CHAPTER 1: from SCI-FI to Political Issue
““First I was afraid, I was petrified...”
I was one of the first Europeans to see the universally acclaimed documentary "An inconvenient Truth". Twice.
My first time was in the plane back from Buenos Aires (and I am not talking about sex here). I was shocked.
Two weeks later I was an activist. I convinced some of my friends to see the movie. That was my second time. Still uncomfortable (Again, sex is not the issue!).
About a year later came the film was oscarized, and Al Gore got his Nobel prize for Peace (?). A clearly stupid prize, since Rabin and Arafat got it for achieving peace in the Middle East (back in 1994!)…which never really happened. Needless to say, they didn`t return the prize, nor were they asked for its devolution.
But let´s stick to our theme here, which was...? Ah, Global Warming.
“do you think I’d crumble? do you think I’d lay down and cry? Oh no! I will survive”
I have learnt that Global Warning is a mere political issue...just that. And maybe a reality, which we will never know for certain, as always happens with political issues...
The truth -my truth- is simple, and this is how it all happened: Oil prices getting too high, more money for Islamic countries, more power, fanatism (JIHAD), more weapons, Terrorism, 11-S. 'we gotta stop them'- Bush dixit. How? <Bush scratching his head>
First proposal to the President: WAR!
Second proposal to the President: IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!!!- once again. Let´s cut their income, so they go back to what they´ve been: lost nomads in the desert...<But we need their oil for energy! That´s how we do things in Texas!>...no, wait, we can use alternative power...<nuke energy!>... too obvious, Mr. President, and not for daily use... something clean, that they don´t have... something that needs a great deal of technology, so they can´t produce it... GOT IT! Alternative Energies!! Which is very expensive, but, cheaper than a war (especially if one speaks about votes).
But Mr. Bush likes things simple, and the first proposal was easier to read, so...
“Meanwhile, in a galaxy not far away… ”
Democrats were naturally attracted to the second proposal, not because of conviction, but because of being completely opposed to Bush. But it was a risky proposal. <We need someone to test this proposal, and if later it is found successful, we will adopt it. We need to find someone not too clever, who doesn`t percieve the risk, or either someone who got nothing to lose> Guess who? Mr. Gore, former candidate defeated by -guess who?- Mr. Bush. PERRRRFECT!
“some years later”
War is REALLY expensive, economy affected, nuke threats from Iran...
Democrats officially adopt the Global Warming Theory as the Ultimate Political Weapon… with more and more Americans wanting the troops back from Iraq, and the elections just around the corner…
<hey, did you hear the news? Dear old pal Al just got the Nobel Prize! Could you believe it?! No one will ever dare to say that we are lying>
“…It took all the strengh I had Not to fall apart.
Keep trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart...”
It soon happened that the democrats showed the rich countries that the Global Warning Theory was also suitable for their interests: it would help not only to reduce their dependence on oil but also to prevent other countries of being richer… and they all were thinking about the emerging giant, China, whose exports were beginning to be a pain in the ass for local producers, who soon lobbied against EU politicians- not used to such a stress.
The reasoning was simple: we can substitute our needs of petrol (oil), but they (the not-yet-developed countries) can´t. End of the story.
Even more great, Kioto, instead of putting an absolute limit (certain value) to the CO2 emissions of each country, established a relative value (%). This meant that, the most contaminating countries, would be able to contaminate even more than the ones less contaminating, which -guess what?- are those less developed. And so the square circle is born!
Greatest!: USA, the most contaminating country, denied to sign the Kioto protocol <Of course we are not signing that! It´s the Democrat´s idea>. And so the Democrats achieved the goal of turning not only USA but the rest of the world against Bush.
CHAPTER 2: from Political Issue to Marketing Issue.
First Kioto, then Bali…exotic places for a Global Warming meeting, don´t you think? It means nearly everyone taking a plane – or two- to get there… Which got me thinking… I mean, if it was in Europe, many countries/people would have saved a lot of airplane tickets and certainly would have polluted far less more… including Greenpeace, of course. “Nobody denies this is an important event, but huge numbers of people are going, and their emissions are probably going to be greater than a small African country," said Chris Goodall, author of the book "How to Live a Low-Carbon Life."
However, the strange thing about Bali is that nothing has been done…surprised?
'Parties (to the climate convention) have to agree on the agenda for future negotiations and the 2009 deadline.'
Which means they have done absolutely nothing in Bali, despite the words of Kim Ban Moon in the opening ceremony:
'The time for equivocation is over and the time to act is now,'
“Perhaps measures against Global Warming are
not so urgent? ”
That´s how I noticed that Global Warming had turned from Political Issue to Marketing Issue… As a Political Issue, Global Warming was an Urgent thing <the faster we get rid of the muslims, the better>. It was evident that Politicians were acting too slow but, why this?
Let´s reformulate the question: what is stronger than political parties? Corporations!!! They are the hand that rocks the cradle of politics… they finance the party, so that they can win elections and attach to the previously agreed program…or shall I call it simply “Democracy?”.
Thus the wheel turns: Politics (democrats) tell the Corps. about Global Warming, as they need financial support for the cause; Corps. approve the “program”… because their marketing people just saw something that could differenciate them for their competitors: image; a clean, clear image of eco-friendly enterprise. And that inspires confidence in their products, company, business: to auditors and shareholders.
The only problem is that they only want their clients to believe that, not actually doing it, since the alternative energies are expensive…<ok, we´ll do it, but slowly>
And they create their own counter-lobby, so politics are both incentivated but also warned about going too fast on the Measures Against Global Warning. <Just find them a good place far away from their problems, where they can relax, and they wont do anything- What would you suggest, Sir? Bali perhaps?>
D-O-N-E !!
“Unless either Steve Jobs or Paris Hilton, the two most influent brains in the Planet, have something to say about it.”
As a marketing issue, the ‘life of the product’ is a key factor: the longer it is, the more profit you will be able to get out of it. And so I am afraid that the Global Warning has arrived to stay for quite a long time.
One must be either too bold or too stupid to stand against the Global Warming Theory. Bush is obviously the latter.
Me? I am just sending a Global WarNing against Global WarMing.