Dec 8, 2009

Is Global Warming for Real?? - You Decide!!

I don't know whether to crack up or cry quietly at the state of the media in NZ exhibited nicely in Close Up's special tonight. I don't, I note, know what the result was and I do not really care.

The topic is interesting, I guess. It is complicated and I am sympathetic to the doubters of anthropogenic warming a la Wishart, but do not side with them. Regardless of which side; if any; is correct, the evangelical Christians who seem to think it is their God-given duty to deny climate change disappoint me and appear to me to do the gospel a disservice; but they are entitled to their opinions.

Wishart, the 'sceptic' in the debate (& a convert to conservative Christianity, pit for the 'debate' against Gareth Morgan, incidentally an atheist - note that to spice it up a little, both of them are towards the right wing classical liberal / libertarian side of politics) made an off-the-cuff remark that if we are to say that a lack of action on the climate question is irresponsible the same may be said about lack of action re: the God question. Indeed Ian; if there is some evidence for either God or global warming, further action may well be warranted.

So that's interesting, but you might wonder how the religious affiliation of those discussing climate change is relevant and the answer is: I'm not quite sure. But it intrigues me that on both sides of the debate we find vociferous religious people and vociferous non-religious people (e.g. Ian Plimer contra a changing climate.)

The moral of the story? Have a lovely summer Christmas folks! And be glad it isn't snowing, particularly, I suppose if you're pregnant and need to use a donkey for transportation, as that would kinda suck.

3 comments:

  1. oh dear. NZ media fail. Seriously, whose idea was it to give Ian Wishart air time?

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  2. I quite like Wishart, some of his politics and tendency to 'conspiracirise' everything aside. Why is what Gareth Morgan thinks on the issue any better anyway? Certain members of my family were glued to what he had to say in the approx 8-9 minutes so kindly provided for the "debate" and I just wanted to cry or somehow explode painlessly.

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  3. True, Gareth Morgan was a pretty lousy choice too. But at least he's on the right side of the fence (the fence demarcating reality). I'm afraid Wishart lost me with "natural cycle caused by the sun". This depresses me also:
    Who do you believe?
    Wishart - 77%
    Morgan - 23%

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