So arriving an hour before the show, I entered the lecture theatre and picked a seat in the front row. I then took out about 100 mini A5 flyers of GreenplanetFM
\n and placed them on the bench tops adjacent to their seats.<\/p>\n
The theatre quickly filled and Lord Oxburgh introduced. This man was originally a geologist, but has been a professor at both Cambridge and Oxford
\n as well as Stanford and Princeton and has spent time in the British Parliament prior to becoming the CEO of Shell oil.<\/p>\n
Now he has taken a giant step for humankind by breaking ranks with the oil cartel, particularly the US oil conglomerates, stating he is very concerned
\n for humanities headlong rush into fossil fuel use - with little concern of the consequences.<\/p>\n
Ron Oxburgh came across as a man who is in touch with people, easy going experienced at communicating ... for a man of the British establishment.<\/p>\n
He quickly showed that he was at home in a lecture theatre and displayed via graphs and persuasive delivery that humanity has to work in symphony NOW,
\n to address the burning of fossil fuels and find cleaner energy technologies. Systems that do not increase the amount of C02 per parts per million over
\n the threshold of 550 ppm, (but preferably 500) where today it is 382 parts per million and growing constantly. This is because over the last 100 years
\n it has been incrementally increasing above 250 parts, which has been the global norm for tens of thousands of years.<\/p>\n
Thus, we urgently have to curb more C02 entering the atmosphere as it is the predominant causal agent for the greenhouse affect.<\/p>\n
Did he get his story across? Yes, but will we as an intelligent humanity rise to the occasion?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A big question!<\/p>\n Remember, we are digging, drilling and pumping dark atoms that have lain hidden away from sunlight, concealed in the depths of the earth for aeons When did you last see on TV, hear on the radio and read in newspapers on how your government was addressing the above? We have to seriously look at going onto a semi-war footing globally, to change our habits of unbridled consummerism. We need to have dialogue and action I was the first to ask a question, and said that though I had no mandate to really say this, \u201cthat the youth of today appreciate what he is saying and that he was a beacon for them\u201d which was interesting because I could feel an emotional surge from the audience around me upon my uttering this statement. The vibe was definitely felt. <\/span><\/p>\n Then I asked about methane, which had not been covered in his speech, as I am aware that in Siberia alone there is an area the size of Germany and The answer was that scientists were endeavouring to factor this in to the changes that are happening.<\/p>\n And this does not include Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and European Russia.<\/p>\n After his speech and resounding clapping from the audience Lord Oxburgh hung around in the theatre and chatted with about 20 of them in their personal To understand the measure of the man, he graciously catered for everyone who asked him a question and as I was the last to actually speak with Being the gentleman he was he was very cordial towards me, and upon my praise of him he visibly stood more upright, his chest rising.<\/p>\n Yes a remarkable being ... who has stepped away from the dark side into bringing light for our collective planetary future.<\/p>\n Not a knight or a Sir, but a Lord ... interesting.<\/p>\n Where are the other supportive Corporate heads and business executives? At present they are few, but in the words of Lord Oxburgh ...<\/p>\n Time is running out ...<\/p>\n Post Script Mid May 2016.<\/p>\n This post is now over 10 years odd, where did those 10 years go? <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In haste ... When I read that Lord Oxburgh ex CEO of Shell Oil was giving an address on Climate Change at Auckland University, I made sure I would be there to see him and ask a question.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":329,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3691"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3691"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3833,"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3691\/revisions\/3833"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/329"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourplanet.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n ... and disgorging them out as atomic particles into the atmosphere like a shroud ... over all biota within the biosphere ... is this becoming our
\n sepulchre?<\/p>\n
<\/strong>
\n
One of the points that Lord Oxburgh did not address was growth as usual\u2019 which translates that humanity could still carry on economic development as
\n if there was no tomorrow. (Putting at risk ecosystems, forestry, fisheries etc though he did mention water challenges.) We just have to migrate from
\n one energy system to new energy methods was the call. Also, to keep the fossil fuel interests onside, he catered for the idea of still using these
\n fuels but burying the C02 waste, deep underground, a term called sequestering.<\/p>\n
\n based on strategic dates and with world and local media support along with Government, both local and nationally. The community has to be involved
\n in every step along the way. Lovelocks words ... a sustainable retreat.<\/p>\n
\n France composed of permafrost (frozen peat) that is melting and giving off methane that is 20 times more potent than Co2 and once methane starts to
\n release itself from the melting bogs increases exponentially, much like how a snowball gathers size as it increases its speed down hill.<\/p>\n
\n requests.<\/p>\n
\n him, I reiterated that what he was doing for the younger generation and in particular those children who are running around us at knee height was greatly
\n acknowledged.<\/p>\n
\n
Yet, still the status quo remains. We here in NZ have a even a more intransigent government fully focussed on the Neo Liberal agenda, continually dragging
\n red herrings across the sleeping electorate and keeping them distracted. Meanwhile, We have Donald Trump in the US not even realising that we live
\n on a planet. Global warming .... not in his vernacular ...<\/p>\n