’t. If we can’t define what Capitalism is then how can we decide what’s the point of even talking about whether we’re an anti-capitalist party, still less falling out over it. Furthermore, the vast majority of British people don’t define themselves as anti-capitalist and so any leaflet from an “anti-capitalist” party will go straight in the bin. A party that says they want workers to control their workplaces on the other hand, re-build the welfare state and re-nationalise the railways and utilities on the other hand sounds good to everyone.
When Miliband says he wants to bring back socialism, the Right is able to pretend that Stalinist purges are just round the corner, and that “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” is other than a perfectly rational fiscal policy.
And “anti-capitalist” should not mean “unwashed druggy”…..but it does, in the popular imagination. No smoke without fire; time to put that particular fire out.
A far stronger than forecast CME is hitting the earth now. After dark tonight worth looking out for a light show.
Not clear if the government shutdown contributed to NASA/NOAA badly underestimating this until it actually hit.
Aurora pics taken in Kansas overnight.
https://secure.flickr.com/photos/kansashorizons/10049669485/
https://secure.flickr.com/photos/kansashorizons/10049630146/
https://secure.flickr.com/photos/kansashorizons/10049516745/
Curious affair, to weigh the options of a citizen with “love”, and “hate”, isn’t it?
Financial markets do not operate, based on love or hate transactions.
Science does not prove or disprove based on love or hate (if the scientists are the genuine article and not the grant hunting business coordinators).
No transactions other than in the bedroom and among the emotional lovers can be based on “love” or “hate”. Yet the agents of reaction and forces of reaction and stagnancy can correlate love or hate to the governance of the countries and they very important matter of quality of life of those citizens caught up in the “love”, “hate” relationships. Why such an asinine proposition is even worthy of a reply or acknowledgement, other than derision and scorn?
======
A Node, why did you feel the need to respond to your interrogation, about your comment? Don’t you think that by responding you are in fact perpetuating the cycle of “entitlement”?
Ben
According to spaceweather.com Ison imagery from Mars has been reclassified as “essential” and we might yet get some pics. No confirmation from NASA though if that is true.
AA; The pics from Oct 1 and 2 flyby are just animations so far, AA.
Isn’t this your birthday? Happy, happy……
Lost for words.
http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for_work_and_pensions_group/dwp-news.cfm/pcs-opposes-conditionality-week
Thanks Ben 🙂
The gangsters in charge of the big banks are meeting with Obama now. Reuters.
Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and others.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24327470
Surprised George hasn’t tried this one-
When we first presented the idea of compulsory labor service to the public, the
representatives of the dying Marxist world raised a great outcry, declaring, “That
is a new attack on the proletariat, an attack on work, an attack on the life of the
worker!” Why did they do that? They knew very well that it would never be an
attack on work and much less an attack on the worker, but merely an attack on
a terrible prejudice, namely that manual labor is inferior.
Who said that?
Which hero of the neocon Right?
One day I’ll tell you…..
…Too hard? A clue?
Adolf…..