EU's new figurehead believes climate change is a myth

[msbae]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5430362.ece

Personally, I don't believe Climate Change is a myth. I'm just not so quick to blame Human activities for all of the world's ills.

 

[Marc]

Given one of the nominees (may even be the person you're refering to) is sceptically about the EU so colour us unsurprised.

 

[Roger Wilco]

I was wondering who was meant by "EU's new figurehead".

Vaclav Klaus is a right-wing nutjob, it's been well known for many years that he is a complete idiot regarding many things, including climate change.

And the "Presidency of the Council of the European Union" is very, very formal anyway, with no real responsibilities.

 

[trekkerguy]

I'm just not so quick to blame Human activities for all of the world's ills.

We are the world's ill.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

And the "Presidency of the Council of the European Union" is very, very formal anyway, with no real responsibilities.

So is the rest of the EU. Or at least it will be, until it's a *real* state.

 

[John Picard]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5430362.ece

Personally, I don't believe Climate Change is a myth. I'm just not so quick to blame Human activities for all of the world's ills.

The earth's climate has changed for eons. However, using 120 years of recorded weather data to claim, "ZOMG!!!11!!! Man is changing teh earf!" is a crock. The weather cycles and balances. Hell, back in the 1920's there was panic over global cooling, then that disappeared, and in the 1970's either Time or Newsweek ran an article about the coming Ice Age. Hell, I learned back in grade school that there have been *at least* three Ice Ages, so another one would come in probably a few thousand years.

It'll take a few more years before people finally clue-in on AlGore's Global Warming religion and the falseness that it is.

 

[Roger Wilco]

And the "Presidency of the Council of the European Union" is very, very formal anyway, with no real responsibilities.

So is the rest of the EU. Or at least it will be, until it's a *real* state.

That's not really accurate, in fact many EU institutions wield tremendous power (especially the European Commission); and imo it's unlikely that the EU as it exists today will become a unified nation within the lifetime of anyone who lives today, if ever. Even if you exclude the notorious troublemakers like the UK, Denmark, Poland, etc.

 

[Canadave]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5430362.ece

Personally, I don't believe Climate Change is a myth. I'm just not so quick to blame Human activities for all of the world's ills.

The earth's climate has changed for eons. However, using 120 years of recorded weather data to claim, "ZOMG!!!11!!! Man is changing teh earf!" is a crock. The weather cycles and balances. Hell, back in the 1920's there was panic over global cooling, then that disappeared, and in the 1970's either Time or Newsweek ran an article about the coming Ice Age. Hell, I learned back in grade school that there have been *at least* three Ice Ages, so another one would come in probably a few thousand years.

It'll take a few more years before people finally clue-in on AlGore's Global Warming religion and the falseness that it is.

The reason so many people believe that humans have a significant impact on the world's climate (myself included) is because of the rapidness of the changes we've seen. Over the past 200 or so years, we've seen changes in the Earth's climate that are unprecedented in the planet's history, and those changes correlate quite neatly to the Industrial Revolution.

In the past, for climate change this significant to occur, hundreds or thousands of years would usually be necessary, generally tied to long-term cycles such as changes in the Earth's axial tilt or orbital period. Past recorded changes, like the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age were quite minor compared to what we see today.

Now, while it's impossible to conclusively prove that climate change is human-caused, it does seem more likely than the alternative. And, in my opinion, it's better that we try to do something and turn out to be wrong than do nothing and be wrong.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

And the "Presidency of the Council of the European Union" is very, very formal anyway, with no real responsibilities.

So is the rest of the EU. Or at least it will be, until it's a *real* state.

Something still tells me they're giving Klaus the job to try and get him (and Ireland) to stop resisting the Lisbon Treaty (which from my observations they SHOULD fight).

As for climate change, I do think the human role is likely overhyped and natural climactic cycles are also a part of this. THAT SAID--as I've often heard Bill O'Reilly say, whether or not we are directly causing global warming, getting all the gunk out of the atmosphere can only be a good thing for us. Politicizing the issue just prevents useful action in this regard, if you ask me. Just treat it as a necessary cleanup job without all the left/right mudslinging and things can only get better.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Something still tells me they're giving Klaus the job to try and get him (and Ireland) to stop resisting the Lisbon Treaty (which from my observations they SHOULD fight).

"They" didn't give Klaus the job, he was elected president by the Czech people, and the Czech Republic has the Council Presidency for the next 6 months because of the regular rotation between the member states of the EU.

 

[archeryguy1701]

I think either the article is confused or the figurehead is confused. Climate changes are very real... ice age, anyone? He may be refering to man-caused global warming being a myth. Which I agree with.

 

[wamdue]

nice to see we arnt just letting anyone in the EU, who knows with a less selective process we could end up with some real nub jobs in charge

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Something still tells me they're giving Klaus the job to try and get him (and Ireland) to stop resisting the Lisbon Treaty (which from my observations they SHOULD fight).

"They" didn't give Klaus the job, he was elected president by the Czech people, and the Czech Republic has the Council Presidency for the next 6 months because of the regular rotation between the member states of the EU.

I see, I was under the impression that the council presidency was an elected or appointed position.

 

[Aragorn]

I think either the article is confused or the figurehead is confused. Climate changes are very real... ice age, anyone? He may be refering to man-caused global warming being a myth. Which I agree with.

Post-ice age is humanity's fault. The dinosaurs going extinct also humanity's fault. If there used to be life on Mars, it's not there anymore because of humanity.

 

[archeryguy1701]

I'm going to have to call bull on your first two points. But I so knew that we killed the little green bastards on Mars! I so very called that! Wait... were the green people the Martians or the Alpha Centaurians that I'm also pretty sure we knocked off?

 

[trekkerguy]

Of course we're not responsible... that way people don't have to think
about it when they drive their gas guzzling exhaust pumping pompus
showboats around. The American Way people!

 

[archeryguy1701]

^Let's hypothetically say that we are responsible for "global warming", we all knew it, and the proof was there for everyone to see... would anyone give a damn that didn't alreay? Would anyone new stop driving their Hummers? Nobody cares about the problems that we are definately causing (deforestation, pollution, litering anyone?), nobody is going to care about the problems we may or may not be contributing to. So no, I sincerely doubt the global warming denial has anything to do with people not wanting to think about it.

 

[Roger Wilco]

I see, I was under the impression that the council presidency was an elected or appointed position.

Yes, the article linked in the OP was confusing that way, probably deliberately so; that guy isn't an important politician.

 

[RJDiogenes]

How can Humanity have caused climate change for over a hundred years when God only created the Earth 47 years ago.

 

[Marc]

How can Humanity have caused climate change for over a hundred years when God only created the Earth 47 years ago.

Only 47 years? so does that mean posters older than 47 existed before time began?