Global warming is a hard sell. For New Yorkers digging out of feet of snow, global warming does not sound threatening. If we are going to get action, we need a sexier name. I like Al Gore’s ‘Inconvenient Truth’ BUT it does not stand out like a purple cow does. Seth Godin, the marketing Guru who wrote the ‘Purple Cow”, says marketing must be emotive and outstanding.

I went to an industry function this evening and a fisherman I deeply respect, an industry leader, was telling me of his doubts about global warming still. Seth Godin is right, we do not have the marketing right yet and people are still confused. We are not clearly explaining about the insulating blanket of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2, Methane and nitrous oxides (largely from fertilizers) that is wrapping the earth preventing heat escaping. This is totally different to the climate changes due to solar activity in the past. These atmospheric changes are caused by human activity and are different from anything we have had in the past.

What can we name it to market it well? Global warming, greenhouse effect and climate change are un-emotive scientifically correct terms. It desperately needs “re-badging”

Here is what Seth said

“Global is good.
Warm is good.
Even greenhouses are good places.

How can “global warming” be bad?

I’m not being facetious. If the problem were called “Atmosphere cancer” or “Pollution death” the entire conversation would be framed in a different way.”

He went on to say that “people want:

• totems and icons
• meters (put a real-time mpg or co2 meter in every car and watch what happens)
• fashion
• stories
• pictures

95% of the new ideas that don’t spread–even though their founders and fans believe they should–they fail because of the list above.”

I like Atmospheric Cancer and we need more good marketing including logos, icons and picture of people suffering. We need to be reminded about the future of our little ones and of the other species that are becoming extinct.

I am not worried about the planet- it will survive, it did after the dinosaurs became extinct, my bet is cockroaches and ants would fight it out to be the next dominant species.

I am worried about the problems, both environmental and political that my grandchildren will face. I love the diversity of nature and hope that they grow up in a world where they can appreciate the joy of nature and the joy of the birth of their own children.

However the USA has problems because they have to do more than the developing nations. Wow. Perhaps some of their leaders need to go live in China, India or an African country for a while and get a reality check.

Almost 200 nations agreed that we need to get on with reducing emissions and that we only have 10 years to make major reductions to reduce the impacts. We can no longer avoid global warming, we can only reduce the impact.

On the day my youngest grandson (Edwin) was born, I can can only applaud the patience and negotiating skills of the almost 200 nations who agreed do something.

If the USA wants to be considered as a world leader it does need to get its act together because at present it is out on a limb on its own. As Papua New Guinea said - either join in or get out of our way.

We, individuals, business and government alike, must start pulling together for the sake of the new generation. Edwin and all the other children need this! Desperately even though they are much too small to realise. How can we look them in the eye and say we love them if we continue to destroy their future.

A report by the Climate Change Institute quoted on this morning’s news says that if we all make the behavioural changes needed, it will not make major changes to our lifestyles.

It is a fact that well planned environmental management systems actually save money as well as helping the environment. Go look at www.enviroaction.com.au and www.enviro-action.com for more information about how to green your business and increase profits

Technorati Tags: global warming, climate change Bali conference, our responsibility to the kids

How to sign Kyoto without doing anything about it seems to be the name of the game.

BUT they can’t agree on setting even a 20% target even though they told the electorate that Kyoto and climate change is the highest priority for the new government!

In fact we all know that developed countries need to meet targets of 40% reduction by 2020 and then aim for 80%. Developing countries need to hold their outputs constant while raising their standard of living. Yes we do understand that it is great to get an economic report as part of decision making but we do need to realise that the longer we leave it the worse the economics get.

Kevin Rudd says “Australia should be a bridge between developed and developing countries. Come on Kevin – that is pure hypocrisy! Per head of population Australians are around the highest emitters of greenhouse gasses and we are very much a developed nation. Who does he think he is kidding!

Sure we are facing pain and change but the pain and change if we don’t get on with it will be much worse if we keep pussyfooting around.

We are living beyond our means in the way we use resources and like people who live beyond their financial means end up bankrupt, we will end up environmentally bankrupt but with out the ability to wipe the slate and start again. our children and grandchildren will have to live in mess we leave them. I care about this, especially when I look at my grandchildren.

I saw a wonderful cartoon in The Australian this morning of Kevin Rudd looking through John Howard’s glasses – complete with eyebrows.

Technorati Tags: Bali Conference, Kyotoa Agreement, Australia signs Kyoto, Greenhouse targets

Well in Australia we have a new government swept in by a desire for climate change and unions whipping up fear of the recent changes in industrial relations. I always scrutineer – that is witness the vote count at my local polling booth. It was really interesting to see how many people had voted green, indicating their concern about climate change.

Now the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his team need to meet our expectations. He has confirmed Australia will almost certainly fail to meet the modest greenhouse gas emissions target set for it under the Kyoto protocol.

The first thing he did after taking office was to sign the Kyoto protocol. He then released government forecasts showing that Australia is likely to “overshoot” by 1% its target of keeping emissions to no more than 8% above 1990 levels which means Australia could have to agree to make even bigger cuts to emissions in the post-Kyoto framework which is currently in the very early stages of negotiation at the UN conference on climate change in Bali. (more…)

In terms of sheer weight, carbon dioxide accounts for around 85 percent of America’s greenhouse gas emissions, which amounted to 7.074 billion metric tons in 2004; methane accounts for just 8 percent of that frightening total. On top of that, carbon dioxide is often spotlighted because it’s so closely linked to the appalling fossil-fuel dependence decried by treehuggers and politicians alike: Ninety-four percent of the US human caused CO₂ emissions are due to fossil-fuel combustion. Human related (anthropogenic) methane emissions, come from the decomposition of garbage in landfills and belching ruminants (cows, sheep etc).

Methane is 21 times more effective at preventing infrared radiation from escaping the planet than carbon dioxide. So, although methane emissions may be relatively piddling, they’re definitely a cause for concern. It does break down faster however. (more…)

We all need to be aware of global warming and the flow on changes to our climate and we must take it seriously across all societies.

Some people seem to be happily going totally overboard however. Heather Mills is a case in point here. Her views are over the top and the problem with this is that it actually devalues the importance of the need for action by all of us, when some celebrities become unnecessarily extreme.

I would have to agree that clearing Amazon rain forest to grow beef cattle seems to be a double whammy of insanity. Ruminant animals certainly do belch out enormous amounts of methane which is a very damaging greenhouse gas. Viva! director Juliet Gellatley reinforces that: “Meat and dairy animals are the second biggest cause of greenhouse gases at 18 per cent compared to 13.5 per cent from all the world’s different modes of transport combined.” (more…)

My take on this is that it will cost a great deal more if we do not tackle it!

BRITAIN

Information from Lyndsay Moss of the Scotsman is that climate change could cost British households just £100 a year by 2030 - but only if action is taken now to prepare for the challenges ahead, business leaders warned yesterday.

It was stated that companies need fundamentally to adapt their business plans to meet society’s needs in the climate-change era. But they said that the costs for consumers of doing their bit for the planet could soar unless action was taken by business early. (more…)

I read a fascinating bit of trivia recently in the “Scotsman”. A recent study has revealed exactly how much tea it takes to get a job done.

Building the average three-bedroom semi-detached home takes about 9,500 cups of tea. For a more ambitious project, such as the £800 million restoration of London’s St Pancras station, you’ll need a whopping six million cups of tea to keep the “brickies” happy.

The new survey also found that tea plays a vital role, with 80 per cent of people claiming they find out more about what is going on at work over a cup of tea than in any other way.

Builders said the beverage made them more productive, with nearly seven in 10 (68 per cent) insisting tea had relaxing and stress-relieving properties.

Read coffee instead of tea and the same probably applies to Australia.