Gary Jones has up a great, lucid post on climate change, "
Loose Cannons," just in time for Thanksgiving!! It's a straight up Muck and Mystery classic, with a sharp, polemical first act and a pragmatic and hopeful second. This is one of those
"read the whole thing" situations, seriously, and not
just because it kind of develops the 'loose cannon' metaphor a little at the end in a way that made me realize that, while I of course have been long familiar with the phrase 'loose cannon' and have doubtlessly used it a few times myself, I never really thought about
why the cannons were loose and why it was a problem, e.g.,
because they were on a ship at sea and rolling around and could accidentally punch holes below deck. I mean,
is that how it was?? I just never thought about it, I think I kind of just had this vague image of a cannon in some anonymous context, like, going crazy and shooting people, which is pretty weird when you stop to think about it.
(Isn't it funny how you can go around saying things for years, even your entire life, and not really understand what you're saying? Stop and think about
that for a second...
Then take it to the next level and think about whether you ever truly 'understand' the meaning of anything you say, in the sense that you can understand a book that you read - how transparent is your own speech, how transparent are your thoughts?
Think about it, dude!!
[bros, this is my last night before I go on my 'special diet' til my birthday, can you tell?? I'M ABOUT TO ENTER THE ZONE!])
Um
anyway, Gary post is also generally straight up excellent, and excerpts won't do it much justice. Not that
that has ever stopped me before:
If we contrast this [Methane to Markets] treaty with Kyoto the reasons for cautious
optimism become clearer. Kyoto will have little to no effect on climate
change though it will cost hugely and install a massive bureaucratic
regulatory regime that will stifle the developed world for the
foreseeable future. It has no provisions for the developing world
though that is where the increases in GHG emissions will occur. Kyoto
is intentionally skewed to favor some nations above others for
political and economic gain for the favored few. When all things are
considered Kyoto is what venal politicians do instead
of facing the climate change threat, seizing climate change as an
opportunity to prosecute their petty games of international domination
for fun and profit.
One good treaty isn't enough but it is a step in a useful
direction. It's not only good for the environment it's good for
society, a first step in rehabilitating the concept of environmental
preservation, one that demonstrates to those who have grown skeptical
that there are ways to do good works that aren't just pork and
bureaucratic nonsense. As the environment degrades in future, as seems
very likely due to population growth, the threat of authoritarian
oppression increases too. When people are worried they are more likely
to sell their liberty cheaply for promises, however empty, of security.
We need to find ways to avoid throwing the baby out with the dirty bath
water, ways to manage our environment, including climate, without
sinking into totalitarian misery and enduring both loss of liberty and
degraded environments since the totalitarians always makes things worse
despite their empty promises of improvement.
(emphasis GARY's!)
I am totally thankful for that post, Gary! I'm off to MA with the fam, see you this weekend amigos!
UPDATE: Gary comes through with a reference and a citation - once again, thankfulness abounds!
"In the day of fighting sail,
the guns were arranged in two rows, along both sides facing outward.
Each gun would be secured to the inside of the ship's side with blocks
and tackles hooked on to either side of the carriage; they would help
to absorb the recoil when firing and were used to pull the gun back
into position for the next shot. When not in action, the gun's muzzle
would be pulled tight against the bulkhead above the gunport and the
lines tied off. This would keep the extremely heavy gun secure in foul
weather. A cannon that broke loose would roll about the deck at random,
in whatever directions the ship's pitching and rolling would send it,
colliding with and smashing equipment and crewmen. A crewmember who
lost his self-control and became unpredictably violent was referred to
as a "loose cannon"."