What we see of infinity….

A sunset

Above, is a haunting picture of a sunset. Anyone with even the slightest ghost of humanity within them would be moved by the beauty of the haunting landscape above. Who would not be moved by our sun setting on such a scene? Was it taken in Nevada, or is it the artic tundra of Mongolia? Is it a desert wasteland of Africa, or somewhere much further south… and far more inhospitable?

Truth is, the image above is a Martian sunset. I offer it to you as a gift; a chance to glimpse the similarities between our worlds – our next door neighbours. You see, not so long ago, scientists believe that Mars was a fertile planet, with abundant oceans, and an abundant atmosphere, and all the elements that would make it a haven for life. Imagine thick rain-forests teaming with life, imagine oceans brimming with creatures. Speculation, perhaps. But we know that Mars was not unlike our visions of early earth; abundant water, abundant atmosphere, it may have been a garden of eden.

So what the hell happened? Mars is locked in ice. Its atmosphere has evaporated away, its oceans are locked in its polar icecaps, and its landscape is a barren desert of  iron oxide (rust). Mars is smaller, granted; giving it a dissadvantage in holding onto an atmosphere. It’s also further out than Earth, giving it an energy dissadvantage too. But perhaps, given the similarities, when we discuss planetary ecology we should start paying attention to the red planet.

It was once like Earth; hot, covered in liquid water, and subject to the ideal conditions for life. We know that Mars transitioned from a planet with a thick atmosphere and liquid water, to a barren wasteland of rust and permafrost, ice at the poles, and an ever thinning atmosphere.

All we know of planetary ecology is from the examples set by our twin planets. And the examples set by our twin planets, all demonstate that it’s very easy for a corner of the universe to become inhospitable. The way we treat our own planet demonstrates, we have not taken in this lesson at all.

That is why it infuriates me when I hear about renewable energy sources being opposed by selfish, arrogant, shortsighted, bastards. No, I do not mince my words. I’m not going to point to anyone in particular, because you all know who you are. I’ve seen it many times. Usually, when a new renewable energy site is proposed, the installation of turbines (on shore, or offshore) will be blocked by some piddling group of local representatives who claim that their landscape will be blighted by the sight of these monstrosities.

Damn! If ever there were a group of more selfish people on the planet, they must have packed up and jetted off a hundred thousand years before. The “Not in my back-yard crowd” are the scum of the earth. These fuck-wits, will be seen  banging on about conservation and the environment, but as soon as someone proposes a windfarm or other renewable source anywhere near them they suddenly start spouting all sorts of nonsense about birds getting diced and sliced by the blades. Bullshit, this is a throwback to our human/draconian way of thinking that anything that isn’t a man, is doomed to get chopped up in our fantastical devices. Truth is most birds are smarter than we humans think they are, and learn to avoid wind farms. Even, if all else fails, we also have also developed technologies ward off any poor birds who might stray a bit close. What then is the problem? The problem is birds are being used as a shield against the core of the problem. The core of the problem is that selfish bastards are upset because their view has a windmill on it. But we’ll get to that.

The main excuse is that these windfarms harm local, birds. So the RSPB say so. This is the same RSPB that order the slaughter of one bird species to protect another bird species, making them the Hitler of animal protection societies. Personally I don’t give a shit about anything the RSPB say. As soon as I heard about them demanding the genocide of alien species of birds for the protection of native species of birds I was done with them. I washed my hands of them. They are either protecting birds or they aren’t. If they are calling out for bird genocide, then they aren’t. What gives them the right to decide which species of birds should be wiped out? It was us who brought the foreign birds here in the first place. We cannot make innocent birds pay for our own sins. The RSPB, has lost the plot. So fuck them.

Back to wind farms, and again, citing RSPB bullshit doesn’t cut it. The clowns who are in the “Not in my back yard” category need to look very closely at that haunting martian sunset. Our planet is not special. We are not special. We are just here, and we are just living in the now. We just happen to be in a particularly forgiving corner of the universe. What matters most is what we gift our children. What matters most is the heritage we gift our decendents. Will we suck the planet dry, and leave them with a dark husk? Will we pollute the planet until all the ice-caps melt, and plunge the planet into snow-ball earth? Will we switch from oil to water, then piss away the most precious substance in the universe? (liquid water).

These are all far-reaching questions, but I do know one thing… in a hundred years from now, once we have developed a good, reliable, sustainable energy source such as cold fusion – we can still dismantle wind-farms, and our grand children are left with the same views as we had the pleasure of observing. But if we oppose wind farms, then we are pushing towards global climate change. Who will care, when that same view is going to be covered in a thousand tons of ice, as glaciers rip it apart in their relentless push south? One dick-head’s view today, is balanced agaisnt the quality of our children’s and our grand-children’s lives. And as far as I am concerned, those who stand against renewable energy, are short-sighted wankers. They do not look to the lessons we have learned from our twin planets, they do not think about Mars, they do not think about our children. They are all ‘mee’ ‘mee’ ‘mee’ ‘my view’ ‘view’ ‘view’. They are only interested in their own interests.

We are the first  generation to be burdened with hard choices about energy usage, and climate change. Don’t make us the last. Don’t be a dickhead.