
An Eagle sits upon his perch. From his lofty vantage point he spies below an unsuspecting hare, gambling amongst the shrubbery. He licks his beak: a feast will soon be his! He dives from his eyrie with the unaware buck a few seconds from feeling the searing sting of his mighty talons. But the Eagle, so focused as he is, fails to spot a young archer traipsing the fields. The archer spots the swooping bird of prey and looses an arrow that skewers the Eagle mid-flight; piercing its heart and wounding it mortally. The proud aviator tumbles to Earth and, as he lay dying, looks down at the dart sticking from his chest. He cries;
“Oh! How cruel a fate is this that I should die by my own hand?” The arrow is furnished with a feather from his tail.
This fable brings to mind the situation in which humanity finds itself mired. This whole issue, in fact, is dedicated to the discussion of climate change and how/if we are causing it I whole or part and how/if we can do anything to slow or halt the changes around us.
It is the popular media opinion that the human race is largely to blame for the increasingly erratic climatic events seen the world over. Such claims have been supported by scientific evidence, but equally has the opposite camp found refuting data that should not be ignored despite the pressure to heed the sensationalist warnings of the vocal majority.
For a short while- though at the time it felt like an age – there was debate as to whether climate change was even happening. That much at least has surely been proved, but the acceptance of this global shift has sired a new and equally virulent argument: are we to blame?
Ten years ago, the scientists who are now finding themselves marginalised and pushed from the media spotlight argued that the changes to our environment were, geologically speaking, nothing new or even particularly dramatic, and they and their findings were taken seriously. But since then the worsening situation has whipped-up a frenzy of panic that has left no man untouched. Climate change is one of those irksome issues on which every man and his dog is an expert and will gladly quote the ‘recent findings’ as if he himself has been labouring in the laboratory for the last decade while the rest of the population are left wondering what to think.
Well we at THE HARE are not experts: with one BSc between us we are barely scientists. But what we are is curious.
The truth is, the public know very little. The experts themselves are divided. As inconvenient a truth as it may be to digest, the appearance of a scientific majority in the media is a hard thing to avoid when only one camp is given a platform from which to speak.
Throughout this issue we hope to raise some interesting points, but more importantly stoke the fires of dinner-table debate.
It is such a multi-layered issue there seems little chance of resolving it en masse. If we are to blame, is it already too late to make an effective change? And if we are not the instigators are we the perpetuators of disaster? Furthermore there exists the possibility that our actions are irrelevant. What do you think? Are we like the Eagle – too late to change our fate? Or might we make a great escape like that lucky little hare?
Pick up THE HARE newspaper at Night and Day, Bar Centro, Font or Tiger Lounge in Manchester town centre, or the Oakwood in Glossop.
E-mail theharenewspaper@hotmail.co.uk with questions, comments or contributory pieces.
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