Bishop Hill Diary dates, comedy edition
May 14, 2014 Energy: grid A couple of events at the Hay Festival look amusing, with the festival organisers clearly "having a laugh".
On 27 May you can get your head round the wisdom of Marcus Brigstocke on the subject of climate change:
The comedian and broadcaster, who has witnessed the impact of climate change in the Arctic, is joined by Simms, author and campaigner with Global Witness, to discuss how close we are to crossing planetary environmental thresholds, how we got into this mess and what we need to do to get out of it.
I wonder what he saw there that made him so certain he was witnessing the impact of climate change?
Then, later the same day there is this comedy gem:
What would you do if you had to power the UK? Marcus Brigstocke and Libby Purves get to grips with how to generate enough energy to keep the lights on and power their appliances. Dependency on overseas supplies, volatile fossil fuel prices and the need for a low-carbon economy makes this one of the biggest challenges facing the country. Richard Smith of National Grid and David MacKay of the DECC are our expert advisors. Chaired by Mark Lynas and using the 2050 calculator.
Marcus Brigstocke and Libby Purves?! Praise the Lord. We're clearly all saved!
I'm not really familiar with what goes on at the Hay Festival, but is this typical of their output? Do people really go there to learn about energy policy from the likes of Marcus Brigstocke? Or is there some kind of post-modern irony that I'm missing? And how is this going to look if the lights go out next winter?
Reader Comments (42)
RE "I wonder what he saw there that made him so certain he was witnessing the impact of climate change?" my recollection is that a few years ago he travelled somewhere north near or beyond the Arctic Circle and saw open sea and not ice, thus proving the ice cap has and is melting.
A lot of the funniest comedy comes out of making yourself look ridiculous, particularly when you seem to be deadly serious.
Marcus Brigstocke finds himself extremely funny.
Just reading his bio on Wiki it seems he has always been one for fads and addictions and, as a socialist, appears to me to be rather self indulged.
I get the impression that climate change evangelism is his latest fad.
I doubt he adds much to the debate though.
Steve Jones
Just as well he does, there can't be many others, I think Prigstocke's agent deserves every penny of his commission.
Their 'experts' because their North London's chatter class hero's , people whose carbon footprint is greater than most others , who 'experience' of the working classes they claim to care so much about but actual have nothing but comment for, is limited to when their serving them their fair trade , organic skinny latta , with very high opinions of themselves.
In other words typical for Hay Festival , which really is little more than Islington goes west to mock the locals.
And there's me thinking the Hay Festival was about a celebration of books and literature.
My browser tells me both links are "untrusted". Fancy that!
Comedy edition........ Marcus Brigstocke....... in the same article, amusing.
Brigstocke famously railed against air travel in a Now Show rant a few years ago. It was instantly pointed out that he was a hypocrite as he openly admits to flying to enjoy skiing. So he appeared on the next show to 'apologise' which basically turned into a 'screw you, I'll fly if I want to but it's wrong for others to do it'.
"Truly we are saved!" and the age of post modernism breathes, where 'casting pearls at the swine' are made to listen attentively to folk who know about as much as the average Joe/Joanna. And Lo! doth it provide not much and never a solution while; exhortations to limit CO2 makes for ever more expensive electricity and gas and promises soon intermittent seasonal supply [rather, nay deathly important in winter] but not doing a thing to effect annual >CO2 - what a great plan that is...................
The comedy never stops, Mr. Brigstocke canoodles with those other greats of PC 'comedy' and concerned fellow highbrows, namely Dara O'briain and doc Brian Cox.
These are, all men who have taken it upon themselves to seek to deliver mankind from his own man made CO2 emissions crisis and all their talk and froth will do, precisely nothing. But the expertly practiced angst and furrowed brows, admirably demonstrates that they care so much and in such a clever and erudite fashion - and eminently it is great PR.
Surprisingly, Brigstocke has been given his chance to wax lyrical on several subjects on the BBC including the normally funny and perceptive NOW SHOW. The sum total of his "knowledge" is that he has been on a propagandist trip to the Arctic where he just about saw it. Such deductive reasoning is not the notmal way of gaining a scientific viewpoint. However the laughs he got from the audience gave the impression that his rather wacky outlook gained traction with msny young and intelligent people - worrying .
Well whatever Marcus (how very working class) is it isn't a comedian. Aren't comedians supposed to be funny?
The Hay Festival consists mainly of talks by little-known authors (and a few well-known ones), with the audience (mainly consisting of would-be authors) asking questions - principally "How do I get published?".
Once people take seriously something called the "2050 Calculator" then anything goes, really.
Benny Peiser is there too, speaking in a session on 31 May called "Pagan Gods" about saving the planet.
Messenger at 7:54 AM
"And there's me thinking the Hay Festival was about a celebration of books and literature."
It is.
They're the Fiction Section.
Aren't all climate "scientists" comedians anyway!
"who has witnessed the impact of climate change" - no doubt he saw some ice melt in the summer - shock horror that has never happened before!
As knowledgeable as Jon Snow who has also seen the "effects" of climate change in the Arctic - think of the polar bears!
These people will believe anything.
Mr Brigstocke drew his conclusions on his 2007 trip, reported on the Daily Telegraph, and starting 27th September.
And when is the Arctic ice at its minimum in the annual cycle?
Late September, of course.
Alternatively he could have saved a lot of time and energy by looking at the annual records of sea ice produced by several different organisations but, of course, that was not what he wanted.
"...........and using the 2050 calculator."
-
Is there a Jeremy Grantham edition?
Had it been late September, back in '63, he might not have been quite as interested about looking outside - Oh, what a night!
"I''m pro union - and very keen to see Scotland remain in the UK. Both sides of debate are weak & dishonest at present. I hope it improves." Brigstocke tweeted Feb 16th. So a complete goon then?
The Fish & Chips there is cr*p.
In 2007 and 2008 Marcus travelled to the Arctic with Cape Farewell and was seasick.... (not conducive to a positive mental attitude)
The 2008 voyage was a journey up the East coast, researching, exploring and spending time getting to know the Inuit people of Greenland. This second trip was easier on a larger Russian research vessel with a 30 strong group of scientists, thinkers, activists, artists and musicians including KT Tunstal, Jarvis Cocker and Martha Wainwright.
I recall his assorted spoutings after the trips being spectacularly subjective and ill informed - consisting mostly of ranty AGW boilerplate regurgitation (pass the bucket).
Just a shame his commitments didn't allow him to head south recently with Prof Turney and his merry band. BTW - who funds Cape Farewell?
I should add that gubmint funding of performance arts spouting AGW propaganda is not exactly unknown..
Here you are ... save yourself £7 ....
"the normally funny and perceptive NOW SHOW"
He hasn't been on that for some time. Perhaps the audience were asking for refunds...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2298147/Wife-divorces-TV-comic-Marcus-Brigstocke-discovering-year-long-affair.html
Climate Change Deniers accused of getting personal but ask Marcus did Climate Change make him cheat on his now Ex Mrs .
Libby Purves often seems like a nice person.
But I must admit, I never saw her as the electro-mechanical engineering type.
Look, I live in a small semi, grow my own veg, hardly ever have central heating on, never fly abroad, drive less than 3000 miles each year, don't commute, eat very little red meat, keep myself to myself and pay all my taxes whatever and wherever they are applied. As a by product of this my carbon footprint is probably very small as an average of the population.
To contribute further to the need for reduced carbon footprint I would need to live in a tent.
Can I please be spared the pronouncements of the chatterati and the great and the good?
http://blog.decc.gov.uk/2014/05/13/ask-your-question-about-the-future-of-energy/
So are Marcus and Libby getting payed an Appearance Fee by the DECC .
My life in travel by Marcus Brigstocke: The Independent
"Best holiday? I went to the Maldives the year before last… I’ve also had some of my happiest holidays in Mallorca with family and friends... So it’s a toss-up between the opulent, unforgettable paradise of the Maldives and calamari by the beach, waterskiing and nightclubbing in Mallorca.
Where has seduced you? I went to China for a brief working visit and I thought that Shanghai was interesting, but Beijing totally grabbed me
Worst travel experience? My son, sister, niece and I were sea kayaking in Mexico and got caught in a rip tide
Worst hotel? A resort hotel in Varadero, Cuba.
Dream trip? I have never been to India.
Favourite city? New York. It has great restaurants and is a part of the US that you can enjoy as a liberal Brit.
Marcus Brigstocke will be performing at Altitude at Volvo Snowbombing from 4-9 April in Mayrhofen, Austria"
I've never heard of either of them but they are confusing "climate" with "weather". It's a common mistake amongst liberals, arts graduates, tree huggers, etc. etc...
Is this Marcus Brigstocke one of those "intellectuals" but comedian-when-convenient types like Jon Stewart?
chilli reply to your comment
So pleased that Marcus enjoyed his stay in the beautiful sunny tropical luxury resort of the Maldives.
So for somewhere that is supposed to be under 20 feet of water in 20 years how are property prices doing out there.
So how much is a Timeshare Villa in the Maldives Tourist Hot Spot ,too expensive apparently
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g293953-i7445-k2634554-Timeshare_in_maldives_resorts_too_expensive-Maldives.html
Marc Lynas at Battle of Ideas said that he was working as Climate Change adviser to the Maldives government and he said he left the job because of political corruption.Maybe
Personally i think he got quietly sacked .
Marc Lynas made such a good job are scaring off all the locals with tales of Melting Icecaps and Floods then having to abandon the Islands and then PROPERTY SHARKS DEVELOPERS move in buy up the Maldives dirt cheap and live of the Tourist Bonanza with not a flood in sight.
But then im just a Conspiracy Theorist ,Non Scientist ,Climate Change Denier who should be tried for Crimes against Humanity and cant spell or type either.
But i do like to think i know a bit more about Human Nature than Mother Nature.Climate Change Skepticism proberly Climate Change Cynicism LOL.
@jamesp wrong Brigstocke was on the Now Show * on 2nd May which is why I posted over in the Discussion thread : Log of BBC bias
1. His complaint was "Osbourne's cuts are the reason why the average man is £2000/yr poorer" ..Marcus I think a large chunk is in the pockets of your Renewunable SubsidyMafia mates and more of it lost due to the way Davey makes energy run so inefficiently. Green Subsidies are not sustainable so why do they exist ?
* He was on due to Radio 4 comedy new bias rules : "when they have a rant from a left wing comedian, they have to balance it ...with a rant from an-extreme left wing comedian"
2. Marcus Brigstocke's hyprocrisy ?
- £1.9m flat, 2 families, skiing holidays ..oh that's all low carbon then #GreenGoByAirAnybody else watching the guy on Daily Politic saying that LED street lighting is affecting health.LED more energy efficient but its a focused directed light source where as light bulbs is more spread .Now they have some silly old idiot saying about removing street lighting completely.
the 2050 Calculator?
Why do these bloody mummers take themselves so seriously?
stew
Oops - sorry! I listen to most Now shows (News quiz is better, though) and thought I hadn't heard MB for a while, so rather assumed they'd let him go. Wishful thinking, obviously.
From Brigstocke's Greenland sailing trip in 2007:
Not only is he a hypocrite, he's also an ignoramus. Worst of all, I saw him in Courchevel a few years ago and he was on a snowboard.
Captain Wiktor Arnesen, amongst others, went to 80º 40' N in 1923:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/23668813?searchTerm=%22climate%20change%22&searchLimits=
when you go, ask him "Do you know what confirmation bias is ?"
just in case they were missing anything, Lewis Pugh will talk climate change at the Hay Festival as well...