Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

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Scientists as Philosopher Kings

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Chapter 2 of ‘A Big Fix:Radical Solutions for Australia’s Environmental Crisis’ by Ian Lowe (Black Inc 2005) is titled ‘Defining Sustainability: What does it Mean?’.

As I began reading the chapter I thought of Michael Crichton (author of Jurassic Park and other best sellers) and his irreverent definition of sustainability:

“Today, one of the most powerful religions in the Western World is environmentalism. Environmentalism seems to be the religion of choice for urban atheists. Why do I say it’s a religion? Well, just look at the beliefs. If you look carefully, you see that environmentalism is in fact a perfect 21st century remapping of traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs and myths.

There’s an initial Eden, a paradise, a state of grace and unity with nature, there’s a fall from grace into a state of pollution as a result of eating from the tree of knowledge, and as a result of our actions there is a judgment day coming for us all. We are all energy sinners, doomed to die, unless we seek salvation, which is now called sustainability. Sustainability is salvation in the church of the environment. Just as organic food is its communion, that pesticide-free wafer that the right people with the right beliefs, imbibe.”

Lowe’s definition of sustainability is somewhat different, he quotes Victoria’s Environment Minister John Thwaites and adds some:

“It means never having to say ‘sorry’ to our grand-children. So there are some obvious criteria to test whether the way we live can be sustained. Are we likely to run short of critical resources? If we are, our society will not be sustainable. Are we doing serious damage to the natural systems that support us? If we are destroying the capacity of natural systems to produce basic needs such as air, water and food our society will not be sustainable …”

Lowe goes on to suggest that economist really don’t know what they are talking about. He writes,

“The entire notion of economic planning has been abandoned in favour of a naive faith in the magic of the market.” (pg 34)

Instead of markets, Lowe suggests:
1. We need to ensure that the total scale of human activity is ecologically sustainable,
2. We should distribute resources and property fairly,
3. We should allocate resources as efficiently as possible.

He continues,

“So there is a role for markets in ensuring efficient allocation of resources, but first, science must determine the scale of resource allocation we can responsibly allow and society needs to work out the principles of fairness within which markets can operate.” (pg 35)

In ‘The Republic’ by Plato, the ideal ruler has the virtue and wisdom of a philosopher. Perhaps Lowe is suggesting a society where scientists will be the philosopher kings?

…………..

This is part 2 of ‘As Lowe as it Gets’.
Part 1 is here https://jennifermarohasy.com.dev.internet-thinking.com.au/blog/archives/000853.html .

Mountain Cattlemen Defiant

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There was movement at the station for the word had passed around that the mountain cattlemen will graze their cattle in the Alpine National Park this summer. The move, announced at a rally in Bendigo today, is in defiance of new Victorian legislation banning the 170 year tradition.

I have previously blogged on the ban on cattlemen in the high country at https://jennifermarohasy.com.dev.internet-thinking.com.au/blog/archives/000668.html and also https://jennifermarohasy.com.dev.internet-thinking.com.au/blog/archives/000635.html .

Deaths Due to Climate-Related Disasters

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With all the concern about global warming resulting in more deaths due to climate-related disasters, I thought I would see if I could find some statistics on the subject.

Since 1988 the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) has been maintaining an Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT). EM-DAT was created with the initial support of the WHO (World Health Organisation) and the Belgian Government, see http://www.em-dat.net/who.htm .

Following is a graph from this site showing total number of deaths due to disasters from 1900 to 2004,
View image (75kbs).

Many would have anticipated that the graph would trend in the opposite direction.

There is a graph on page 5 of a booklet titled ‘Climate change and sustainable development’ based on this and other information that shows death rate per year and death rate (per thousand) from 1920 to 2003 due specifically to climate-related disasters. The trend is also one of reducing global deaths and death rates, see
http://www.policynetwork.net/uploaded/pdf/cc_sd_final.pdf (750 kbs).

It is predicted in the booklet that “All indicators suggest that similar reductions in deaths from natural disasters will continue as societies become more technologically and economically sophisticated.”

As Lowe as it Gets (Part 1)

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I was sent a copy of Ian Lowe’s soon to be launched book ‘A big fix’ subtitled ‘Radical solutions for Australia’s environmental crisis’ (Black Inc 2005).

I started reading the book yesterday at the beach. It is full of popular mythology dressed up as scientific fact without footnotes or references … and Lowe starts the first sentence, of the first paragraph, of the first chapter, “I am a scientist”.

He then goes on to employ the rules of propaganda every effectively, particularly rules 1,3 and 4, see https://jennifermarohasy.com.dev.internet-thinking.com.au/blog/archives/000579.html .

On page 13 he writes, “There is a great scientific tradition of scepticism, generally a good thing because it keeps us honest and forces us to justify our conclusions.” But then goes on to suggest climate skeptics “… try to win their arguments, sometimes by actually lying, but more often by making statements that are facually correct but misleading.”

He shows himself to be expert at the same including with the statement also at the bottom of page 13, “it is now indisputable that the global climate is changing.”
As though it was ever in dispute that the history of the earth has been, and always will be, one of climate change.

While suggesting skepticism has its place, Lowe provides no example of a contrarian view worthy of consideration and evaluation. Rather he suggests that climate change global warming skeptics who number perhaps 5 (in the whole wide world!) are given a voice because the commercial media loves controversy.

And if you were wondering how many scientists “support the accepted view” – according to Lowe it is about 10,000 (pg 13).

French Farmers Put Big Crack in EU’s Anti-GM Facade

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My first post on GM foods at this web-log was on 8th June and the first comment was from Stephen Dawson, he wrote:

In 1903 the first heavier-than-air machine achieved flight. A decade later aircraft were still custom-built, dangerous and had hardly any load-carrying capability. Now for five per cent of the average Australian income one can fly to London and back, being fed hot food and watching in-flight movies.

It would be a very brave, or silly, person who insists that GM techniques should be stopped because of some inchoate fear. GM will happen. It will yield unimagined new products and possibilities. If preserving land or other resources are signalled through the market to be high priorities, GM will help hugely. Not this year, maybe not in the next decade, but eventually for certain.

And, yes, GM food will happen. It may even become widespread. Other GM techniques and products will be developed. Because there is no way to stop it. Pandora’s box has been opened and its contents cannot be stuffed back inside. GM techniques will just get cheaper. And if one country, or a dozen, bans it, then it will just happen elsewhere.

While the European Union has imported tonnes of GM soy as animal feed for years, they have otherwise professed to being anti-GM and have banned the technology. Indeed a reason for not growing GM in Australia has been fear that we will be shut out of European markets.

Low and behold, French Farmers are now about to plant GM maize! Read the Reuter’s story here:

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2005-09-06T165944Z_01_MOL661056_RTRIDST_0_SCIENCE-FOOD-FRANCE-GMOS-DC.XML

Published yesterday it is titled ‘French farmers head for gene maize harvest’ and begins:

French farmers are days away from starting work on a maize harvest that includes the first documented evidence of genetically modified (GMO) grain, the country’s AGPM maize growers’ association said on Tuesday.

The AGPM said 500 hectares of authorised GMO maize had been planted, more than half of which was destined for commercial outlets and would be sold to the animal feed industry in Spain.

Ethanol: Fuel of the Future?

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Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has announced a ‘National Fuel Ethanol’ program with plans to mandate ethanol blend E10 for vehicles and in this way reduce dependence on imported oil saving an estimated $1.8 billion. The ethanol will be made from sugarcane, corn, grain, sorghum, wheat and other agricultural crops, according to today’s Farm Online.

‘Fuel-injected feed fear’ was the headline on the front page of The Land newspaper on 25th August. Following the headline was a story suggesting beef lotfeeders, dairy, pig and poultry producers are expecting feed grain prices to increase as a consequence of Australia’s “fast expanding ethanol fuel lobby”. The article continued … A report by Canberra-based Centre for International Economics (CIE) puts present ethanol production (in Australia) at 130 to 140 million litres and lists 14 proposed ethanol plants, more than 80 of which would use grain as the base ingredient.

Is ethanol a “fuel of the future” as suggested by Arroyo. How will feedlots compete?