Welcome to the chunky show!

[mustardman]

TIM BALL. .?? Talk about fake news . He doesn't even have the credentials he claims to have. Don't use him as your source, you mite as well make $hi& up and post it on Facebook

[blackpowder]

Patrick Moores' book is good as is Howard Buffets.
Anyway, the more we rely on button pushers the more weak shall perish?

[Hamloc]

Indeed it is an odd day. To limited extent I have to agree with Chuck2. I think with self driving long haul trucks, self driving taxis, stores like Amazon's new store in Seattle with no tellers, robotic manufacturing plants there will be hundreds of thousands of jobs that will disappear. The next big debate will be a guaranteed minimum income from government. Tax rates on corporations will have to go up a great deal, maybe 50%. Sales tax of probably 20%. I assume the permanently unemployed could reach 15-20%. Not trying to be negative just realistic. At some point farmers will become contract operators producing under contract for corporations. Not a big fan of what some aspects of technology will do to society. Maybe I am dreaming just my thoughts for the day.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

SF3 you have a very negative view of many things. I don't see green everything as a panacea. But climate change is here (and always has been) and the costs (Benefits) will be more serious than you realize.

There, fixed it for you.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Indeed it is an odd day. To limited extent I have to agree with Chuck2. I think with self driving long haul trucks, self driving taxis, stores like Amazon's new store in Seattle with no tellers, robotic manufacturing plants there will be hundreds of thousands of jobs that will disappear. The next big debate will be a guaranteed minimum income from government. Tax rates on corporations will have to go up a great deal, maybe 50%. Sales tax of probably 20%. I assume the permanently unemployed could reach 15-20%. Not trying to be negative just realistic. At some point farmers will become contract operators producing under contract for corporations. Not a big fan of what some aspects of technology will do to society. Maybe I am dreaming just my thoughts for the day.

Have to agree, while we attempt to hold on to the past, and governments try to force us in a direction that favours their cronies, these new technologies will come along and completely sideswipe all of us and take us in a direction we haven't even perceived of yet.

In the very plausible, and likely conservative scenario you suggest, I think the next challenge is to stop measuring economic success by employment and growth, and instead measure it by productivity. If a handful of highly talented and educated people could produce what took millions to do manually a few short decades ago, why can't we actually enjoy it instead of lamenting that we don't get to work? This will be the big paradigm shift. Look at the current economic recession, supposedly caused by too much oil, gas, coal, iron ore, copper, corn, soybeans, house, etc etc. and not enough jobs, Does that sound like a problem to be solved, or a solution we just aren't programmed to accept?

As much as I am against governments picking winners and losers and misguidedly trying to direct our futures, I am all for the organic, from the ground up technological advances which will make our current unsustainable lifestyles better. But they will happen inspite of us fighting progress, and inspite of governments misdirecting resources against them for all the wrong reasons.

[SASKFARMER3]

What worries me is if we're all broke as countries and no one works in the new scenario! Then do we actually need people! Or do the wealthy run the show and the poor disappear forever!

That cull thing again comes up!

[jensend]

Klause that same number of rig crew is drilling holes faster and the technology has progressed so that it is more accurate and productive. That translates to fewer rigs and hands needed than even five years ago.

[seldomseen]

TIM BALL. .?? Talk about fake news . He doesn't even have the credentials he claims to have. Don't use him as your source, you mite as well make $hi& up and post it on Facebook

I know Tim has been in some controversies but he did have enough credibility to contribute to the Country Guide for a number of years mostly on weather issues. I believe he has a PhD in Geography from the University of Manitoba and a PhD in Climatology from Queen Mary Collage, University of London.
Maybe you could read his book and then point out to me any untruths or mistakes that he has made, so I can better understand.

[furrowtickler]

When some one can discredit Tim Ball for real - post it here.
Common sense ain't so common Amy more
Leftist leaning environmentalists remind me of Scientology cult

[burnt]

TIM BALL. .?? Talk about fake news . He doesn't even have the credentials he claims to have. Don't use him as your source, you mite as well make $hi& up and post it on Facebook

You want to discredit Tim Ball, but you listen to David Suzuki? David Suzuki, the Eco-Hypocrite and fruit fly researcher who admitted on ABC that he is not a climatologist? The same David Suzuki who doesn't think Canada should welcome immigrants because "we're full", but had 5 children, a huge family by today's Liberal standards?

The David Suzuki who hooks up with Al Gore, another world-class Eco-Hypocrite who made a fortune spewing climate-change rhetoric while spending $30,000/year supporting ONE of his mansions?

So yes indeed, Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to the chunkys and mussys and grassys of this forum.

But don't EVER try to convince me that liars and fraudsters make a positive contribution to any discussion.