The Carbon or the Swag?

Written By: - Date published: 2:32 pm, December 12th, 2013 - 42 comments
Categories: capitalism, Economy, Environment, Ethics, global warming, political alternatives, quality of life, sustainability, vision - Tags: , ,

You have a choice to make. Since you live in a society, apparently guided by ideas of personal responsibility and choices, making a choice and acting on it should be second nature by now. Anyway, you should made the decision a few years back and acted on it by now. But I’ll bet you haven’t.

I’ll bet you’ve treated the most far reaching decision you will have to make as some type of intellectual exercise. I’ll bet you’ve settled for winning arguments as though that was actually doing anything and then carried on living your life much as you did before. And I’ll bet you’ve justified your inaction by looking at yourself, thinking only about yourself and making it all about yourself –  as defined through some impoverished orthodox lens of what it takes or means to be a good person or a successful person or a responsible person. And then (still betting here), I’ll bet that you’ve had the gall to feel anger and hypocritically call on others (ie, leaders of various stripes) to do something –  all the while using their inaction to further justify personally doing nothing or not a lot.

So, lets recap some very recent history. At Warsaw, governments of the world agreed to draw up targets for reducing carbon emissions by 2015. Meaning that although Annex 1 countries (NZ is an Annex 1 country) have to reduce carbon by about 10% year on year from now, or before now to deliver a 50/50 chance of holding global warming below an arbitrary, unscientific and not particularly safe 2 degrees C, emissions of carbon will continue rising until at least 2015.

In 2015 in Paris there will be mere proposals. Then there will be discussions and feet dragging and all types of bollocks and bullshit. And 2015 is way too late. By 2015 any window of opportunity to avoid global warming of 2 degrees C + will be gone. By 2015 a future of global warming above 2 degrees C will be locked in. (Then talk will be a bit like discussing how to miss the ground while the cliff top recedes above us – ie, fucked up and futile nonsense about avoiding warming of 3 degrees C+  or 4 degrees C+…)

So this is your choice. Keep on chasing the dollar to pay your mortgage or rent, your HP payments or the purchase of that next ‘must have’ item. And fly in those planes and drive those cars to get yourself to the best place to run after those dollars or to get away for a break from chasing those dollars.

Or just fucking stop. Don’t fly. Don’t drive. Fuck the job and the endless running. And then cross your fingers and hope things pan out while you get busy forging and developing new ways of living.

Shit choice, innit?

Either one, give up everything you’ve worked towards and based your life around in terms of accumulation and self worth – give it all up today and get a mere 50/50 chance of a viable future; one that allows you to build a reasonably stable life worth living. Or two, lose everything that you’re currently trying to hang on to and augment…alongside things like food security, water infrastructures, electricity infrastructures and so on… in a world of 2, 3 or 4 degrees C warming – or more…even much more if likely runaway feedback loops kick in at some point along the way.

42 comments on “The Carbon or the Swag? ”

  1. Rogue Trooper 1

    as the ‘Right’ are so fond of spouting 😉 “it’s all about personal responsibility”. (every week there are new (second-hand) V8 and 6 cylinder Falcons or Commodores lining the footpath out front of used-car lots I walk past; yesterday , blown away, I saw a Peugeot with entire body-work in a chrome finish; yep, here in Hastings; shows up Brian’s Aston Martin though).

  2. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 2

    Get off that computer, Bill. It’s full of copper and silicon and tin and plastics. That’s before you consider the energy that went into its construction. If you’re not part of the solution…

    • Rogue Trooper 2.1

      It’s all relative.

      • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 2.1.1

        Yeah, I know he doesn’t really believe in personal responsibility.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.2

      It’s not computers that are the problem per sé. It’s all the bloody personal cars and the capitalist drive to produce ever more junk that will be replaced in 6 months to a year.

  3. fappity 3

    ” We’re fucked ! We’re fucked !”

  4. Fair Observer 4

    [deleted]

    [lprent: Already banned. Another IP for autospam. ]

    • Arfamo 4.1

      Relax, you’ve just fallen out of bed. Your head’s on the floor while your legs are still tucked up in the sheets. Just straighten up – you’ll be ok. Take two aspirin and call a doctor tomorrow morning for an appointment sometime late next week.

    • Bill 4.2

      So it’s raining? What’s your point?

  5. One Anonymous Knucklehead 5

    Fappity and Fair Observer, it’s easy to mischaracterise an argument in order to dismiss it, but I wonder if either of you have the faintest idea what a 2° shift in global average temperature would mean for you personally.

    By the way, Bill is just the messenger. Does shooting the messenger often work for you?

  6. BM 6

    Meh,I’m fairly relaxed about the whole issue, if it happens, it happens.

    Life’s short, better things to do than worry about hypothetical situations that may or may not eventuate.

    • Arfamo 6.1

      I’m betting you don’t work for an insurance company, and I’m hoping you’re not a builder.

      • BM 6.1.1

        You’re correct, do you?

        • Arfamo 6.1.1.1

          Nope. Are you a funeral director perchance?

          • BM 6.1.1.1.1

            Nah, desk jockey.

            Which is quite useful because if the apocalypse does occur, I can use my desk as a floatation device to save my sorry arse.
            All bases covered in this household, nothing to worry about here.

            • Arfamo 6.1.1.1.1.1

              Cool. So no worries for you if, hypothetically, Key and his cronies get the boot next year then. All good. You just carry on racing that desk.

    • Bill 6.2

      Sure. So just rush blindly each and every time you cross a road from now on. Getting run over is, afterall, one of those ‘hypothetical situations that may or may not eventuate’.

      • BM 6.2.1

        Exactly, I could get hit by a car tomorrow through no fault of my own.

        If I worried about every thing that could happen, I’d be a nervous wreck and never leave the house.
        As my mother says, “Stress, it’s bad for the bowels”

  7. Steve Wrathall 7

    Meanwhile back in the real world temperatures globally haven’t risen for 17 years and CO2 is causing a massive greening of the planet http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/grl.50563/abstract
    Catastrophe cancelled

  8. Philj 8

    Xox
    Good luck Bill. All things must pass, including us.

  9. Positive feedback loops are already here.
    Here’s some bedtime reading if you don’t need sleep
    http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.nz/2013/07/climate-change-feedbacks.html

  10. Flip 10

    Grab your swag people and head for the hills. (Good thing we have some.) The water is rising.

    Anybody for some expensive water side real estate. Real handy to the sea just a step outside the door into the lovely warm ocean.

    • Rogue Trooper 10.1

      They keep throwing money at protecting homes from an eroding coast around our way; Council have conceded and loaned the ‘protection society’ money for groins. Geological modelling by an expert in these matters recently found that the issues will just arise further round that part of the bay. Protection is going ahead for a 30yr max. outcome as relocation is also going to be costly. Not enough expenditure for the rate-payers?, load on some more rocks.

      • Flip 10.1.1

        The wealthy will get protection for their ‘investment’ from the sea and environmental change. The poor will not be protected. The link between carbon emissions and their sea side land being eroded is something the wealthy understand but publicly deny as it is useful to protect their assets. Public money will be used to protect private property. You just need a public asset between you and the sea. Something like a road.

      • Arfamo 10.1.2

        “Council have conceded and loaned the ‘protection society’ money for groins”

        😀 Just about fell off my chair reading that one. It sounded like the protection society had had a few too many kicks in the gonads and needed replacements. I take it you meant groynes.

        • Rogue Trooper 10.1.2.1

          lolz, a lot, yes; ha, not something I’m used to since leaving Christchurch where there is a park called The Groynes; silly me. Ta.
          (cool walk?, very hot here with storm-clouds, a little rain, some lightning; love it “I’m only happy when it rains…”) You have a wicked sense of humour.

    • weka 10.2

      “Grab your swag people and head for the hills. (Good thing we have some.) The water is rising.”

      The hills are on fire. Where to now?

      (if sea rise was the only thing to be concerned about we could just stop worrying).

      • Colonial Viper 10.2.1

        It’s apt you make that comment weka.

        In the US Appalachian mountains, they don’t bother to spend time and effort to dig down to the coal seams any more. They use massive explosive lines to blow the top hundred feet right off the mountains and ridges to get at the coal. The thousands of trees left strewn about they simply bulldoze down the side of the hill and set on fire in a massive pile of former forest. Turning a living carbon sink into an inferno.

        Our civilisation is going mad. Like the 250,000 children living in poverty in NZ. Ho hum just another evening in soul crushing depravation for a quarter million NZ children and their parents, move on, nothing to see here. Oh look I spot in this Christmas catalogue in front of me a bottle of Dior J’adore for just $245. Must get a bottle tomorrow gift wrapped with a bow. Everything is OK now.

        • Draco T Bastard 10.2.1.1

          Going mad? No, it’s always been mad. It’s just becoming more and more obvious as we build up the capability to do more and more damage faster and faster and all to keep a few psychopaths in ever increasing riches that they don’t need.

        • Flip 10.2.1.2

          US Appalachian mountains….. Wow! Way to destroy the natural environment and future generations quickly. /sarc

          • Rogue Trooper 10.2.1.2.1

            Human ‘Wantings’ are the only species paying to live on the earth; so much for greater cerebral cortex size!

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-24T04:17:30+00:00