CLIMATE CHANGE & "THE WORLD NEEDS FEWER WEASEL WORDS"

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries an Opinion piece by well known historian Gwynne Dyer titled "The world needs fewer weasel words". He is responding to a recent report by scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Mr Dyer believes that one of the biggest obstacles to public acceptance of the seriousness of the situation is the cautious language the scientists always used. This latest report according to Mr. Dyer has franker language and fewer weasel words. The prior cautious language he attributes to a number of factors including pressure put on scientists from the "merchants of doubt". He further elaborates while quoting a PhD. by the name of Luke Kemp: "The reason we are not acting is not because of technology or a lack of public will; it's because of the political economy. It's because of the fossil fuel lobby. It's because of politicians being under the control of industry." Mr. Kemp further states "We need to have civil disobedience, protest and dissent. That's how the best changes of the world have happened previously." .............................................................................................................................................. Gwynne Dyer agrees with Mr. Kemp's analysis. So do I. Our politicians do not "lead". They follow. Cracking down on smoking and the proliferation of prescription opiate pain killers are two examples. As long as the majority of citizens smoked, our politicians had a hands off policy. As public enlightenment grew, then and only then did our politicians suddenly step up and condemn the public health crisis caused by smoking. Maybe the sugar industry is next. Climate change is a front and centre world wide crisis. New coal fired plants to produce electricity are still happening. Yes coal as a source of heat and energy is waning but why in the midst of freak weather, storms, floods, droughts and heat emergencies around the world is it still being used at all? Because our politicians are serving two masters. Those with the money and power and the vast majority without.