Wednesday 30 December 2009

Shock News: Blogger heeds own advice

It's the winter, so the greenies are of course discussing "climate change", as they have noticed the hollow laughs that now result from use of the term "global warming". "Climate change" is a much more convenient term, as it allows them to blame anything other than a mid-grey, overcast sky on us - including the recent snowfalls.

It was, of course, back in the dim and distant days of "global warming" that the Indescribably Boring reported* that "Snowfalls are now just a thing of the past". To support this, they are able to quote a no less authoritative figure than Dr David Viner, a "senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia", that:

within a few years winter snowfall will become "a very rare and exciting event"
Please don't laugh all at once. In case I need to remind you, here is a recent view that I posted at Patently Photographic:



One swallow does not make a summer, of course, so here is one from February this year:


Rare and exciting, indeed. So rare, and so exciting, that I have been stranded at home in the snow pretty well every winter since I moved to the Chilterns about 6 years ago.

Anyway, my consistent approach has been that if climate change is happening, then it is (a) by no means certain that we are the cause, (b) by no means certain that we can stop it, and (c) by no means certain that even if we could stop it, the cost of doing so (in both monetary and other terms) would be less than the damage inflicted. Therefore, my prescription is that we should do what we have always done in the face of change; cope.

I am, though, coming to the conclusion that the geomorphology of the Chilterns means that snow is both more likely than in other areas, and essentially impossible to cope with when it does come - at least for those of us who insist on using fat-tyred German rear-wheel-drive cars (see above). So, in line with my own advice, I have decided to cope with the regular snow. Here is my means of coping:

She arrives a week tomorrow. Eat your heart out, Greenpeace.

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*many thanks to Albert for the link to the EUReferendum site which refers to the Independent article.

14 comments:

  1. You can get it chipped. That should help you 'defend' yourself.

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  2. I don't live in the Chilterns but I too have noticed that we are getting colder winters. There was a spell when we hardly saw any snow all winter. Now it seems to cause problems all the time - including before Christmas, which I don't remember happening when I was a child.

    I am glad you are taking a responsible attitude to the problem of global cooling: buy a gas-guzzler which emits higher amounts of CO2. That way you can help prevent future cold winters even while dealing with this one.

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  3. Classic Landy! Good for you..! Who needs wind-tunnel design.. ;)

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  4. You are an evil, evil man Patently.
    Prepare to reap the whirlwind.

    I recently bought a Q5 for Mrs Q.
    {for me really}
    Keeps getting stuff chucked at it for being a creation of the devil, despite being only marginaly more toxic than an A4 and much less than a Mondeo or, surprisingly, a 1.6 ford focus.
    The trouble with environ-mentalists is they know bugger all about cars. Probably drive Mini coopers, which have about the same Co2 as your Schnell-Kraftfahrzeug

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  5. "One swallow does not make a summer..."

    No, but it's quite interesting on a first date.

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  6. They're like meccano sets; I have one in dark green. If you don't like the way it's working you just unscrew the bit and screw on a new one. It has provision for all sorts of additions - machine guns... Best of all there is no nonsense about priorities in one of those - they see you coming and they give way.

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  7. I notice that the article in the Independent includes the following line:

    "Heavy snow will return occasionally, says Dr Viner, but when it does we will be unprepared. "We're really going to get caught out. Snow will probably cause chaos in 20 years time," he said."

    Seems that he was right about one thing. I can just here him saying "I told you so!"

    And you must have been very good this year to get such a brilliant Christmas present. Very handsome. Mr Bangle could learn a thing or two about aesthetics by studying it closely.

    :-)

    p.s. Is your one silver in colour?

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  8. Measured - Chips with everything, please!

    Albert - don't forget to thank me if we ever do get the barbeque summer that we were promised.

    BQ - sounds like you need some of HG's optional extras.

    Henry - not sure the Landy will help in that department. I can live in hope, though.

    HG - looks like I am in good company :-) Those after-market options sound "interesting" - do they affect your insurance premium?

    Mr B - I'm very good ;-) I didn't like Bangle's work at first, but it has grown on me as I have begun to understand what he is doing. At the same time, he has begun to moderate his style, making it more accessible. The Landy and the 911 are timeless, though - did anyone spot a connection??

    As for the snow prediction, it is not exactly brave to predict that snow will cause travel chaos in the UK!

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  9. Julia - Not sure, but I suspect I might need wind-tunnel design if I want to go any distance in it!

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  10. I bought a 4x4 a couple of years ago, not because I needed its traction qualities, but because it was the only vehicle which I found comfortable with my back problems. I got quite a lot of stick. Several times abusive printed notices were stuck on the car when I was in supermarket car parks - seems in the eyes of some that we are only a free country if we do what they want. I had the last laugh with the snow! I got out of my, sloping uphill, drive with no problem, the neighbours were stuck. I'd have never managed to move the snow by myself. And someone across the road, with the slope in his favour ended up in the opposite front garden.
    I've always liked the Land Rover, ever since I was a site engineer - I always preferred to grab one of them from the car pool! These days, I suspect the suspension would be too hard, my Honda is a reasonable compromise!

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  11. Good for you, EP (and welcome to the blog!) Vindication is indeed satisfying...

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  12. Several times abusive printed notices were stuck on the car when I was in supermarket car parks

    I think that's appalling - especially given the reason you drive it EP. In any case, for all they know you have a lower "carbon footprint" than they do - we know how uninsulated the Green Party HQ turned out to be.

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  13. Appalling yes, but not surprising. Such people don't care why EP owns one, only that they believe that it would be wrong for them. Therefore, as all must be like them, as as they must be right, it must be wrong for all. Therefore EP is wrong.

    You see the same mentality at work in the New Labourite response to your faith, Albert. It is not a faith that is recorded on their list of approved faiths*, therefore it is wrong and you are wrong, your motives suspect.

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    *i.e. faiths that they hold or which are held by people on their approved list

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  14. as all must be like them, as as they must be right, it must be wrong for all.

    And yet, such people are so often moral relativists (when it suits them). How wonderful to live in a world in which reason has over-thrown religious superstition.

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