I have – amongst other things – been researching eggs lately. Eggs seem quite respectable these days – although commonly not recommended for diabetics because of studies linking egg consumption by diabetics with increased risk of heart attacks and stroke. The National Heart Foundation in Australia recommends 6 eggs a week max for both diabetics and non-diabetics. I have had 5 so far this week.
In the end I have settled on an ultra high quality diet. Beans, nuts, seeds, fruit, vegies, lean meat, good fats that include small amounts of butter and cheese, low GI and few simple carbohydrates. I also take supplements – multi-vitamins, extra chromium, fish oil, low dose aspirin. Along with various plant products for blood sugar control – damiana, ginger, cinnamon, macca root, Gymnena sylvestre. Super foods in moderation – spelt, oats, goji berries, chia seed, flax seed – with almond milk in a tasty raw muesli for my free range egg and low fat, grass fed beef sausage free days. The latter with a slice of wholemeal toast and rich, luscious butter.
The question naturally arises – have I gone totally insane? There is nothing wrong with any of this – and good food is a passion. Last night we had baked ‘fried chicken’ and an Italian bean salad. It was just OK – the salad was good and I can improve on the chicken. Night before we had Thai chicken satay kebabs with steamed vegies a la Gado Gado. Splendidly good – a perfect mix of sweet (I am not above a little poison in a really good cause), salt and sour that is the defining characteristic of Thai food. It seems less magical – if a little obsessive.
AGW on the other hand seems less magical than utterly wrong in principle. Unless one counts ignoring the dynamic complexities of ocean and atmosphere circulation – with accompanying changes in cloud, snow, ice, dust, biology and cloud – as magical. Or imaging that these things -including the nonlinear couplings between powerful climate sub-systems – are well understood. The reality is that climate responds to small changes in conditions with abrupt and nonlinear change as internal sub-systems feedback in unpredictable ways. Not AGW as such but dynamic emergent behavior. DEB for short.
On the other hand there is a magical solution – tax carbon dioxide emissions. The inadequacy of this response is so obvious that I imagine ulterior motives. Such as the overthrow of capitalism and the consumerist ethic.
A truly effective response to carbon emissions is as simple as diet. It involves a comprehensive multi-gas strategy that builds societal resilience and maximizes economic development – along with accelerated technological innovation. But this is not what they want to hear. I guess it has parallels with diet.
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