Thursday 12 March 2009

Heat and Light

The discussion thread under my (lifted) post 'Brrr' below followed a sadly predictable pattern, with the sceptics staying generally cool and polite while the warmists, appropriately, waxed wrathfully warm. The heat generated by any questioning of the 'consensus' on this matter is not (as Spurious Pesudonym, I think, points out) that of beleaguered prophets in the wilderness - the warmists have all the agencies of power on their side and everybody's listening. Their righteous rage is similar in this respect to the militant atheists, who can hardly count themselves an embattled minority struggling in the iron grip of the church militant. And it is similar too in being, at bottom, a matter of faith - quasi-religious, pseudo-religious, sub-religious, meta-religious, whatever, but undoubtedly faith. It used to be that religion and politics were banned from conversation in the mess and at civilised dinner parties, for fear of generating unpleasantness. Perhaps global warming should be added to the list. It certainly tends to spoil the atmosphere of pleasant, amusing conversation that ought to characterise the blogscape - or at least a blog like this. A shame. And by the way there's a world of difference between Anonymous (which is what is says) and Nige (who, though pseudonymous, is a known entity).

7 comments:

  1. Nige, you could add Dawkins, therefore "Heat, Light and Dawkins".
    Oh, and Bill Oddie.

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  2. I tend to tune out of this stuff. So far as I can see, the subject leads to arguments that cannot be resolved - other than by the kind of timespan that makes us look like gnats - and to a feeling of powerlessness since there is precisely nothing any of us can do one way or the other. All we can do is get on and try to lead a decent life, how so defined. No one should have to feel like a heel for doing just.

    I'm with Malty. Maybe we should all carry a Bill Oddie mask and threaten to put it on every time the subject is raised (ditto with the subject of Gordoon Broon). Link: to your very own Bill Oddie facemask kit .

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  3. The militant atheists are worse than the warmenists. At least with the warmenists there's a logic that if you really believe catastrophe is looming, it makes sense to take it seriously. Whereas, say, the agnostic bus is just baffling. What is the goal?

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  4. Possibly looking for succour Brit, something missing in their lives, they tried putting two and two together and came up with 17 volts.
    Mark, your links are priceless, a Bill mask, my life is complete, you couldn't find a Julia Bradbury one could you ?

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  5. Magnificent, Mark - problem solved!

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  6. I know that my tongue-in-cheek skepticism about global warming and my comments about America's former VP Gore (in response to your previous post "Brrr") were unintended catalysts for the over-heated discord on your blog site. I thought my good-natured barb would enliven the debate without enflaming it. To the extent that I was naive and am responsible for any of the unpleasantness, please accept my apology. No offense to anyone was intended (though if I offended Mr. Gore, so be it).

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  7. Heavens RT - no need for apologies - the warmists are not noted for their sense of humour (or irony)...

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