farmdoc's blog post number 53

I am terribly worried about the world right now. I’m not talking geopolitics, but rather global warming and climate change. I fear that levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases are at best approaching the point of no return – if they haven’t already passed it, which is a scenario too dreadful to contemplate. Self evidently this global problem can only be tackled globally and politically; yet worldwide the political will doesn’t exist to do what has to be done. I have long maintained our environment is too precious to be placed in the hands of politicians. I wish I wasn’t right on this one, but I fear I am. Against this backdrop it’s relevant to consider the price of a barrel of oil, which in mid 2004 was US$40 and is now triple that. There’s no evidence that this steep price increase has reduced global demand, so oil must be seen as a precious and dwindling commodity, and used carefully. Which leads me to motor racing – my obsession, perhaps, since this is the third consecutive blog post mentioning it. It’s time, I believe, for all motor racing to end. Currently its disadvantages to our planet outweigh its advantages. It cannot be permitted to continue for the titillation of a self indulgent minority. It must be viewed and dealt with as immoral. Which it now is.