Thursday 1 February 2007

Guidelines for warmists

Michael Duffy looks at global warming, and he sees religion.
In my lifetime I've experienced two religious movements, Christianity and Marxism. Now there's a third, the belief our civilisation is doomed unless we take urgent and significant action to reduce our output of carbon dioxide. The three share several core characteristics.
(Read on to find out what they are.) So he thinks it's religious, but he's pretty sure the prophets need some work.

But if the carbon crusade is to succeed as a religion it needs to purge the insincerity that characterises many of its prophets. I find I'm often chastised for not taking global warming seriously enough by people who in their own lives produce far more carbon dioxide than I do. This raises questions about their sincerity and brings the cause into disrepute.

You can't be a good priest if you lie with prostitutes, and you can't be a good Marxist if you exploit workers. And you shouldn't be taken seriously as a global warming prophet unless your actions reflect your words.

If you're a prophet too, or even just a minor warmist, then read on for some guidelines if you want to be taken seriously.

LINKS: Righteous carbon crusaders let down by V8 under the cape - Michael Duffy, Sydney Morning Herald

RELATED:
Global Warming, Science, Politics-World

9 comments:

Berend de Boer said...

I see some links as well, but I think a religion would at least need a deity, wouldn't it?

And on the supposed core characteristics: as a Christian I reject that I ignore or downplay facts or events that don't support their proposition. Christians in general have always listen very carefully to their opponents. You cannot make a convincing argument unless you take your opponent seriously.

I also reject that Christians have a moral framework in order that we can identify goodies and baddies. The Bible is quite clear that this is not always possible (Matthew 13:24-30). We do not need to identify the goodies and the baddies, and we cannot do that. Of course, sometimes it is pretty clear, but often it isn't. Christians believe that God will make this distinction. After this life.

Peter Cresswell said...

"I see some links as well, but I think a religion would at least need a deity, wouldn't it?"

Haven't you forgotten Al Bore?

Anonymous said...

"Christians in general have always listen very carefully to their opponents."


"I heard him say it brothers!!! The earth is NOT at the centre of the universe!.....purge this heretic!

Burn him! Burn him! Kill the blasphemer!

Berend de Boer said...

james, if a particular Christian behaves like if he wasn't one, does that mean that all Christians don't listen to their opponents?

If one libertarian murders someone, does that all libertarianz murderers make?

By the way, what person was burned for saying the earth was not at the center of the universe?

Anonymous said...

It's funny though... I've always seen Objectivism (or at least the fervently Rand-worshipping brand) as a pseudo-religion - it certainly conforms more closely to Duffy's parameters than environmentalism. One just needs to read a few of Kane Bunce's froth-mouthed diatribes to see this borne out. Here's the checklist:

- "...a possible explanation for what believers consider an important chunk of our existence..." - A=A anyone? In a beautiful unfolding of logic, Rand distills the very essence of existence in a manner which is, to the faithful, beyond reproach. How this one relates to us Greenies is a bit beyond me, however...

- "...a moral framework so we can identify goodies and baddies..." The rigidly applied doctrine of property rights sorts this one - baddies violate them or wish to (Al-Qaeda, Annette Presley, and Dick Hubbard are clearly baddies) whilst goodies seek to enshrine absolute property rights as inviolate (outside of the Objectivist cabal, there can't be too many of these). This is of course absolutely hard and fast, because as devout Objectivists often point out, 'not to respect property rights is immoral, and immorality is evil, and will cause death'. (Sorry, that was a rather crude para-phrasing of a Kane Bunce-ism)

- "ignor[ing] or downplay[ing] facts or events that don't support their proposition." I must say that PC does everything in his power to engage libertarian critiques in a rounded and fulsome manner - however other adherents are less thorough. The real proof of Objectivisms conformity to this principle is the manner in which common subjects such as aesthetics become subject to rigid strictures (romantic realism, etcetera) and anything outside of the emplaced boundaries is considered to be without merit.

The crowning glory for the case for Objectivism as religion, however, is the undeniable construct of Ayn Rand as messiah figure (now sadly passed on into OBjectivist legend), and the body of canonical scripture she left behind her, to draw new believers into the fold.

There is no analogue with environmentalism, however Objectivism has been often credibly compared with pseudo-religions and cults.

DenMT

Anonymous said...

Giordano Bruno, for one. He believed not only that the earth revolved around the sun but also that the sun was just one star amongst many and that the universe had no centre and no boundary - getting closer to the truth than Copernicus.

This sort of mischievous thinking got him burned at the stake in Rome on Feb 17th 1600."


Pah!....just Dan Brown written heresy right Berend?

Berend de Boer said...

pc: "Haven't you forgotten Al Bore?"

That is an inconvenient truth!

Berend de Boer said...

Guys, Bruno doesn't fly. Even Wikipedia lists a lot more than just saying he believed that the earth turned around the sun.

The argument is most likely even completely false.

Anyone else?

ZenTiger said...

The Deity is mother earth.

Humans are considered a plague upon it by the ardent Greenies.

Discussions often crop up around the need to "halve the population". I guess they are advocating for shorter people?

I see Greenies that will not forsake the use of cars and planes, will argue that it is important for NZ to pay Kyoto taxes to lead by example.

The article is a bit wimpy. "Limited use of cars etc" is a cop out. The Greenie Evangelists are advocating Carbon Neutrality. We generate about 75 million tonnes of CO2 a year. We go cold turkey, it will hurt.