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Post by halva on Nov 16, 2006 0:00:23 GMT -5
Rather than making a systematic critique of George Monbiot's book on climate change Heat - how to stop the planet burning, I will confine myself to some observations inspired by different passages in the book. The first point to make about Monbiot is that he is the perfect "other side" to a red herring debate about climate change. His hectic, preaching tone give anthropogenic climate change debunkers every assistance in representing themselves as the voices for reason, moderation and sobriety. He is also in the habit of talking about what "we" are doing to the planet's environment. He has no problem saying that "we" (explicitly including himself) are "hypocrites". Ambivalence is a structural element of his stance: "In the rich nations most people, most of the time, live as all prior generations have dreamt of living." Monbiot claims that even an 80 percent cut in global greenhouse emissions will not be enough to prevent runaway global warming. But on the other hand he says: "advocating a return to the economy of the Stone Age is futile, for the great majority of people find this prospect unappealing." On the one hand, the inevitability of ruin, on the other what "the great majority of people" find appealing or unappealing remains a relevant consideration. ??
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