Are Governments lying about Anthropogenic Global Warming?

originally posted by: eluryh22
a reply to: monkeyluv

Governments downplay climate change? Many/most of them say it is the single biggest threat to our existence.

And yet they don't want to lower emissions, only the rate of increase in emissions. That's because they essentially work for businesses which, as part of a global capitalist system involving competition, need to consume more resources to increase sales. At the same time, consumers (who are also employees in these businesses) want to use income and returns on investment to buy all sorts of goods and services as part of needs and middle class conveniences. All of those can only be achieved through the use of oil, as other energy sources have low returns or quantity.

Thus, it's considered a major threat, and after that nothing more is done.

originally posted by: monkeyluv

originally posted by: eluryh22
a reply to: monkeyluv

Governments downplay climate change? Many/most of them say it is the single biggest threat to our existence.

And yet they don't want to lower emissions, only the rate of increase in emissions. That's because they essentially work for businesses which, as part of a global capitalist system involving competition, need to consume more resources to increase sales. At the same time, consumers (who are also employees in these businesses) want to use income and returns on investment to buy all sorts of goods and services as part of needs and middle class conveniences. All of those can only be achieved through the use of oil, as other energy sources have low returns or quantity.

Thus, it's considered a major threat, and after that nothing more is done.

I actually had to re-read your first post and then your second think) understand where you are coming from.

Am I right in thinking that you are saying "they" are trying to scare people JUST ENOUGH to get us to fork over more money via "carbon tax" type stuff but NOT ENOUGH to get people to change their spending habbits?

I'm not saying I agree with you or disagree with you. I'm just trying to understand your point.

originally posted by: eluryh22

I actually had to re-read your first post and then your second think) understand where you are coming from.

Am I right in thinking that you are saying "they" are trying to scare people JUST ENOUGH to get us to fork over more money via "carbon tax" type stuff but NOT ENOUGH to get people to change their spending habbits?

I'm not saying I agree with you or disagree with you. I'm just trying to understand your point.

They want to show citizens that they are concerned but do not want to alarm them, as this would lead to lower sales of goods and services, and hence lower tax revenues, etc. Meanwhile, reports that government offices and even businesses write for their stakeholders or clients reveal otherwise.

We have to remember that governments want continuous economic growth, together with military forces, businesses, and consumers. Thus, the mainstream approach towards not just AGW but even peak oil, increasing debt, environmental damage, etc., is that there is a problem, but it's either something minor or that we can solve easily. Solutions, then, consist of fantasies about renewable energy and "game changer" technologies and feel-good actions such as using energy-efficient light bulbs or passing along optimistic messages during Earth Day.

Whatever happens, everything has to be "business as usual."