Uncommon sense
Former Australian PM, John Howard, writing in The Spectator, applies some (highly uncommon) common sense to the AGW hysteria:
1. First principles tell us never to accept that all of the science is in on any proposition; always remain open to the relevance of new research.
2. Keep a sense of proportion, especially when it comes to generational burden-sharing. Nigel Lawson’s compelling point in his book An Appeal to Reason, that the present generation should not carry too heavy a burden so that future generations are only 8.4 times better off rather than 9.4 times wealthier, should be heeded by all policy makers. Even the IPCC estimates that global GDP per capita will increase 14 fold over this century, and 24 fold in the developing world.
3. Renewable energy sources should always be used when it makes economic sense to do so. The less that governments intervene the more likely it is that this will happen.
4. Nuclear energy must be part of the long term response. It is a clean energy source, has the capacity to provide base load power as an alternative to fossil fuel, and modern nuclear power stations have a sophisticated level of safety.
5. Always bear in mind that technology will continue to surprise us. I doubt that the expression “fracking” was widely known, let alone used five years ago.
Read it all here.
(h/t Tom S)
Australian Climate Madness 
I knew that Howard had some sense. Ever since he departed from politics I knew that he never believed in CAGW. People claim that he was the worst PM ever, but he’s finally proven what I always knew, that he really did have some sense in him.
This final comment from John is from a man who obviously sees the world from a clear insightful perspective:-
“Can I finish on a geo-political note? What some call “the shale revolution” now underway in the United States has the potential to be a game changer in the proper sense of that expression. It is still early days, but if the optimists are right it has the potential to reduce or even eliminate the energy dependency of the United States on Middle East oil. That would have mammoth strategic and foreign policy consequences. Even the prospect of it will dwarf any other energy consideration for the Americans. That applies whether there is a Republican or a Democrat in the White House.”
“The global warming activists are as misguided as they are alarmist” (John Howard) … says it all really.
Come back John … all is forgiven. Sigh, I miss him!
I was amazed at watching how much venom was fire-hosed onto anyone who dared disagree with the AGW religion yesterday in the smh article on teh same topic. I recall the Left going just as ballistic when Thatcher died recently. Seems the Lefties realize their sacred cow is just about to become hamburger mince and are frothing at the mouth to protect it….
I have to say that while I am an anti climate changer…. I am also a anti fracker and know we got to be bloody careful with our artisan water supplies. In the Wollondilly Shire of NSW where I used to live, underground mining caused some real big issues with our local lakes, creeks and river systems.
But back to the main thread.. for me the biggest one was when Howard called it what the IPCC really are all about when he challenged OTTO Wheelbarrow.. the co – chair who said we got to redistribute the worlds wealth… its nothing about climate change.. its all to do with socialistic activism.