War and its costs to be discussed Beneath the Wisteria

W

ar and its contribution to climate change will be discussed during the Anzac Day gathering Beneath the Wisteria in Shepparton.

Supporters will meet Beneath the Wisteria at the northern end of Shepparton’s Maude St Mall on Saturday, April 25, at 11:00am, that is this Saturday.

The event is free to anyone keen to talk and learn more about the implications of climate change and the environmental cost of war.

Some public seating is available, but those attending are encouraged to bring a folding chair. Weather forecasts suggest it will be rather chilly on Saturday and those planning to attend are advised to bring some warm clothes.

Robert McLean (0400 502 199) can answer questions about Saturday’s gathering.

A friend, who is a climate change denier, argued that if ever we were ever to see carbon dioxide increases because of human activity it would have been during World War Two when nearly all the developed world was on a war footing and fossil fuel-powered machines were almost ceaselessly in use.

He pointed to the Battle of Britain when huge fleets of aircraft, including massive four-engine bombers, flew almost with stop over Britain and Europe.

Co-incidentally it was just a few weeks after he made that comment that, by accident, a historical chart of carbon-dioxide emissions passed my gaze and there it was, a small blip in emissions in in the mid-1940s.

That war had made a difference to emissions and conflicts around the world continue to do that.

Not only is the obvious cost, the burning of fossil fuels to power the war machines obvious, but the embedded energy in destroyed buildings is doubled when they are rebuilt or replaced.

Yes, “War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.”

'War' on liveable climate could result in real conflicts

S

ome see climate change as so divisive that a rise in conflicts will coincide with the unfolding of climate and so weather related difficulties.

US Senator, Mitch McConnell
declares war on 'livable climate'.

The behaviour of U.S. Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is taking extraordinary measures to block the most modest efforts aimed at preventing catastrophic climate change, seems certain to disaffect many people and ignite conflicts.

ClimateProgress reports, “He has begun an “aggressive campaign to block” EPA’s carbon pollution standards “in statehouses and courtrooms across the country, arenas far beyond Mr. McConnell’s official reach and authority.”

The story - “McConnell Declares War On A Livable Climate, Aims To Stop National And Global Action” – says “Tragically, while his efforts can’t save the coal industry, which is “dead man walking,” as Deutsche Bank has explained, McConnell can certainly make it much harder for Americans to save ourselves from Dust-Bowlification and the loss of our coastal cities.”