This weeks South Manchester Reporter (28/05/09) carrys the following report on Page 11 (not online)

Eco-vandals target another 80 4x4s

“Environmental activists attoacked scores of 4×4 vehicles -leaving messages on the windscreems accusing owners of adding to global warming”

“The attacks, across Chorlton, Fallowfield and Whalley Range, follow two similar incidents over the last month. Tyres on 20 vehicles were slashed or let down overnight in the Ladybarn and Withington areas last week. And the tyreson 11 cars were also slashed or let down on Ladybarn, Withington and Disbury last month.

“A statement from the activists said tyres were deflated rather than slashed. It added: “Given the threat of climate change and the government’s inaction, direct action such as this is, unfortunately necessary. Large SUVs emit substantially more greenhouse gases.””

The Manchester Evening News (owner of the South Manchester Reporter) ran the story, as did the Daily Mail, on 25^th May, the Herald on 28^th May  and the Independent on 23^rd May

The Independent contained the following

Detective Inspector Damian Moran, from Greater Manchester Police, said: “Those responsible might believe they are making a point, but this behaviour is criminal.

“It is mindless vandalism with no regard for the distress and nuisance caused to decent members of our community and will not be tolerated.

DI Moran is slightly in error in this. It is a modern form of political protest, aimed at intimidation.  It is the outcome of the way that the whole global warming climate change agenda is going. To substantiate this, consider the sequence.

1. The emission of greenhouse gases by humans will theoretically raise global temperatures by maybe 0.5 to 1.0 degrees this century. This seems to correlate quite closely with the temperature data of the past century

2. Bodies like the UNIPCC then assume that there will be a positive feedback loop. The computer models project with that small rise in temperatures will increase the water vapour in upper atmosphere. As this is over 95% of greenhouse gas, a small increase will lead to large rises in temperature. So the forecast churned out by those models is around 2 to 4 degrees.

3. The climatologists then assume that the data collected is unbiased, and the recent warming is a unique feature. Therefore the results have a high level of confidence and explanatory power.

4. This is then dressed up with appropriate political spin and certainty, whilst denouncing those who reject it as having impure motives or being deranged or out of order.

5. The UK government (along with others) responds by setting draconian reduction targets.

6. Environmental groups, like the Green Party, look at the worst most extreme predictions then say it does not go far enough and want yet more draconian targets.

7. This gives the fanatical, morally self-righteous (e.g. Green Fist, Plane Stupid) who want to commit puerile acts of vandalism, dressed up as saving the planet.

8. The perpetrators of these acts then decide to take matters further, going beyond their remit. In this case, slashing car tyres instead of just letting them down.

Where will this end? Snatching babies bottles, as they contain dairy products? Vandalising the homes of those who have their heating too high? I will not suggest more obvious examples. This whipping up of hatred is a common feature of human history, whether the crusades, the post-reformation Calvinsim, Marxist revolutionaries or German anti-semitism. It has no place in pluralistic, liberal democracies, nor in advanced societies who want to benefit from science.