novembre 3, 2007 UK Flag Italy Flag Spain Flag

Del riscaldamento globale A Discussion on Global Warming Una discusión sobre el calentamiento global

This is how the viewpoint of my friend Carlos, a climate change denier, can be summarized:

Global warming is not caused by human activities.

It is due to normal geological cycles. If the Vikings named Greenland that way, it's because it must have been green at some point. There are political and economic reasons behind the media campaign, but scientists are divided, with half in favor and half in agreement.

It is true that the concept of waste didn't exist before the industrial revolution. Everything was reused, but times were different. People used to share their homes with pigs and chickens, living in conditions that are unthinkable today. A return to that past is completely impractical.

In the past, when wood was used as an energy resource, there were even fewer trees than now. Just think about Alicante, where there is much more vegetation today due to water and human presence than there has ever been in the past.

A 'shared' perspective

The last consideration is the easiest to counter. It is evident that planting a few trees is not enough to compensate for the damage caused by uncontrolled urbanization, emissions, and overpopulation. The ecological balance is significantly negative.

The first and second points, however, are more interesting. The first one deals with the public nature of the problem, while the second one relates to the private aspect. Carlos is not alone in his views on the first point. The Bush administration and a significant part of the international right-wing also hold similar opinions. They only care about the environment if it doesn't hinder economic cycles. The growth carousel must keep spinning at all costs.

I am not a scientist, and I cannot judge based on my personal experience whether global warming is caused by human activities or not. What I do know is that the viewpoints are not evenly divided: 9 out of 10 support the thesis of human responsibility.

Conspiracy or reality?

There is an abundance of literature on this topic. National Geographic published an article that provides some interesting facts. Before the industrial revolution, carbon dioxide particles in the atmosphere were 280 per million. By the 1950s, the number had already reached 350, and now we are approaching the irreversible threshold of 450. The United States has announced that their coal consumption in 2020 will be 20% higher than in 2000. China is building a thermal power plant every week. Any bite consumed by an American has traveled an average of 2,500 kilometers, meaning it is immersed in petroleum.

Spectra International

I want to emphasize another point. Let's assume, as Carlos says, that everyone involved is incompetent or even acting in bad faith, and that there may be a massive setup. Despite all that, doubts would remain, and we would still have to address the problem for the sake of prudence. We run the risk of becoming virtuous only to find out that the warming was caused by something else, but at least our conscience would be clear.

Furthermore, if we use a public restroom, it is proper etiquette to leave it in the same state we found it for the next person. The alternative is not caring and hoping that the consequences of our actions manifest themselves when we are already outside. That's exactly what humanity is doing.

But it's not just that. There is also a concrete and immediate private dimension to this issue, which relates to Carlos's second argument. Almost everything you do for the environment translates into direct economic and personal benefits. The famous dilemma Carlos mentioned does not exist. Returning to coexist with pigs may be unthinkable, but adopting a minimalist approach is not only possible, it is even desirable. We have been led to believe that if we don't consume, we will be worse off, when in fact the opposite is true. If you can do without a car or share it with as many people as possible, you regain ownership of two salaries and the spare change needed to cover only fixed costs, and you regain two months needed to earn them. It's like that person who goes to the office to afford the car they use to go to the office.

- Oh! A little bug got splattered on the windshield.

- What a shame! Tomorrow we'll buy another car.

Today, there are no more unattainable dreams....

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