MARK M ALDRIDGE - Copenhagen Road to Rack & Ruin           a.userlink { color: #000000; } a.userlink:visited { color: #25120d; } a.userlink:hover { color: #25120d; } font[size="1"] { font-size:10px; } font[size="2"] { font-size:13px; } font[size="3"] { font-size:16px; } font[size="4"] { font-size:18px; } font[size="5"] { font-size:24px; } font[size="6"] { font-size:32px; } font[size="7"] { font-size:48px; } .GuestBookMessage { font-family: Times New Roman; color: #25120d; font-size: 13px; } .GuestBookMessageRow { font-family: Times New Roman; color: #25120d; font-size: 12px; } .GuestBookHeader { font-family: Times New Roman; color: #25120d; font-size: 12px; }                                                                                         HopenHagen the land of the confused   What in the world is going on, Copenhagen will end up the laughing stock of the world, there are some 30,000 delegates trying to make sense of hundreds of ongoing news conferences and different meetings, with the uneducated hope of saving the world in one foul swoop.   The draft treaty which I have just tried to read for the forth time, is a repetitive mumble of what could be seen as to many cooks trying to stir the pot, with the goal being to keep Co2 at below 400ppm with the hope of limiting the global temperature from rising any further than 2 % on today’s estimated emissions.   The Treaty goes on to blame drought, lack of food production and the like to Co2 emissions, why have they not considered huge population growth, land clearing and the diversion of food crops towards the production of fuels in the debate astounds me.   Plant growth and tolerance to lower water usage increase along with higher co2 concentrations, yet we are trying to reduce co2 output, makes no sense to me, and with huge population growth how can we divert our inadequate crop production to meet the green fuel agenda let alone ignorance of increased water storage and power production.   Sections of the treaty are reliant on the developing nations receiving financial support from the more industrialized nations like the USA and Australia, on top of that we are expected to reduce emissions by 15 to 20% over the next decade at a huge cost to our economy, while developing nations are free to increase their emissions up until 2020.   The Treaty reads more like a communist style attempt to equally share all our good fortunes with very little actual reduction in global co2 production in the short term.   We lower our emissions while others can increase theirs and we pay a high price to boot, estimated at between 150 and 400 billion dollars, somewhat akin to doubling the GST.   Important issues that seem not to be addresses include who and how do they access any countries Co2 production and associated reductions, the effects to that of our economy, stock markets, retirement and super savings and the like.   Handing over billions of our hard earned dollars in such hard economic times is one thing, but whom we hand it to and where it ends up are just as important, and I have yet to even address the fact that Co2 caused warming is not based on fact, but rather speculation.   I dare not bring up my skepticism of the cause of warming or whether in fact warming is actually occurring, as I will be disenfranchised as a denier or intolerant of my worlds future, but that is irrelevant, I do support lowering pollution, putting in place measures to address future disasters and investment in clean energy, but only if we do so in an informed and sustainable manner.   To blindly follow in the wake of the information before me, would be a crime in itself, to allow others to determine my country’s future with out regard to our expected democratic processes are in excusable in any ones language.   Trying to holt population growth and deforestation seem of the agenda, increased water storage and collection also seem unimportant to the Copenhagen agenda, helping poorer nations secure adequate food, power and water resources is also not mentioned, all I have seen is the redistribution of money, increased powers over democratic society’s and huge profits for those whom run the system.   The treaty must be read over and over by our political representatives so they make any future decisions based on fact rather than spin and assumptions, I have heard over and over that our green future will create jobs, yet the treaty is clear that all advances in scientific and agricultural findings must be shared equally, so any money we pour into research will not provide much of a financial benefit to our own industries.   Being told by a non elected power to dramatically increase our cost of living and to provide billions of dollars to developing nations, with out any input into how it is spent, while at the same time being forced to survive on around half of what we were used to, based of debatable science is a very stupid move in anyone’s eyes.   Spending our hard earned taxes on increased supply’s of potable water, clean power generation, sustainable and self reliant food production, would be my first step, a simple but effective way to curb pollution is to introduce a variable rate tax system to reward initiative in the manufacturing sector.   We should expose the myth that population growth is the only way to increase our economic growth and work towards a sustainable future with out the un wanted spin of greedy multinational interests, and then only then can we put our sights on increasing our support of the worlds developing nations, lead by example rather then follow those who might just be headed in the wrong direction.    Mark M Aldridge Independent Candidate and Thinker. S.A 2010 State Election for the Legislative Council P O Box 1073 Virginia S.A, 5120 0403379500 / 08 82847482 Email; aldridgemark@bigpond.com Web; www.markmaldridge.com                        Website provided by Vistaprint