Don’t Know and Don’t Care

I’m bored, so I opened the Daily Telegraph. I know I shouldn’t bother, but when needs must….

It’s a rag, and yes, Blair appears there. I can’t say he ‘writes’ there, because it’s more cut ‘n’ paste. This time, from the transcript of Monday night’s Enough Rope, which I watched, no less. Selective cut ‘n’ pastes chosen so as to bag out Dr Tim Flannery, who knows more about the science of climate change than Tim Blair could ever accumulate in the rest of his miserable lifetime. He even deigns to link to a supposed claim by Flannery that Sydney’s dams would run dry, which Flannery never made. A read of the linked article proves categorically that Flannery never said, or even implied, such a thing. What Flannery did say, and here’s a more defined cut ‘n’ paste, was:

“The worst case scenario for Sydney is that the climate that’s existed for the last seven years continues for another two years,” he said. “In that case, Sydney will be facing extreme difficulties with water. Large cities are the most vulnerable of all structures to water deficit because you’ve got 4 million people who need water there just for everyday survival.” He says Melbourne is also vulnerable to water deficits while Adelaide may have problems with water quality.

A statement of probabilities, and one based on logical projection. No hyperbole from Blair about the Melbourne claim, but then, Timmy doesn’t live in Melbourne, so what does he care? Frankly, I think that sums up Blairs attacks on climate change advocates quite succinctly. He really doesn’t care either way, but it gives him an excuse to promote his own vapid approach to any intellectual subject which requires rational consideration. Climate change is an easy one to tackle. Why waste energy thinking about any issue when it’s a hell of a lot simplier to bag those who do?
For mine, I consider Tim Flannery to be an Australian of note and clearly, an individual who thinks about, shows concern for and has the fortitude to speak out about issues which he is knowledgeable on and supportive of. I’ve yet to read anything by Tim Blair which comes across in the same manner. I wonder if he thinks or is honestly concerned about anything. Little wonder rational Australians in the ‘sphere regard the man as the joke he is.