...well...

Here's tuppence - my go!

After all of that I think I'm still pretty much at the unconvinced and confused state (both sceptical AND cynical!), but like most people I'm willing to do what I can to reduce energy usage and use cleaner energy when possible. I use energy saving (mercury vapour containing) low energy bulbs where possible, turn things off when I can, don't make unnecessary journeys and use public transport if possible (ie if it's going where I need to go, doesn't take forever and is cheaper and more practical than going by car - sadly not as frequently as I'd like).

I don't do any of this because I believe it will help reduce global warming (as a natural pessimist I think we're screwed on that) I do it for the same reason most others do it - because it saves me money (I don't however feel smug about it - I know that the 55,000 people dying everyday from poverty war and stupidity will die regardless of how much energy I save). I'd love to do a Dick Strawbridge ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_Not_Easy_Being_Green) and build an hyper energy efficient home from recycled or renewable sources and generate my own electricity with a wind turbine and make my own bio-fuel to run my hardly ever used car, but until I win the lottery I don't have the capital required to do it. It's just a shame that more of those that could, won't.

Whilst education and awareness are necessary, alone they won't do an awful lot (and will cause harm if done badly - look at the AIDS tombstone from the 80s).

So, the quickest way to reduce the use of 5% efficient filament bulbs? Tax them to death. Want people to drive hybrid cars? Make them tax free and cheaper than the alternative. Want people to drive less - make fuel more expensive and subsidise public transport. Of course any government that did that would be out of office at the next general election. Sadly feeling guilty enough to change a few bulbs isn't too burdening for us westerners. The real change, the painful change, won't happen so willingly and sadly I find myself agreeing with George Dubya - technology will have to save us Westerners 'cos we're too comfortable and lazy to do it ourselves. Sadly I doubt that George is suggesting we share any such technology with the rest of the world.

And what stories would the media present for us if global warming went away? Wouldn't it be nice if they were about reducing World poverty and child mortality - I don't think they will be though.