Buy

Books
Click images for more details

Twitter
Support

 

Recent comments
Recent posts
Currently discussing
Links

A few sites I've stumbled across recently....

Powered by Squarespace
« Debating the IPCC | Main | Finger puppets - Josh 302 »
Monday
Nov242014

Green charades

On Wednesday, the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee is to hold a one-day inquiry into a report published by Lord Stern's New Climate Economy project (NCE) and will take evidence from Stern himself, as well as Jeremy Oppenheim, an economist from McKinsey and Co who is involved in the project.

According to its website, NCE is a joint initiative of the governments of seven countries, including the UK - no doubt this is Mr Davey's work then. A glance at the people involved suggests that it is one of those charades in which a panel of green activists selected from universities around the world  pretends that they have taken an objective look at the subject at hand before faithfully delivering up the required message.

In this case, the required message will then be reviewed by the ECC committee, a panel of (mostly) green activists selected from constituencies around the UK. The ECC will then pronounce the importance of the findings of the first panel before retiring to its trough. This committee of Parliament is in effect operating as the public relations arm of a green activist body.

It's this pretence of holding the executive to account that is behind the failure of our democracy here in the UK. And its why much of the Westminster elite so badly needs to be swept aside.

PrintView Printer Friendly Version

Reader Comments (18)

And swept aside they will be next year!

Mailman

Nov 24, 2014 at 10:50 AM | Unregistered Commentermailman

The intellectual circle-jerk moves on to the next venue.

Mailman
I regret to say it but, in your dreams!
By 2020 maybe but there is no way that the only party with any sort of will to do something about this fiasco has a cat's chance in hell of forming a government next year. The only hope is that somewhere along the line Cameron grows a pair.

Nov 24, 2014 at 10:55 AM | Registered CommenterMike Jackson

The only time I'd want to see evidence from Nick Stern is as a defendant in a fraud trial

Nov 24, 2014 at 10:58 AM | Registered Commentertomo

Swept aside isn't enough, ropes and lampposts are nearer the mark.

Nov 24, 2014 at 11:35 AM | Unregistered CommenterSandyS

One of the things that convinces me the warmists are both mad and stupid is their innability to grasp one simply fact - they can't cut CO2 without us. By 'us' I mean sceptics and anyone else who lets the green wash flow over them and then carries on as normal. The warmists can make all the plans they like, tell each other any tales and then wait expectantly for action but until our issues are dealt with they'll get nowhere.

Nov 24, 2014 at 11:37 AM | Unregistered CommenterTinyCO2

I like to think that one of the reasons UKIP whitewashed the LibDems at Rochester, was voters' realisation of the personal cost to them, of Ed Davey's policies.

Nov 24, 2014 at 12:03 PM | Unregistered CommenterJoe Public

Tiny CO2,
You make a good point but leave out the most important points:
-Nothing the climate obsessed have done has cut CO2
-Even if they cut CO2 the change in weather manifestations of climate will be trivial if even measurable.
-The costs the climate obsessed have imposed on us in the form of policies, laws, wind mill/solar, redundant research has been massive and has done nothing that they promised it would.

Nov 24, 2014 at 12:08 PM | Unregistered Commenterhunter

Even if UKIP were to get ALL the seats at the next election, it is doubtful that those they displaced will be “swept aside”; they will just side-step into other sinecures that they have been busily preparing for themselves whilst in office. There will still be committees demanding “experienced” members, as well as other posts and positions at the vast troughs (filled by the tax-payer, of course) that now exist to keep the most serious of troughers happily troughing – remember, Lord Drivel was “swept aside” many years ago, yet still has his snout buried deep in the public pocket – as do Yeo and Huhne.

Nov 24, 2014 at 12:13 PM | Registered CommenterRadical Rodent

I apologise in advance for Australian Ross Garnaut, an enthusiastic alarmist who generated compliant reports on demand for the previous Labor government. No doubt your long suffering taxpayers covered his business or first class airfares and comfortable accommodation in London for this junket as well.

Sorry, guys.

Nov 24, 2014 at 12:24 PM | Registered Commenterjohanna

New Climate Economy with the truth project

Nov 24, 2014 at 12:27 PM | Unregistered CommenterMartyn

Sweeping useless politicians aside is fine, but the nightmare scenario looms, perpetual coalition govt in which Lib-Dems/Greens hold the balance of power or are seen as being acceptable partners, always insisting on being in control of you-know-which departments.

Nov 24, 2014 at 12:46 PM | Unregistered CommenterMikky

Hunter "- Nothing the climate obsessed have done has cut CO2
-Even if they cut CO2 the change in weather manifestations of climate will be trivial if even measurable.
-The costs the climate obsessed have imposed on us in the form of policies, laws, wind mill/solar, redundant research has been massive and has done nothing that they promised it would."

True, but I attribute those to other personality traits than just plain stupidity. I've known plenty of clever people who couldn't organise a drinking competition in an alcohol brewing facility.

Nov 24, 2014 at 12:53 PM | Unregistered CommenterTinyCO2

@ Mikky 12:46 PM

" .......perpetual coalition govt in which Lib-Dems/Greens hold the balance of power or are seen as being acceptable partners, always insisting on being in control of you-know-which departments."

In the Rochester by-election, the LibDems polled just 200 more votes than the Raving Loonies.

In GE2015, if UKIP & the Tories hammer home the actual costs that Ed Davey has lumbered onto every UK family, the above whitewash will be replicated.

Probably the ONLY predictable result of GE2015 is that the next coalition WILL include UKIP.

Nov 24, 2014 at 2:06 PM | Unregistered CommenterJoe Public

"Fan Gang" - The Chinese wind-turbine advocate.
Somebody's pulling someone's leg !

Nov 24, 2014 at 2:42 PM | Unregistered Commentertoad

Is it possible for a last minute representative from Taiwan to attend Climate change expert Hoo Nuh?

Nov 24, 2014 at 3:09 PM | Unregistered CommenterFen Beagle

Hunter: "Nothing the climate obsessed have done has cut CO2"

The thing is, it doesn't need to. 'We' know it's a con but the general public don't. They've been fooled into believing CO2-driven warming; they'll be equally fooled into believing the likes of Stern/Deben/et al have managed to bring it - and temps - down and under control. They'll just change the pea under the thimble - for a lemon.

BTW: If you think Joe public is not bothered, it appears that the 'white-van-man' made famous in the Rochester By-election wasn't even aware there was an election going on in Rochester... <sigh>

Nov 24, 2014 at 4:43 PM | Unregistered CommenterHarry Passfield

I'm sure it must be pure coincidence, but ...

When I first discovered the existence of Stern2.0 [h/t Richard Tol], there were far fewer characters involved (or at least far fewer were "advertised" on the NCE's website in July of this year, when I stumbled across news of this impending report) I found the timing of its "birth" somewhat curious, to say the least.

You see, the Press Release announcing its illustrious "birth" was dated September 24th 2013 - which (miracle of miracles!) just happened to be the day before the gathering of the great and the good to review the SPM of (the much leaked) WG I's contribution to AR5. As I recall, this Press Release was also in rather close proximity to Ban Ki-Moon's announcement of the BIG one-day "Climate Change Summit" held in Sept. of this year.

During my July exploration of the (then far less populated) NCE site, I was particularly struck by the following, which seemed to be part of the rationale of their "Approach":

The New Climate Economy’s starting point is the perspective of economic decision-makers: government ministers, particularly ministers of finance, economy, energy and agriculture; business leaders and financial investors; state governors and city mayors.

For such decision-makers, climate change is rarely a primary concern.[...] Yet their decisions powerfully influence the trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions. [my bold -hro]

As I had speculated, in July, considering that for all intents and purposes, AR5's WGI was greeted with a rather big yawn ...

Perhaps this heretofore unheard of “independent” New Climate Economy group, led by old-hand Stern was established to rescue the CO2 demon from its natural state of “rarely being a primary concern”.

As a footnote, I seem to recall that Stern2.0 was given some airtime on the sidelines of Ban Ki-Moon's BIG one-day "Climate Change Summit" (preceded by ludicrous charades and parades) in September of this year.

Funny, isn't it, that Stern can never seem to time his "Reports" so that they make the IPCC deadlines.

P.S. Tol's assessment of whatever was disclosed just in time for the BIG "Climate Change Summit" in Sept., as I had noted:

Stern2.0 makes three claims, none of which stand up: Climate policy stimulates economic growth; climate change is a threat to economic growth; and an international treaty is the way forward.

Nov 24, 2014 at 5:39 PM | Registered CommenterHilary Ostrov

Plan for public corporal punishments for the Champagne Lefties that made this all possible.

Nov 24, 2014 at 9:22 PM | Unregistered Commenterptw

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>