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ourENVIRONMENT
THE
BUSINESS OF GLOBAL DEWARMING
World leaders and experts came to the table
yet again to discuss global warming and the effects it's
having on the planet. Some came to agree, some to disagree
and some simply to observe. Millions of dollars were spent
to accommodate the summit and people from all walks of life
and business awaited the outcome.
The issue of global warming has once again been dragged
from the back pages to the forefront of media hysteria,
if but for a few moments, fueling an entire industry made
up of people studying, monitoring and attempting to deplete
the amount of CO2 we pump into the atmosphere. Though it
seems indisputable that greenhouse gases are effecting the
ozone, which in turn is heating up the planet, many also
believe we are living in the most energy efficient time
in modern history. Further, some experts believe that consequences
of global warming may have a time lag effect and that the
symptoms we're experiencing now are the results of the heavy
abuses of the industrialized world of the 1960's.
Whether it was abuses of yester-year, or the smog emissions
of the developing world, there seems no doubt that the planet
is warming up. The ten warmest years on record have occurred
since the mid 80's with 8 of them since 1990. Crops continue
to fail, droughts are wide spread and ice caps are melting.
These occurances are obvious . Visable to man, they live
on the front pages of newspapers, but there are far more
subtle things happening that could have far greater impact.
For instance the Ogden Feature, a tongue of ice that sits
in the Greenland Sea, has been melting at an alarming rate.
the obvious implication is a rising of ocean levels, which
ultimately cools the water and effects the ocean/land thermal
transfer. More covertly the melting also depletes the glacier's
"land mass" which has had an iriversable effect on the gulf
stream. It's this gulf stream that keeps northern Europe
warmer throughout the winter than other places at the same
latitude and the result will be a continuing cooling trend
and more rain.
But doesn't this fly in the face of what we're told, that
the earth is heating up? Global Warming Means Business The
idea of global warming is not a new one. As early as the
late 1800's scientists believed that smog created by industry
would damage the atmosphere and would lead to catastrophic
effects. Not a popular way of thinking in the height of
the industrial revolution, the theory was pushed to the
back of the class.
It wasn't until the late 70's, as Margaret Thatcher prepared
to run for the seat of Prime Minister of England that the
issue was even considered realistic. While building her
platform for election, she led the way on environmental
initiatives to reverse the effects air pollution was having
on the atmosphere. New cleaner ways of creating energy had
to be developed and the dependence on coal burning had to
come to an end. With this initiative, Thatcher quickly gain
support and respect throughout the world community and environmentalists
were quick to jump on her wagon. After her victory, funding
for nuclear research was increased and the once powerful
coal unions began to crumble. It was these same coal unions
that had caused the previous government to lose the election
and Thatcher knew all to well of their power. This increased
funding to nuclear technology was also just the thing needed
to keep a "Trident Missile toatin' military" supporting
her reign.
So the hysteria began and an entire industry of researchers
and experts continued to keep their jobs. Other world leaders
observing the success of her rhetoric, were soon shouting
the dangers of global warming from their own platforms.
In the end, it would be these same world leaders who would
lead the way in limiting the amount of CO2 the earth could
produce. Sounds like a good thing, right? Well, with this
demand came a great price to the developing world, as they
found themselves in a situation where they could no longer
compete. If they were to industrialize, how could they maintain
the small carbon quotas they were allowed by the powerful
nations of the world, and as cash strapped nations, they
find themselves selling their "carbon rights" to big countries
like Canada and USl This it is believed by some, is the
covert reasoning behind establishing emission quotas in
the first place; to keep developing nations from developing.
For countries like India or China to have agreed and adhered,
expensive new technologies have to be purchased from the
industrialized world. Canada, as a leader in nuclear energy
obviously has a lot to gain from such an agreement. NUCLEAR
TECHNOLOGY Canada has long been an advocate and developer
of nuclear power. It continues to underwrite the research
and sales of Candu reactors all over the world. To date,
Canadian tax payers have underwritten the Atomic Energy
of Canada Ltd. to the tune of 13 billion plus, and the AECL
is literally giving the things away. As the push to alternative
energies, essentially cheap hydro electricity, gains popularity,
the nuclear industry continues to face an up high battle.
While at first hailed as a bold new initiative in creating
energy, world powers also worry about providing plutonium
to unstable governments.
Plutonium of course is the key ingredient in making nuclear
weapons. With nuclear weapons being dismantled in the US,
if some have their way, the plutonium will be burned in
Canadian reactors. In some circles, this is being touted
as a "great service to mankind." So suddenly, Canada has
a huge supply of plutonium which can feed an ever greater
demand for power as countries are told to stop burning fossil
fuels. How convenient. Mb
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