The Framers Forum

Was a bit naughty today: snuck the portable telly into the workshop to catch some of the coverage of Live Earth. (Bad cheetah!!)

The two acts I r-e-a-l-l-y wanted to see were the Duranies and Genesis* (seriously showing my age here!). When did my customers decide to descend en masse? .... .... .... Got it in one! (How do they do that?) If I could have got away with it, my "average time per customer" would have been long enough to say: "Not now! Go away!!!!"

I have very powerful memories of Live Aid. I found it a truly inspiring and emotional day, and I was left with a feeling of 'hope.' Considering that the scale of Live Earth in terms of gigs completely dwarfed Live Aid, and given the importance - to the entire planet - of the message it was trying to communicate, it just didn't inspire me at all.

Maybe my encroaching senility's the problem. Maybe it's because I'm a fully paid-up member of the Tree-hugging Hippie Club, but there seemed to be something watered-down about the whole affair; something missing .... A sort of "global Glasto" without the mud? We've got 'boutique' festivals these days: perhaps Live Earth is a kinda "Boutique Uprising"?

Who put out the fire in humanity's belly? (Answers on a postcard....) Armed to the teeth with patchouli joss-sticks, I'm off to spend the night with "Old Pink." I'll see you on the dark side...


Áine

(* Pig sick that I didn't get tickets for the reunion tour... )

get a200 mph motorbike and shoot the effing hippies.

only thing worth hugging a tree was marc bolans mini, and he was a nancy boy

b*llocks to the planet, it'll be here for millions of years after us, anyone who thinks we can make a difference must be too arrogant to have a real life

sell my bike? i'd rather push wasps up my a*se.

.... or have i lost the plot of modern politics

Thought you'd appreciate this kev

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/al ... g_globe_to

kev@frames wrote:… shoot the effing hippies.

(Note to self: buy Kevlar catsuit asap!)

kev@frames wrote:b*llocks to the planet, it'll be here for millions of years after us...

Tree-hugging Hippie I may be (I like trees!): propaganda-swallowing brain donor I am not. I agree with you wholeheartedly, Kev, that it is unlikely in the extreme that carbon dioxide emissions resulting from human activities are putting the planet under threat! My understanding is that current global temperatures are similar to those of mediaeval times, that it actually dropped for a period in the mid-twentieth century, and that more significant planetary cooling was the likely cause of such relatively recent events as the Irish Potato Famine.

Paleoclimatological research appears to support the theory that global warming – and subsequent cooling – is cyclical, and is ultimately affected in the main by Earth’s relative proximity to the Sun. The most significant of the greenhouse gases is plain ol’ water vapour. What’s Al Gore going to do? Stand ‘Canute-like’ on the shores of the Pacific and command water molecules not to evaporate into the atmosphere? Pl-eeease! Given that I can’t see into the future, FWIW my money would be on the empirical – and inifinitely more extensive - evidence from ice, rocks and trees than any amount of politically motivated, media-driven, hysterical fear-mongering.

IMHO there is one very 'inconvenient truth' that should be concerning us more: we’re going to exhaust the world’s fossil fuel reserves, and that’s going to have relatively imminent politico-economic effects for humanity. (Hopefully you’ll have a bio-fuelled bike by then, Kev. I’m still trying to decide who I’d feel sorrier for: you, or the wasps?)

The planet can and will look after itself, thank you very much, and realistically there is sweet FA we can do to prevent climate changes. However, we do have the choice to adapt or die. Hopefully the Live Earth event will inspire people to learn more about global climatology for themselves, and start developing strategies for adaptation to changes. And you never know, it might help some of them to finally twig what crocks of how’s-yer-father we are being fed by the politicians and media moguls. I can dream …

kev@frames wrote:… anyone who thinks we can make a difference …

For right or wrong, I do believe that - as a species - we can have a deleterious effect on the environment (e.g. destruction of natural habitats of other creatures, hunting species to the brink of extinction, river pollution, smog); I hope I’m not an arrogant person (I don’t consider arrogance a desirable personality trait) but I also believe that - in certain areas - we as individuals can make a positive environmental difference, too. I’m completely in favour of moves to improve how we interact with our environment that come from an informed, balanced perspective, and not from one driven by out-of-control, sensationalist hype.

A case where I think the individual can make a difference is recycling: the planet has finite raw material resources, and IMO it makes sense to use them wisely, and there’s less mess to clear up after us. Direct benefits! Win situation! (I dislike wasting things in general.). I think it makes perfect sense to turn off appliances I’m not using and to buy energy-efficient products: it saves me money! I also believe in seeking out and using alternative, renewable sources of energy (e.g. solar panels for heating water), particularly in view of rising fuel prices. I love my home heating system the way you love your bike, Kev (I remember only too well the days when central heating wasn’t commonplace – brrrrrr!), and these replacement technologies may help to keep me in the manner to which I have become accustomed when fossil fuel prices become prohibitive for mere mortals such as myself.

I’ve been musing today on why I perceived Live Aid and Live Earth differently, and I think it was the political dishonesty underlying the Live Earth event that engendered my feelings of disappointment. IMVHO, and at perhaps a rather naïve level, I think that our glorious political leaders strive to keep us in a more or less permanent state of fear to distract the masses from thinking for themselves, and to perpetuate their own existence. Back to the Nanny State again! That said, some consider that fear is a great motivator. Maybe the event will inspire more people to become more conversant with how climatic change will affect our lives in the longer term and inspire us to meet those challenges creatively and with honour. And maybe to demand better from their political representatives in the process???? I wish.

BTW, Kev. I’ve got a start-up framing business. Of course I don’t have a real life!!!! (Tongue planted firmly in cheek).

What next? Sex or Religion?

WOW!

An intelligent tree hugging hippie. Who'da thought, Kev?

You are right Áine, this is an area where we have to think for ourselves and try not to be swayed by sensationalist media stories. Unfortunately, environmental issues have become such a gravy-train for the scientific community that it is hard to know where to turn for unbiased information.

If the threat is real or not who is to say, its a good excuse to have a party!

I think the next one should be Whale Aid to help the declining whale stocks or Hoodie Aid to help the young back into work. Although I don't think Japan will be joining in on the Whale one!

John wrote:this is an area where we have to think for ourselves ... it is hard to know where to turn for unbiased information.

A very valid point, John. Is it possible for any journalist/filmmaker to be completely objective?

For anyone that might like to gen up on the Peak Oil debate, here are a couple of "kick-off" links that may be of interest:

The site EnergyBulletin.Net has a fairly balanced introduction to the issues in their Peak Oil Primer. The site also has links to a wide variety of news articles presenting a variety of viewpoints.

If a video presentation is more to your taste, check out the documentary film "Crude Impact" (available on YouTube spilt into 9 video segments. The link www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDlHcJtN2h0 will take you to Part 1.) The film leans, IMO, to the "gloom & doom" position somewhat, but I found it informative nonetheless.

I've just posted these links for information only. Not looking to start a debate on the subject - plenty of other sites are already making a fine job of that!

Toodle pip!


Edited to add: Not crusading either!

kev@frames wrote: b*llocks to the planet, it'll be here for millions of years after us,

No it won't!

In about half a million years the Sun will run out of available hydrogen - so will the Mirror (sorry!) and turn from a 'yellow dwarf' into a 'Red Giant' and nuke us.

But before that several 'Super Volcanoes' such as Yellowstone will go off - not 'MIGHT' but 'WILL' and the moon will get so far away that its gravitational pull will diminish - more too.

Everything is spinning, centrifugal forces cannot be overcome and the odds of smacking into something nasty and giving it a premature 'goodnight' anyway maybe higher than those of winning the lottery, but they are there.

We're hurtling through space at speeds that can't be comprehended - and no-one's driving!

Roboframer wrote: We're hurtling through space at speeds that can't be comprehended - and no-one's driving!

That's one point of view, but there are many who believe that someone is driving!

osgood wrote: That's one point of view, but there are many who believe that someone is driving!

I hope he/she is wearing their seat belt... we have laws about that!

Roboframer wrote:We're hurtling through space at speeds that can't be comprehended - and no-one's driving!

osgood wrote:That's one point of view, but there are many who believe that someone is driving!

Perhaps the driver's asleep?

Roboframer wrote: No it won't!

In about half a million years the Sun will run out of available hydrogen - so will the Mirror (sorry!) and turn from a 'yellow dwarf' into a 'Red Giant' and nuke us.

But before that several 'Super Volcanoes' such as Yellowstone will go off - not 'MIGHT' but 'WILL' and the moon will get so far away that its gravitational pull will diminish - more too.

Everything is spinning, centrifugal forces cannot be overcome and the odds of smacking into something nasty and giving it a premature 'goodnight' anyway maybe higher than those of winning the lottery, but they are there.

We're hurtling through space at speeds that can't be comprehended - and no-one's driving!

well, all right then Robo, you little ray of sunshine. But it still shows that whatever w edo wont make much of a difference in the great scheme of things

and I think it was the political dishonesty underlying the Live Earth event that engendered my feelings of disappointment. Absolutely. My feelings about it were more than disappointment, more like disgust. We are on the same side, just see it differently moglet.

One man's opinion on Al Gore.

(Nice change for this type of vid: includes links to all the material he used).

A little bit of political honesty, perhaps?