Carbon Dave's Diary

Noah Pinion?

On Good W.I.N.D.

And Recalibrating the Richter Scale of Risk.

 

Hearing you - and the many cries for 'More Tablets please' Dave - the carbon shrink is back with more snake-oil today. (Despite a few lingering doubts about my imminent excommunication by my old God-fearing friends - as distinct from the God- and Gaia-loving friends, who seem to be cheering me on.)

Anyway, after vigorous 'Risk Assessment', I conclude that 'Risk' is the thing. On the old-fashioned 'Richter Scale' of Risk, we knew that crossing a road was 1, sharing a car was 2, letting your friend mind your child was 3, and so on, you get the drift, with scary things like financial collapse, and deeply offending God up there as near 10s. But accidentally triggering the Death of all life on Earth, where would that go?

I'd say around 100, or 1000 even , on a scale of 1 to 10.

So here's the rest of what the Archbishop might have said to me in that private (FICTIONAL) chat!

"Dave mate. In the Bible Pride comes after the Fall. So let me level with you. My proud Church has nodded off a bit lately, as some of you may have gathered. Those old Tablets we kept taking? WE knew they were well past their ‘soul-by’ date. We wise men lost the plot;  too much Big Oil anointing us perhaps. But since we seem to living the last chapter now, we've sat up - we're wide awake.

 

And we're here to help. We can't say it officially, but those 5 rules look good!

We pray that people wake up, so that one day they don't have the agony of looking back from their death bed, with huge regret, shared with their offspring perhaps, that they didn't do more to bring the Fossil Era to book. 

 

"Well I Never Did" need not be something any of us need to say at our death.

 

WIND may be a helpful mnemonic for this new thinking.

 

Take courage me hearties.

Simples!

Oh and vitally, one last thing in respect of Tablet One:

1. Love all the Earth thy Home planet as thyself. (It is thyself.)

A little addendum:

You must learn to love thy-self again... and to laugh more. 

Humans are hilarious after all.

'til Copenhagen...  Row."

Moses New Tablets of Carbon - for Feet of Stone

Is it time to turn to an Alternative (Lower Impact) ‘Higher Power’

- to help overcome our terminal addiction to self-abuse by fossil

At risk of upsetting The Church of England, here is what the Archbishop of Canterbury did (could) NOT say, in his Southwark Cathedral 'Operation Noah' address on Tuesday this week:

 

“Oi. No! (-ah!).  Let's be having those big old spotlights off, for starters, so we can reconnect with the natural dark outside. Let there be less light. Those nice energy efficient ‘CFL’s in the candelabras are all we need tonight. ‘Enough for everyone’s need, not for their greed’... and all that. Wasted fuel is wasted food. Anyone found the power switch yet?  Thank you. Ah. And it was good. Now where were we? Ah yes, action based leadership.

 

The thing is, those old Tablets we’ve been taking. They’re not working. Try these five. (That’s a 50% cut ;-)

1. Love all the Earth thy Home planet as thyself. (It is thyself.)
2. Only landfill the Earth our God with good compost. 
3. Declare all fossil burial grounds sacred: Thou shalt not Drill.

4. The sun and wind are there for a reason: think about it. The golden 'nuke' I made for you is plenty big enough - the sun - don't try and copy that at home now children - why do you think i built it so far away!

5. You are human, not bird. You can’t fly. Get over it.

See how you get on with those, until Copenhagen maties?

We will all be 'watered down' if copenhagen deal is a cop out

Dear Sun

Is it taboo to mention our leaders are busy negotiating a global "fossil energy diet" plan for the Copenhagen summit.

If the deal is too weak - we seal our own childrens fate.  It's that big. And that simple. 

The deals on the table already look weak. John Prescott says he may have to water them down. "Oi, No!"

We will ALL be 'watered down' and worse - in climate freefall - if we don't aim high. For kids sake!
 
Let's surprise our politicians and demand a deal that gives our children their future back. Nothing less.

Dave Hampton
Marlow UK (written at Climate Camp)

All men are not burn equal

Herewith my 'comeback' as submitted - to a letter the Indy printed last week that tried to dismiss the importance of 'per capita carbon burn rates'.  (I perceive these to be the crux of any fair carbon deal.)

Photo Dave Hampton

Sir

Dennis Antony thinks I am tinkering. The statistic to worry about, he says, "is not the "per capita carbon burn rate" but the total (emission rate) irrespective of who does it the most or least." He goes on to conclude that "the only way to solve (all these deficiencies)is to reduce world population". He politely spares us the detail.

Thank heavens such macro politics aren't applied to other problems, like crime for example. (Less people = less crime?)

Of course it is humans combined carbon burn rate that gives Mother Earth a lethal fever. She doesn't bother to discriminate, but homo sapiens would be wise to.  Carbon burn is invisible. But we can trace the smoking guns.  All (wo)men are not burn equal!

Each of us needs to look at our own carbon shadow: our bit-part in the climate crisis. Only a tinker would stand well back, look at the big picture, and point a finger (or worse) at others. 

Dave Hampton

Just tinkering

Dave Hampton's emphasis on carbon burn rates (lettersgust) doesn't address the real issue. The most vital statistic to worry about is not the "per capita carbon burn rate"; it is the total emission rate irrespective of who does it the most or least. As the world is eliminating fish, productive soils, forests, potable water, nutrients etc,the only way to solve all these deficiencies is to reduce world population. All else is tinkering to no avail.

Dennis Anthony

China leads the way on climate - Independent - 21 August 2009

China leads the way on climate

If we are to debate China's civilisation, by anyone's "standards" (letters, 1 and 6 August), the most vital statistic, by far, is the "per capita carbon burn rate". China emits just four tonnes of CO2 per person, one-third of the individual UK consumption (12 tonnes) and one-sixth that of an American (24 tonnes).

China achieves this humblingly low pollution (and low fossil-fuel burn rate) at the same time as making us most of our "stuff", and relieving us of most of our "waste". Thus we start well behind, in the race to face the apocalyptic twin peaks: oil and CO2.

Politically, it is precisely per capita emissions that count if we are to reach civilised global agreement on cutting the carbon. Only fair shares can ever be agreed equitably. With China now building one new wind turbine every hour, there is much Chinese to learn.

Dave Hampton

Marlow, Buckinghamshire

Gordon's green drive is in reverse.

The Sun, Letters page, 18 August 2009 - PRINTED

"GORDON'S green drive is in reverse. Millions were thrown at Land Rover "to save jobs" with a green makeover for Range Rover gas guzzlers. Meanwhile, real eco jobs at Isle of Wight windfarm firm Vestas are allowed to be lost with the firm's closure."

More shorts in the sun

Some more of Dave's summer short letters to The Sun

In England's .... and pleasant land

Vote Tory, get Alan Duncan and his mates. Vote Brown and get Mandy. Why oh why, when we know what red and blue are like, do we keep in-voting them back? 

All I am saying is, give Greens a chance? The kids will thank us. England's pleasant land might like it!  Plus they can't make a worse mess! 

Vote Green... and give the kid's their future back. Simples.

Brown's not Green - Tilting at Windmills

The oil lobby has done a good job turning us Brits against the wind farms that would do us, and our kids, the power of good.  And reduce our dependency on oil! But its dishonourable of HMG to watch the Vesta's wind turbine factory fail - just because its a cynical short-term vote winner.  Brown's not Green. He should go.

Hot News - Breaking The Taboo 

There's a news story that intrigues me: the climate crisis 'taboo'.  Do we imagine our children will be fine because the parents didn't mention it?  No. The kids' home planet is almost broken beyond repair. Surely this is The headline?  One day we will be proud The Sun broke ranks, broke the news, and broke the taboo.  So saving the children.

Low Carbon Economy - in reverse gear (they published this - with lots of edits - see next post)

Someone please tell Gordon that the new 'low carbon economy' he is driving is stuck in reverse gear.  £M100s were thrown at Land Rover 'to save jobs' with a U-turn magic green makeover for Range Rover supertankers!  While real (green shoot) UK skills like the Isle of Wight based Vesta's wind turbine makers are left drifting onto rocks unaided. Truth is, Brown's not Green. But the future is.

Renewable Gold Rush

A year ago - Golden Olympic Days - August 2008

Well said Kevin Ramsay (letters, 29th August.)  A renewable energy vision is the ethical choice. It is the only ecologically viable path.  Happily is also the option that offers real opportunity for all.  In the rush for clean energy, renewables are the new gold. 
 
We were proud of our Olympians, who earned success by utilising every resource ounce, and by sheer self-reliance.  No power cables, outboard motors, additives, or uranium fix. Just total mastery ofself, along with wind, tide and wave.
 
We must demand the same of UK energy policy. We can invest to power up the kids future, sustainably, and not repeat past mistakes.  We can 'retire off' yesterdays dirty power relics.  Their day has been. All our faith, cash and creativity, we can transplant into the rising energy stars of our common future: the renewable energy team. Their day is now.  
 
Imagine a Britain powered, happily ever after, by local sun, wind and wave!  Now that would be a baton to proudly pass to the kids.  And a Golden economy that the rest of the world would run fast to follow. Let the clean energy race begin.