STANDARD INFLATION

That's the problem with standards.

Allow more than one, and you often end up with none.

And nothing, but nothing, undercuts the value of good work than having a compromised messenger for critical messages, especially one as grotesque as this:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100066317/cancun-suffers-its-final-indignity-a-visit-from-two-jags-prescott/

It's as story from, it's fair to say, a sceptical site, but the ongoing indulgence of representatives such as John Prescott, in his joke role, simply perpetuates the own goals the hypocritical involvement in the name of green this involves.

The issue.. as some would have it?

Just heard on the BBC as the talking head reads out what he's told to ask Prof. Sir David King: 'the issue is that a large number of people are saying there is nothing to be concerned about'.

Is this true?

Or is this how the government and its media shills would wish to see 'the debate' framed?

Anyone who thinks there are no issues of concern regarding PMWNCC is a) not being too rational and b) in a very small minority. Hence why play that up?

My concern, and I suspect that of others, is that 'climate' gets used as an excuse by already mediocre minds to try and compensate for fiscal failures elsewhere that will have zero or, worse, negative enviROI impacts on my kids' futures.

I smell straw men, and the media using them to frame...more like steer the issues stinks.

At least the talking head raised the contradictory point of Ed. Miliband shrieking about reductions whilst the government he is part of is advocating a 3-fold increase in air travel.

Addendum:

My first foray into how the print media complement the narrative:

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/we-wont-let-sceptics-hijack-climate-talks-1836029.html

Good to have standards. Not to have them as doubles

But this is an MSM that seems to see the US EPA and its timely actions as somehow unconnected with media management in a new era of command and control by big government.

And is one that also doesn't 'do' irony.

At least, watching today's broadcast news as I now catch up on the print.

Dancing to the tune of PROs of your mates and issuing news by press release does the BBC (or any medium) little credit. Especially when it is contradictory.

You either think greenhouse gasses are a here and now issue, or you don't.

Stick Ed Miliband and Richard Branson up together on this and I think most environmental correspondents' brains would freeze as anything either comes out with gets shared with zero critical thinking attached by our star-truck, government-slavish media.

QUOTE OF THE DAY - 'World Leaders' Say The Funniest Things

“‘The fact that I flew here to sit on a panel for one and a half hours, then I´m flying straight back to the US, is an example of our commitment to environmental sustainability,’ boasts Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, blissfully unaware of the irony of her statement.”

Taking Care Of Business

I have been quiet...er, here, of late.

Lots of reasons.

The main one is the sheer volume of information one can get, and needs to process, can overtake the ability to actually DO anything.

But I have also been subdued by 'events'.

The sheer incompetence of our political classes still astounds even as it exceeds one's worse expectations and fears. Matched only by the superficiality at best, equal incompetence and complicity at worst, of most major media... which frankly depresses.

And then, there are the rest. From activists to big business, as typified by that quote above.

Yes, I am keen to learn all I can and DO more to make the world a better place for my kids.

But the sheer, rank, hypocrisy of those who have set themselves up, and above 'us' is proving very hard to stomach... much less try and work around (as 'with' seems only to occur to them if there is money to be made, careers to enhance or a target to be met).

I love the resource that is twitter (and upon which this will appear in the net 24 hrs), but even with only a few hundred folllowees I can no longer do justice to following and re-tweeting (on sharing) what they post.

Hence a pause is called for.

Equally here, though I see more value to the 'causes' of Junkk.com, RE:tie and, by extension 'proactive, pragmatic, enviROI+ green advocacy' to popping out the odd post to maintain a presence. Probably more around my thoughts than on specific topics, as I simply do not have the time, or support, to do each one the justice it requires.

To get to that happy stage I need to earn some money. First up to feed the family. But then, if it flows as I hope it will again, to enable me to invest in what I need to make Junkk.com, and all that surround it, all I have always hoped it can be.

IRONY ALERT - Warning... nothing to do with 'green'

One man's exclusive interview is another's ratings score

Col. Gaddafi, eh?

Imagine if they had invited him on Question Time.

Red carpet, I'd guess.

Not like he did, or advocated anything 'serious'.

Funny old world.

At least he was elec... er...

IN THEIR OWN WORDS - John Prescott, MP (Lab)...

..eco champion.

Councils should be forced to set aside land for wind farms says John Prescott

There's a lot in there to ponder deeply, especially bearing in mind how ecologically beneficial the aftermath of enforced traveler hospitality usually is.

Doesn't he have an entourage he needs to fly to Barbados for winter?

Whatever the merits of wind power (and there are many), them being advocated by such a person and his notions of state force seems hardly encouraging.

I do mean to get back to the real, doing world soon, but...

David Miliband sets out to shock on global warming tour

When I saw the picture, I thought he was going to come up on delegates and go 'Boo!'

But no.

David Miliband will address EU, French, Swedish and Danish foreign ministries, to date unaware of the spectre of a 4C warmer world, with alligators basking off the coast of Sweden, a vast desert surrounding the Mediterranean and a largely uninhabitable mainland Europe.

That should have them reeling in the isles.

Maybe they will, as they are foreign ministries and this is from the climate side of things, and not all have brothers who know such things.

If not... He then travels to New York.

Bless.

I am sure they will all give Miliband. D a Gold Star for his latest effort. What is itabout the man that everything comes across as an 11+ project?

Addendum 1:

Meanwhile, at another token effort near you, our pols show just how much they have grasped not just the issues, but the public mood:

Brown turns down heat and Mandelson gets on his bike to support 10:10

When the readership of the Guardian is pretty much unanimous in their distain, you have to wonder whether they could tie their shoelaces without falling over.

Read the pledges, and what folk think of them.

Addendum 2:

Just heard the Director General of the Government's climate change task force (a title like that's got to be £150kpa minimum) taken apart by Eammon Homes (not an interviewer of great surgical skill you'd have thought) over some pretty daft claims. And it certainly didn't help his case when he tried to mollify those he seems to have told 'must' cut 90% of their emissions to keep their air industry going, by then saying he and his brood were off several times a year and might knock a couple of their international flights out in future to chip in.

I can see how that might have gone down with both the staycation brigade and those who could only afford a wet weekender in Tenby.

And talk about shifty. You could almost see him trying to scoot off stage left to get to the warm embrace of a BBC studio asap.

Addendum 3:

Live Q&A: David Miliband on the Copenhagen summit

Yes, that is the picture I would have chosen, too. A leader to follow to the ends of the earth, indeed.

Addendum 4:

BBC Newsnight - A stark message from the Milibands on climate change - 'a double act with a certain air of the hastily convened about it' - This from the BBC. They really are throwing the A team at this.

How the heck are we going to inspire coherent action from the majority of the population, when those few 'leaders' we have who do seem to have some inkling that this might be worth addressing (one hopes with the right reasons in mind) are either numpties, crooked, rampant hypocrites or (worst in my book) plainly incapable of a) understanding science (they all seem to have got z's in Politics at Oxford and seem to take verbatim whatever lobbysist - pro or anti climate-cause - who walks in their door as gospel) or b) identifying with the hopes, fears, aspirations and willingness to help of the vast majority of real folk just a tad fed up with being patronised, fined or cheated by a totally out of touch elite.

Times - NEW - Climate change talks ‘in danger’, warns David Miliband - And I quote: Mr Miliband refused to say how much the British Government was willing to contribute to the $100 billion (£61 billion) that Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, said in June should be paid each year by developed countries to poorer nations to help them to cope with climate change.

It's in the Gaurdian so it must be true

Hard to figure the best category, so I'll give it its own post.

BBC accused of wasting £406,000 of public money a year on bottled water

'The broadcaster said it was assessing the "health issues" of switching from bottled to mains-fed water.'

The comments are also... choice. 'How dare you critique Aunty. This is like the Daily Mail....!' Interesting rationale.

Tries hard to keep straight face....

Return fair?

Newsnight's 'Ethical Man' has enjoyed a high profile journey of late.

And I have followed, not always approvingly.

Now his latest has come to an end: Looking back over an action-packed odyssey

Sadly, I feel we are again in an area of the best messengers for the message, as this frank if perhaps not wise introductory justification from his plane seat* would suggest :

'... to be honest, I have had enough... I know it's a cop out'. Ain't flying great (well, in most ways) when others pay (especially if it's for the family, too... ask the DG). There's also the small matter of *'Doing this 6500 mile trip around America without flying' So, basically, it has all just been a bit of show for a show that has green more as a theme. Hmn. Inspiring. But I have enjoyed the bits without the agenda bolted on, especially anything that reduces practically, improves efficiencies and minimises waste. These, and those who create them, are who I hold out real hope for.

His last series ended after a year with him dropping most things mainly because, as far as I could judge, on a personal basis he didn't find it much fun and, fortunately for him, professionally there was no need to keep on doing it as the cameras were now off.

Not sure things will work out too well if the rest of the population being treated to programmes of this nature adopt the same attitude.

Well, he did ask.

Ethical Man on twitter:

What's up? Disappointing response on blog http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/... not interested in the future of the world?
about 20 hours ago from web

Leads to:

Has Obama lost his bottle on climate?

I fear that the replies so far might not be quite what was wished for by the author. On any measure. So far, not even ten, in reply to a challenge made by a national broadcaster who has spent and is spending a lot (both money and carbon) to push matters in ways that I frankly don't think the majority of the public are either interested in an or buying. That... is poor enviROI at best... wasteful, elitist vanity programming at worst. Here's my reply:

Prompted by the 'disappointing response' (quantity? quality? Or level of support?) challenge in twitter, I can assure you I care very much about the future of my kids on this planet.

However, I do have some concerns about how well it is being served by those who have either appointed themselves or are in privileged positions to help share information in such a way so free thinking folk can make their minds up in an objective atmosphere. And hence, while the message can often have value, I tend to view the messengers, from individual to corporate, quite critically. Especially when 'they' claim to speak for 'me and mine'.

So, taking that last line of the piece, speaking of using less energy....

I fear I had to crank my eyebrow quite early at the notion of using a helicopter for a few seconds' shot 'to picture the scale' of the gently turning wind farm blades.

Like the Hummer-driving-engineer, it seems that many industries - even green-supportive media - can't seem to 'do their jobs' without breezily excusing away certain compromises that are not often accorded lesser mortals struggling to make a crust. This can create a sense of them vs. us situation, often erring on 'do as we say, not as we still like doing because we're creating 'awareness' between which an empathetic bridge is hard to forge.

I was also a bit intrigued about the priorities that can come across, which seemed to me to be;

1) Making money
2) Reduction in GHGs (not clear if that is to 'target' and hence often subsidy-supported, which often is not quite the same as doing right by the planet) and....
3) Production of enviROI+ energy

I would have thought that, beyond reducing at any viable, reasonable, practical point, the generation of energy in a form that produces the lowest 'harmful' by-products should be the main aim, and any advocacy challenged to prove they are so.

And while gimmicks can have a place, especially to help entertain to encourage education and hence information, they can distract. Hence I'd still like a lot more science, and if issues are not clear-cut, well debated by professional scientists and engineers, and not a gaggle of usual suspect interest groups that may make for good TV or meet agendas, but hardly help me arrive at a view on worthy initiatives to support.

For instance there was one point mentioned that I would have liked delved into a lot more. And that was the fact that this vast wind farm was actually located near a town of just 10,000 folk. Now, maybe that's because it's where the wind is. But how does it stack up against, say solar, on a cradle to grave basis (with subsidies stripped away to get a true cost/benefit comparison. It looked pretty darn sunny there. And, just as I subscribe to the notion of wearing a jummie to crank the thermostat down here in winter, I'd probably suggest a suit and tie might lead to the a/c getting cranked up more than it need be where the sun do shine).

And this in turn leads to further questions on massive generation vs. microgeneration, as surely remote locations at distance from consumption do mean compromises to efficiency of delivery.

These are key points that often get glossed over when the discussion seems mainly to be dominated by interest groups, pols and those involved with money on the line. Even academics can be tainted by dubious associations and hence motivations. Hence contentious areas really require more than a couple a views, preferably around the same table, and moderated by chairperson(s) qualified to keep hyperbole in check and call questionable claims to account.

Not something I see or here very often throughout the MSM, and oddly so considering the criticality of the topic and passions that can be aroused in debate.

Hence the decisions made, not made and bottling of by our currently less than stellar political classes become very hard to call.

ps: Did T Boone's people strap you/Justin to the chair for that interview? You/He looks terrified. Can't think why, Mr. Pickens seems a guy well worth listening to?

What's in a name?

Miliband seeks private plane hire

No, sillies, he's the other one. Who now doesn't 'do' the green bits his brother tells us we need to.

So it's all OK.

Actually, I accept fair and reasonable commitment of resources if they are necessary and produce results. So shunting at least one of these ineffective numpties around in the style to which they have become accustomed might be a good deal, but for the fact it just seems to get them places to screw up and make the UK look bad a lot quicker.

NoW - Plane stupid - Not perhaps my favourite paper, but the one with the highest UK readership by a major margin.

Indy - NEW - Private jet for David Miliband defended - speaking of relative circulations

I tend to avoid politics here, but really...

A greener world from the ground up

... from the mouths of knaves.

Seems what I wrote was deemed 'immoderate':

I await, with morbid anticipation, the inevitable fawning round of 'interviews' on various complicit, content -strapped or strong-armed national TV sofas to get this tripe shared live.

From the replies here so far, it might be better to go broadcast only in future, as further unanimous accolades of world-class hypocrite might make uncomfortable reviewing otherwise for even the thickest... er.. skin.

I think it might be best to belt up, retire as disgracefully as possible, as soon as possible, and curl up with a good lackey or protege, who can throw the odd shredded blog of ethical credibility on the fire to keep the public profile flickering.

Mind you, though there are, Yoda-like, 'others', so many others, who else can the Grauniad trot out to keep the hit rate up?

To boldly go where others can only dream of going. And say they can't.

Another 'message vs. messenger' rant.

And again courtesy of our national broadcaster. This time with a near irony-free series between the national and local news.

Still not quite even 'on message' by still using global warming as the rallying cry, I was treated to a positive throng of folk in Antarctica 'seeing for themselves' by 'studying' for oh, all of a day a truly stunning icy wilderness. There may well have been a serious point in there, as it was environment ministers and media 'reporters' in a huddle with some scientists, but to me the imagery was all wrong. Hundreds of folk in orange jump suits being taxied in and out on dirty great C-130s just didn't look right. Or convince me they really cared. Better, IMHO, to have not reported it at all, at least in such a fashion. And, with luck, let any serious science work its way into the collective political consciousness such that sensible, coordinated policy is developed, which can then be brought to the public objectively in concert with a well-informed, supportive but still challenging media.

As opposed to Midlands Today. Some bloke and his mates working for an energy company have done something to 'help' with making the company look a bit greener... I think. Anyway, lots of pictures of them in their office where the film crew has been dispatched. And their reward? Yup, you guessed it. They are being 'sent', somehow, to 'study the effects of global warming in the Antarctic'. It's a wonder there is room there for any scientists, what with all the competition winners and media types up there helping making us aware of how they are there and we are not.

Ch 4 email (no link) - AND FROM MORE4 NEWS WITH KEME NZEREM - You've seen those pictures of massive sheets of ice calving off the Antarctica land mass. Scary, isn't it? But what does that really tell us about the effects of man-made global warming? There's always ice falling off one bit of Antarctica and forming in another, but scientists are still trying to work out just how bad things are.

The environment minister, Hilary Benn, is on his way back from a fact-finding trip with some of his European counterparts, while the veteran environmentalist and polar explorer Robert Swan is on his way there this evening and he's told us that there's been too much climate alarmism about Antarctica in recent reports.

Observer - NEW - Antarctic cruise tourists lose out as soaring numbers alarm scientists

Oh, Aunty, you are awful...

BBC fails on green promises

She who lives by the finger-wag...

Oh, the grand old Duke of York...

And when it was up it was up, and when it was down it was down...

Oceans are 'soaking up less CO2'

'Coral lab' offers acidity insight

There seems to be one constant, and that's the ability of environmental reporters to fly nice places and lounge around posting whatever latest wheeze is in the wind.

Not sure it's doing much for my understanding of climate, or my desire to cut back whilst they carry on their vital works.

Choose your cause carefully...

Comic Relief climbers return home

'...after arriving at RAF Northolt in an executive jet.'

At what cost... to planet... and the reduced coffers those they were 'saving'?

Not something the BBC seems to have concerned itself with mu... er... at all.

Hell indeed.

Addendum:

Same posting: 'More bad news' on climate change - yes folks, there next batch of D-listers are revving up their agents to see how to look like they care whilst getting acres of free publicity 'in a good cause' whilst bonding in exotic locations.

OK, so it's not been a good Tuesday so far...

I need to vent.

Environmental doublespeak

Only double? Then multiply by the number of languages.

But you can bet that one thing that won't be empty is a few coffers.

Think of the jobs! Think of the subsidies! Think of the lobbyist fees! Think of the conferences!

We are in an era when DOING has now been totally overtaken by looking like you are doing or, worse, talking about looking like you are doing. And, worse still, doing the exact reverse of what you tell others to do.

And, sadly, all the money seems to have been directed that way too to keep the circus rolling.

I'd love to know how many are in, and paid to be in productive climate-related industries, and how many and how much is creamed off to the parasites, who seem awfully good at telling folk what to do, but not so great at setting examples.

Until that is resolved, you won't get much public support behind anything, even sensible stuff, but as resolving such an entrenched, complex, corrupt system is nigh on impossible now, I fear this is just one waste that will keep on draining us, and the planet we live on, dry.

FT - Eco-groups fear an opportunity lost - Not just the EU, and not really as some reports would suggest: 'For instance, Barack Obama, the US president, wants $27bn (€21bn, £19bn) to be spent on new roads, which will raise traffic emissions.'

FT - EU split on carbon capture intensifies - Then again...

You couldn't make it up...REdux

Well, at least one campaigner didn't have to cancel his trip to the protest because of snow.

Gordon Brown: A high-carbon official

Sadly, him having made the trip, it seems his host has. Nasty commute from the Oval Office to the rest of The White House when it's chilly.

Not exactly joined up government, is it?

Irony Alert - A picture is worth a 1,000 words

Peter in Greenland

A silent prayer from the media scrum covered the religious group paying for climate action.

Check the picture captioned 'At the end of the trip, Peter flies home...'

I can't believe it wasn't staged. Very subtle if so. Or maybe he just got on the, er, plane first or off last.

Plain foot in it?

Top anti-aviation activist secretly FLIES to airport protest in New York

A bit like the bowl of petunias in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, when this protest first broke, I thought: 'Oh no, here we go again'.

Frankly I think they achieve little more than giving the media a reason to get excited, those not involved breath a sigh of relief to have dodged a bullet, and those who very much are involved to err on being a tad miffed.

I was a little concerned when I heard this latest wheeze explained away by a senior activist (do they have 'ranks' like the military?) on the basis that they'd done a petition, had another protest and so it had become necessary to 'escalate'. Hmn. I wonder if there are any salaries, or at least donation-uses, that require a rather shorter timescale than in the past to satisfy the internal demands more than anything else?

So we come back to my eternal point about the right messengers for the message.

Not sure this has advanced the cause, really. A bit like causing vast disruption to a finely tuned system, which doubtless mainly resulted in many more emissions.

Hope she got some nice gifts in NY. It would have been a shame if the flight had been cancelled for such a critical trip.

Guardian - NEW - Lily savaged - The mouths of babes? A new media darling emerges. I just worry a tad about the allusions to taking things further if 'they' don't get 'their' way.

BBC - NEW - A distant climate - for a buffet of irony

From a blog (unconfirmed), to the news that the group is financed by the Lush founder: 'Yet, there is a Lush store at terminal 3, heathrow'.

Lights, camera, celebs.. hypocrisy!

The film festival that wants to save the planet

I feel more 'aware' even as I write...

There were moments where I felt that maybe a little introspection was having a salutary effect, but my irony alert meter eventually did break its needle.

But for poetry in prose, this cannot be equalled...

Here we are, 150 film-makers and journalists from all over the world, congregated in a luxurious hotel, fed succulent fruits with impossibly beautiful names – the cupuacu, caju, abacaxi, the pupunha and the jambo – and connected to intravenous drips of caipirinha, looking across the inky-black waters of the aptly named Rio Negro, the river that will take us into the Amazon. Here we are, ostensibly, to discuss the end of the world.

Of course, to some '"The best way to convince people today is through film, through the image".

To others, perhaps, a better way is by example.