Climate change-fighting a losing battle?

[kwicky]

We are all about to be landed with hefty tax rises..why? Shouldn't we let nature take its course. Rising sea levels.. King Canute tried to do something about this..what did he achieve? We are now trying to lecture other countries how to behave...China, the USA, India, etc...will they listen to us when their economies will suffer? I doubt it!
Isn't it better for us to take the parts which would help ie warmer winters and less accidents on icy roads. Also cheaper heating bills. But on the negative side prepare for flooding by increasing all our flood defences?

[willowman]

Surely there is a stupidly simplistic answer to this.
We are short of water inland, the rivers, reservoirs and underground sources (aquafers?) are drying up, but the sea levels are rising.
So pump the excess water from the sea inland and let it percolate through the soil as would rain. Bingo, both problems solved. Do this in the desert areas of the world and we can then grow trees and food, bingo another problem solved.
Don't you smarty pants come up with all objections. I bet the amazing Mrs Pritchard would do it!
PS. Before you all start ranting and raving, the expression you are all looking for is "tongue in cheek". I do realise we are all getting deeper into the brown stuff, but the natural cycles of the earth will not stop just because we humans are here.

[willowman]

PPS.
Why worry about climate change anyway, the way things are going we will have all blown ourselves to kingdom come before too long!

[admarlow]

It is little reported (as its not such a good story wont win many elections or sell many papers) but a lot of scientists think that global worming is just a natural phemonan (sp?) which can be proved by the number of past ice ages we have had. I just think its human nature to listen to the more sensational voices.

[tell-me-more]

There may be a lot of scientists who think that global warming is just part of a natural phenomenon, but as a percentage isn't it very small and decreasing too? I don't know, but that's the impression I get.

Ralph's idea of giving cash from green taxes to China and India and encouraging them to build something less polluting sounds good, except surely we should get our own house in order first. According to Newsnight on Monday, India already invests more heavily in renewable energy than the UK.

How about diverting tax on fuel to reduce the tax on say biodiesel? i.e. instead of just taxing us more for polluting, taxing us less for polluting less.