Global Warming/Climate Change

[gagged_Louise]

I totally agree with you Tom, that a lot of the environmental policies implemented at home (in Sweden) in the last ten years are basically crap, the reasons are a bit outside this discussion though they're obvious if you've been around (the uncertain political backing of the governments in the last ten years; the need to throw tidbits at the Green Party; the fact that nobody's felt up to taking decisions about long-term enegry policies). And it's probably much the same in France, Italy or Germany.

It should be clear to anyone that chaining ourselves up to coal, oil and gas is a threat to the environment in a real way and a political liability (you get tied up to unstable and dictatorial regimes - Russia, Iran, saudi Arabia; you have to pay rising costs to buy fuel instead of building your own energy industry, etc) What's lacking isn't just the technology but also a world-wide political arena where this kind of thing could be discussed and ferreted out .

[TomOfSweden]

It should be clear to anyone that chaining ourselves up to coal, oil and gas is a threat to the environment in a real way and a political liability (you get tied up to unstable and dictatorial regimes - Russia, Iran, saudi Arabia; you have to pay rising costs to buy fuel instead of building your own energy industry, etc) What's lacking isn't just the technology but also a world-wide political arena where this kind of thing could be discussed and ferreted out .

That is a completely different discussion but one I totaly agree on. Couldn't have said it better myself. Saudi Arabia is a fascist nation and I feel very uneasy about filling thier coffers. We are prolonging their corrupt govornement by buying their oil.

Or as ....(an economist I can't remember the name of) said. "Who cares if the oil runs out? If it does we'll find another energy source or make the ones we have more efficient".