Monthly Archives: April 2013

Nick Reeves says we’re all ‘Fracking Mad’

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Rick Altman

The Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stone! I know this has been said many times. Most recently it has been said by one of my favourite environmental commentators/campaigners, Executive Director of CIWEM (the Chartered Institution … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Science, Cognitive Dissonance, Denial, Economics, Energy Crisis, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Hydraulic Fracturing, Intergenerational Injustice, Politics, Populism, Renewable Energy | Tagged | 27 Comments

The population consumption environment nexus

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Rick Altman

Today’s post is that which was intended for last Monday. However, thanks to the happy coincidence of incoming information, Monday’s post was taken up with summarising an 11-year old presentation by Dr Albert A. Bartlett, entitled ‘Arithmetic, Population and Energy’, … Continue reading →

Posted in Betrayal of Science and Reason, Climate Science, Consumerism, Economics, Environment, Intergenerational Injustice, Limits to Growth, Optimum Population, Politics, Sustainable development | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Arithmetic, Population and Energy

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Rick Altman

Today is Earth Day 2013, apparently. This would be a good day for everyone on Earth to accept that, given the incontrovertible operational reality of the exponential function in Nature, technological optimism is not a good idea. I am grateful … Continue reading →

Posted in Cognitive Dissonance, Consumerism, Denial, Economics, Energy Crisis, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Growthmania, Politics | Tagged , | 24 Comments

I’m sorry but – this will happen

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Rick Altman

Just over seven months ago, I posted an item about the near-term probability of a catastrophic eruption of the Katla volcano on Iceland. Today, sadly, I think I have discovered that this might not be the worst natural disaster in … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Disorder, Cognitive Dissonance, Denial, Environment | Tagged , , , , , | 63 Comments

Five star review for my book

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Rick Altman

My book gets a 5-star rating in this review by former Science and Technology Counsellor at the British Embassy in Beijing, Professor Robin S Porter: This book is essential reading for anyone concerned about climate change and our need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Science, Denial, Psychology, Scepticism | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Ruin is the destiny to which all men rush

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Rick Altman

As the Bishop of London said at the funeral service for the late Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven today, this is neither the time nor the place to argue about her legacy. Comments on this post are therefore disabled (until tomorrow … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Science, Energy Crisis, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Intergenerational Injustice, Mass Extinctions, Renewable Energy | Tagged , | 26 Comments

Past performance is not a predictor of future results

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Rick Altman

As it says on my About page, “The driver of an accelerating car about to hit a brick wall might well say ‘so far so good’ – but that does not mean that the wall is not there!” — John … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Science, Cognitive Dissonance, Confirmation Bias, Denial, Environment, Insanity, Junk Science, Politics, Pseudo science, Psychology | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Can technology save us?

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Rick Altman

I happened to stumble across a BBC TV Horizon special, entitled ‘Tomorrow’s World’ last Thursday. It begins with a fascinating review of humankind’s history of – and propensity for – invention. It also explains some truly fascinating – and inspiring … Continue reading →

Posted in Carbon Capture and Storage, Climate Science, Consumerism, Economics, Energy Crisis, Environment, Financial Crisis, Growthmania, Hydraulic Fracturing, Intergenerational Injustice, Mass Extinctions, Modernity, Politics, Renewable Energy | Tagged , , , , , , | 33 Comments

More freezes will melt climate change doubts

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Rick Altman

So said Lord (Julian) Hunt, Vice President of GLOBE and a former Director General of the UK’s Meteorological Office, in an article published in The Times newspaper on 2 April 2013 (behind paywall). Fortunately (for me and all those without … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropocene, Climate Science, Environment, Intergenerational Injustice, Mass Extinctions, Scepticism | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

My book compared to Merchants of Doubt

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Rick Altman

In the Preface to my book, The Denial of Science: Analysing climate change scepticism in the UK, I make clear that it was reading Merchants of Doubt, by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, that prompted me to do the research … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Science, Cognitive Dissonance, Confirmation Bias, Economics, Environment, Merchants of Doubt, Politics, Richard Lindzen | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments