I just listened to Lovelock's recent speech on global warming, and the simple answer is that Lovelock is dwelling somewhere in fairyland and doesn't have the slightest idea what he's talking about.

We should remember that the 'Gaia Theory' that he supposedly 'invented' has been understood and recorded by every ancient indigenous people on Earth since the very beginnings of human theology starting at least 60,000 years ago.

So Lovelock's claiming the territory of Gaia theory is orders of magnitude more ludicrous than claiming that Columbus 'discovered' 'America'. He just wrote down a cartoon version of the concept in a book and claimed credit for it.

Lovelock is a typical product of post imperialist Britain and is filling that role to the letter. His ideas are simply a continuation of a very tired, centuries long narrative, of using use excessive hierarchical power and control, and heavy technologies, to solve problems caused by inherent inevitable human sin. And his idea that nuclear power can somehow be built faster and at greater scale than solar and wind is flatly ridiculous. There is no method by any stretch of the imagination, by which nuclear can be a practical solution within the crucial next three decades.

There is also a key part of Lovelock's thesis that is totally wrong. He claims that if we clean up emissions to reduce CO2 that we will raise the planet's temperature by removing particulates from the air which are currently cooling the Earth. This is simply false. Low to the ground emissions from automobiles and power plants are -warming- because they create soot which blackens the terrestrial ground level and pulls in heat. The only particulates which are cooling, are particulates originating from sulphur emissions of volcanoes which reach the high atmosphere. Even low to the ground sulphur emissions which would normally be cooling, are usually not, because carbon binds to them and similarly makes those emissions blackened. Sulphur based particulates have to be present in high quantities at ground level to avoid being bound by carbon and blackened.

We should also remind ourselves that another traditionally western trained thinker, James Hansen, while he has been great at announcing the problem, is still so naive about sciences outside of his specialism, and about global economics and politics, that even -he- believes that nuclear power (and biofuels) are global warming solutions.

We just need to keep our eye on the ball and call for a massive switch to universal mass transit, energy efficiency measures, and localisation, in tandem with a huge global solar and wind power project.

cheers

Eric

Lynda Hernandez wrote: 
I was surprised to read a recent interview of James Lovelock (originator of Gaia theory)in Rolling Stone magazine.  Lovelock believes that nuclear plants are key to slowing down global warming. Solar and wind are only a drop in the bucket.  He also states that global warming is inevitable.  The planet will survive but 6 billion people will be removed by 2100. 

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/16956300/the_prophet_of_climate_change_james_lovelock
Lynda Hernandez
=====================
From: Don Eichelberger <done7777@sbcglobal.net>
Date: 2007/11/28 Wed PM 05:33:37 CST
To: GPCA-Energy@yahoogroups.com
Cc: sustainability@sfgreens.org
Subject: [GPCA-Energy] Fwd: No Real Renaissance for Nuke Industry

                  
So, nukes want a renaissance, do they?

  
From: "Susan Swift" <vencejo@mindspring.com>
Subject: No Real Renaissance for Nuke Industry
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:23:51 -0800

At least some scientists believe that nuclear power is a doomed industry!
Thanks to Roger Herried and Tom A. for forwarding this news...

<http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/nuclear/mg19626313.300-nuclear-industry-may-running-out-of-steam.html>http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/nuclear/mg19626313.300-nuclear-industry-may-running-out-of-steam.html

See article below for more details on the report.


Subject: [
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:11:07 +0900
From:
To:

http://www.greensefa.org/cms/pressreleases/dok/206/206845.nuclear_energy@en.htm

Nuclear energy: New report highlights nuclear decline in spite of
industry talk of renaissance


The role of nuclear energy is in decline, according to a report
'World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2007' presented by the
Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament today. The report
outlines that the proportion of nuclear energy in power production
has decreased in 21 out of 31 countries, with five less functioning
nuclear reactors than five years ago. There are currently 32 nuclear
power plants under construction or in the pipeline, 20 fewer than at
the end of the 1990s. Commenting on the report and this nuclear
decline, German Green MEP and energy spokesperson Rebecca Harms
stated:

"In stark contrast to the claims of the nuclear industry and its talk
of a renaissance, nuclear energy is in decline. The shrinking of
nuclear in Europe is particularly notable, with ten power plants
being permanently withdrawn from the network since the last report in
2004.With fewer plants being built and existing plants becoming more
decrepit, it seems clear that the grandiose ambitions of the nuclear
industry will remain in the realm of fantasy."

False promises for a nuclear revival could lead to misplaced public
expenditure, delaying a more intelligent and sustainable approach to
energy supply. In addition, plans for building new reactors would be
in direct competition for the limited manufacturing capacity that is
already stretched by the maintenance costs for existing (aging)
reactors.

"The gap between the expectations being promoted by the nuclear
industry and reality are perfectly highlighted by the bungled attempt
to build a new reactor at the Olkiluoto plant in Finland. This first
new nuclear project in 15 years has been blighted by problems.After
only two years of construction the project is already two years
delayed and the budget is set to be overrun by at least 50%, with 1.5
billion euro in losses and shocking errors in key technical
specifications. Clearly, talk of a nuclear revival is divorced from
reality and political leaders must call the nuclear industry's
bluff," continued Rebecca Harms.

"Nuclear energy is fraught with risk and these risks have in no way
diminished. Attempts to position nuclear power as the panacea for
climate change are misleading and dangerous. This report reveals that
a nuclear revival is unlikely. We must ignore the nuclear smokescreen
and focus on proven, clean technologies in response to the climate
crisis we are facing."

(1) Click
<http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/topics/dokbin/206/206749.the_world_nuclear_industry_status_report@en.pdf>http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/topics/dokbin/206/206749.the_world_nuclear_industry_status_report@en.pdf 
and 
<http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/topics/dokbin/206/206808.conclusions_world_nuclear_industry_statu@en.pdf>http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/topics/dokbin/206/206808.conclusions_world_nucl
ear_industry_statu@en.pdf

Richard More O' Ferrall
Press Officer
The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament
Tel: Brussels +32 2 2841667 / Strasburg +33 3 88174375
Mobile: +32-477-44-38-42
Fax: 0032 2 2844944
<mailto:richard.moreoferrall@europarl.europa.eu>rmoreoferrall@europarl.eu.int

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The Hegelian/Marxist goal is emancipation.  Marx said it best in 1843:

"Human emancipation wll only be complete when the real, individual 
man (sic) is absorbed into himself the abstract citizen; when as an 
individual man, in his every day life, in his work and in his 
relationships, he has become a species-being (politically accountabe 
to the whole); and when he recognizes and realizes his own power as 
social powers, so that he no  longer separates this social power from 
himself as political power."

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