There's a Gary Shearston song called "It's On".
It was written by Don Henderson and released on Shearston's 1964 album "Songs of Our Time". I've got it hidden away in a cupboard somewhere - it was one of the first LPs I bought back when I was 17.
Part of it goes like this -
"All reason and logic are gone,
Winning the fight won't prove that you're right,
It's sad, it's true, but it's on".
Recalling this song reminds me of the current debate between true believers and sceptics about global warming. All reason and logic are gone because it's become a political issue rather than a scientific hypothesis.
To my simple way of looking at the world, there's no debate. Viewed as an issue of risk assessment and risk management, it's a no-brainer.
Given the consequences of continued warming, it makes a great deal of sense to take steps to avoid it, even if there are doubts as to the nature of the relationship between increasing CO2 concentrations and atmospheric temperatures. Besides, the carbon derived resources we use are finite, and we need to plan for a world where they are no longer available.
Let's just use our brains to make the necessary changes, and get on with it.
Otherwise, it will become the currency of conflict, and my kids don't need that. They'd like a world to live in.
