Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Divided We Fall
I listened at lunch today to a discussion on the radio involving two very sober international energy and climate analysts. There conclusions about the consequences of global warming were no surprise: more hurricanes, permanent dislocations for major ports and coastal settlements worldwide, colossal environmental disruptions from melted ice caps.
But three remarks they made did grab my attention: the Chinese plan to build a thousand huge coal-fired plants over the next thirty years; the World Bank is still promoting fossil fuels at the expense of anything else; and the one country on the planet absolutely required as an active partner in addressing the problem--the US--is so divided internally as to render any hope for meaningful international cooperation on this matter silly.
Even were Americans somehow able to oust the energy cartel from the halls of Congress, they noted, moving forward against the onslaught of media and industry and widespread denial among a largely imbecilic US citizenry is a virtually impossible task. More likely, they say, is another global total war with no real purpose than to vent anger and frustrations through suicidal means.
But three remarks they made did grab my attention: the Chinese plan to build a thousand huge coal-fired plants over the next thirty years; the World Bank is still promoting fossil fuels at the expense of anything else; and the one country on the planet absolutely required as an active partner in addressing the problem--the US--is so divided internally as to render any hope for meaningful international cooperation on this matter silly.
Even were Americans somehow able to oust the energy cartel from the halls of Congress, they noted, moving forward against the onslaught of media and industry and widespread denial among a largely imbecilic US citizenry is a virtually impossible task. More likely, they say, is another global total war with no real purpose than to vent anger and frustrations through suicidal means.
