5 thoughts on “The Weekend Wonk: Uncanny 1984 Canadian Documentary Describes Climate Change”
The talking head is Peter Kent, who became Minister of the Environment in “The Harper Government”.
In November 2011, Kent participated in the Durban Conference and in December of the same year announced that Canada would formally begin the process to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Kent#Minister_of_the_Environment
It describes how he worked for a PR firm after he retired from journalism that represented Enbridge and was a go-to source for Canada’s conservatives. Essentially he became a lackey for Canadian oil interests.
Here’s another guy in the video, Stephen Seidel, who worked as an economist for the EPA in the 80’s. His message (video at 22:45), which the documentary took as its main point, was that we can’t stop the warming – too expensive, too tough – so we have to adapt instead.
Indeed worth the watch, though exceedingly depressing to realize this was made 34 years ago, and the problems are so much worse now. Beginnings of new and reworked technologies emerging, but not fast enough.
The 35 year old Canadian documentary made a point that the great unknown was the role of the oceans in buffering greenhouse gas caused climate warming.
Certainly we have learnt a lot more since those days, especially with the ARGO buoys strategically placed around the planet.
But still surprises are hitting us as we climb up the slope.
GULF OF MAINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE = = = = =>
“New study: Ocean temperature ‘surprises’ becoming more common
Researchers highlight need to account for climate change in marine planning”
researchers identified these “surprises” all over the world, including the Arctic, North Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and off of Australia. Moreover, these warming events occurred at nearly double the rate the scientists expected.
The talking head is Peter Kent, who became Minister of the Environment in “The Harper Government”.
In November 2011, Kent participated in the Durban Conference and in December of the same year announced that Canada would formally begin the process to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Kent#Minister_of_the_Environment
Interesting. Kind of a case of ‘where are they now’. Here’s another article about Kent:
https://www.vancouverobserver.com/environment/climate-change-believer-oil-sands-promoter-peter-kents-journey-journalist-environment
It describes how he worked for a PR firm after he retired from journalism that represented Enbridge and was a go-to source for Canada’s conservatives. Essentially he became a lackey for Canadian oil interests.
Here’s another guy in the video, Stephen Seidel, who worked as an economist for the EPA in the 80’s. His message (video at 22:45), which the documentary took as its main point, was that we can’t stop the warming – too expensive, too tough – so we have to adapt instead.
Seidel has since gone to an environmental non-profit, C2ES, whose main message is promoting ways to reduce carbon emissions:
https://www.c2es.org/profile/stephen-seidel/
The documentary itself is worth the watch.
Indeed worth the watch, though exceedingly depressing to realize this was made 34 years ago, and the problems are so much worse now. Beginnings of new and reworked technologies emerging, but not fast enough.
And guess what? The planet did nothing!
The 35 year old Canadian documentary made a point that the great unknown was the role of the oceans in buffering greenhouse gas caused climate warming.
Certainly we have learnt a lot more since those days, especially with the ARGO buoys strategically placed around the planet.
But still surprises are hitting us as we climb up the slope.
GULF OF MAINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE = = = = =>
“New study: Ocean temperature ‘surprises’ becoming more common
Researchers highlight need to account for climate change in marine planning”
researchers identified these “surprises” all over the world, including the Arctic, North Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and off of Australia. Moreover, these warming events occurred at nearly double the rate the scientists expected.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-08/gomr-nso080119.php