Climate Conversation Group

Global warming adherents warn of a global temperature rise, saying it will be deadly in various ways.

Many of us have questioned the reasoning behind the warning, saying (among other things) that, since we prefer to holiday in warm climates, we prefer the summer to the winter, we grow more crops where it’s warm and one finds more living creatures in the tropics than the polar regions, it goes without saying that living things prefer a slightly higher temperature.

So we have been asking what, exactly, is wrong with a little warming?

Now the NZ Herald reports that many of our houses are too cold.

What a delicious irony—the government is exhorting us to “fight” global warming when, for our safety, it would seem better to encourage it.

You see, New Zealand’s average temperature, according to NIWA’s latest predictions, will rise about 2°C by 2100.

But our houses should be 3°C warmer.

The Herald reported today that a study from the Centre for Research Evaluation and Social Assessment shows the average Kiwi living room temperature on a winter’s evening is 17.82°C, when the recommendation is that it be 21°C.

They call it “fuel poverty” as though it was any different from ordinary poverty.

The Ministry of Social Development next month begins a three-year study of fuel poverty (at your expense) to learn more about it and how to respond.

The right response is simple, of course: make everyone more wealthy and/or reduce the price of heating our homes.

Oh, the Kyoto agreement and our ETS legislation are designed, deliberately, openly, and while we do it we are in full possession of our mental faculties, to increase, and they will increase, our energy costs.

Damn.

So the government are planning to increase energy costs while at the same time spending a lot of our money exploring the reasons why about a quarter of our households cannot afford to heat their houses properly and what can be done about it.

Does anybody else see something wrong with this picture?

Should we tell them? Or wait until they’re out of office and they figure it out for themselves?