By way of Atomic Insights, I have now seen Margaret Thatcher’s address to the UN General Assembly on the issue of climate change.
It brought to mind a much more recent speech by another high profile British woman on an equally important issue.
Or is it equally important? Equal rights for both sexes, versus action on maintaining a human-livable biosphere? Well, I think so, but that’s because I think it all comes down to energy supply – and specifically for rich countries, wherein civilised debate over minutiae of feminism and equality in general is as ubiquitous as reliable and affordable electricity, maintaining the quality of this supply is paramount. But don’t just take it from me:
Women’s participation in modern civilisation is unparalleled in history and should be celebrated; this must be expanded, at the same time as any backward step should be fiercely opposed. In the absence of informed national policies that ensure appropriately clean and reliable energy for the future, will noble causes such as feminism advance… or contract?
The Actinide Age 
Kind of reminds me of the clip from the anti-nuke concert in the late 70’s that Dr. James Hansen uploaded http://www.mediafire.com/watch/?ohjkk482bpjt6yz
Hans Rosling did the washing machine story on the recent SBS ‘truth about population’ TV show. Right at the end he said rich countries should not deny Mozambique (where he was a medico) the chance to develop their coal reserves. It struck me how in countries like Australia and Germany we are utterly addicted to coal but we delude ourselves it can easily be replaced with wind and solar. Since there’s little or no chance of that happening before 2050 our disapproval of African coal makes us both hypocrites and colonialists. The solution must lie elsewhere.
I was so glad to see that on national TV. Yes, situations like that in Mozanbique are a paradox but the fact is they are entitled to aspire and seek the economic development which enables the reduction in drudgery and better opportunities for future, better surviving generations. I guess that’s a good reason to put lots of support behind cost effective CCS technology, especially if it looks like it can beat export SMRs past the post.