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Why Hadn't They Started a Long Time Before?

Andrew Basden

"We must begin decarbonization,"
    so said the woman on Radio Four [1].
She represents ceramic production.
    Why hadn't they started a long time before?

They were supported by government favour
    - removing incentives to fully explore
energy decrease, savings and changes
    in sectors intensive with high carbon score.

But energy usage - does it not matter
    that into the atmosphere, gases they pour
of greenhouse emissions that damage the climate
    and so destroy livings of many who're poor?

Why do we need so many ceramics?
    "New bathroom image: We want a new floor!
Must get new tiles - good range on the market.
    Away with the old ones - just purchase some more."

Pic of bathroom ceramics etc. being junked

Industry loves such profligate waste of
    perfectly useful products, galore.
Boosts up their profits, and government incomes.
    But carbon emissions continue to soar.

"We must begin decarbonization."
    Is it not heinous they did not before!
Industry, people and government likewise -
    Our folly, may God forever deplore!

11 October 2021

(pdf version)


Note 1. Interview with Laura Cohen, representative of the ceramics industry, BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, around 08:20 am on 7th October 2021. In light of burgeoning gas prices. The ceramics industry, which uses a lot of gas to heat the kilns and is complaining that the government should subsidise their use of gas. There are technical reasons, for example, a brick kiln 100m long at 1000 degrees C, which would get damaged if it were to be suddenly shut off. But why were not these kilns designed (a) so they could be shut down more quickly, (b) to use renewable energy?

It seems the UK government gives a "renewables exemption" to some energy intensive industries, allowing them to evade their responsibilities for "decarbonization" (reducing their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions), on the grounds that they "needed" a lot of energy to keep running, and "needed time" to adapt.

Time to adapt? I was shocked that she said, in effect, "We must begin decarbonization" rather than "We are decarbonizing but must do it more quickly".

In fact, her actual, longer wording, was worse than that. "But also longer term, we need to hit our decarbonization targets. So we need to start development of a full range of decarbonization technologies. In our spending review proposal we've asked for some money to work / matched by industry to develop at pace the technologies we need to also be able to meet decarbonization targets." From the words I emphasised there, we can see that what she said was that ceramics industries have not even begun designing and making the tools (the technologies) to enable them to begin decarbonizing - and they are waiting for government money before they even begin developing those tools. My reaction, which stirred me to write this was "What an irresponsible attitude!"

There is something deeply wrong in all this, and it is at various levels.

Why, at the end, do I bring in God? Partly because this is a website primarily for Christians. But, more fundamentally, because, without some Authority to Whom we are all responsible (we = industry, government and people together) we are still in danger of saying "We can ignore what those whingers are saying, because it's only their view, and we know better; they don't take account of [technology - human innnovativeness - trickle-down economy - Kuznets Curve - or whatever]." I don't believe that (for example the Kuznets Curve has been completely discredited not least because it was posited for only a very limited context), and I see that irresponsible attitude as more heinous than the one by the representative of the ceramics industry.

See also Some Verses Calling For Repentance Among Western Christians



This page, "abxn.org/ccge/WhyDidntStartBefore.html", is an expression of part of a project to understand the links between climate change, global economy and other matters including society's beliefs and aspirations. It is designed to stimulate thinking and discourse. Comments, queries welcome.

This page is written on behalf of the CCGE Group by Andrew Basden, but the views expressed herein are his and not necessarily those of the other members of the Group. Written on the Amiga with Protext in the style of classic HTML. Copyright (c) Andrew Basden 2008 - present, but you may use this material subject to certain conditions.

Created: 11 October 2021 Last updated: 18 October 2021 removed apostrophe from filename! 19 October 2021 link to nv/verse. 23 December 2022 added date of broadcast!