Blue Planet in Green Chains - What is Endangered: Climate or Freedom?

The book published in May 2007 in Prague by the president of the Czech Republic, Václav Klaus, "Blue Planet in Green Chains - What is Endangered: Climate or Freedom?" has now appeared in German translation.

"I am of the same opinion as Professor R.S. Lindzen at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who recently wrote: 'Future generations will wonder in bemused amazement that the early 21st century's developed world went into hysterical panic over a globally averaged temperature increase of a few tenths of a degree, and, on the basis of gross exaggerations of highly uncertain computer projections combined into implausible chains of inference, proceeded to contemplate a roll-back of the industrial age.' Klaus expounds further: "The problem of global warming is more an issue for the social sciences than for the natural sciences. It is more about people and about freedom than about a change in the average temperature of a few tenths of a degree."

Climate or Freedom

In his book, Klaus keeps coming back to people's freedom, which he believes is being put at risk by "environmentalism". "This ideological movement has recently become the dominant option, winning out over ideologies that focus consistently and primarily on people's freedom."

"What I consider dangerous is the kind of environmentalism that has become a religion and that sets out to curb the spontaneous evolution of mankind. The champions of this ideology want to create a society that is constrained by regulations and prohibitions. This will come about at the cost of freedom."

In his book "Blue Planet in Green Chains", Klaus expresses his exasperation with the unscientific interpretation of data that is simplified and incorrectly reported. The associated propaganda machinery is also a thorn in his side.

This departure from the widely held view promulgated around the world by the media, by politicians and not least also by the Nobel Peace Prize committee is naturally inflammatory material for all who regard Klaus's book "Blue Planet in Green Chains" as an "elephant in a china shop" rather than as a contribution to critical discussion or as an attempt to provoke serious dialogue on the subject of environmental protection and freedom.

An Inconvenient Truth

Al Gore and the UNO panel on climate change (IPCC) were awarded the prize for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change.

Václav Klaus vigorously criticizes the decision to award the Nobel Peace Price to former US vice president Al Gore. He sees no connection between world peace and Gore's activities, says Klaus. In his book, Klaus also states very clearly his scathing opinion of Al Gore's Oscar-winning film "An Inconvenient Truth".

Czech Republic President Václav Klaus is one of the few people who has not allowed himself to be swept away by the general hysteria about climate catastrophe. Klaus doubts the credibility of the IPCC study: "Global warming is a myth, and I believe that any serious person and scientist will say as much. It is not a good thing to rely on the UN panel. IPCC is not a scientific panel: it is a political institution, a kind of NGO with a green disposition."

As a trained economist with the tools to give a comprehensive look at the problem from various different perspectives, Klaus gives a detailed explanation of his views on the subject in his book. The book quotes numerous international scientists and contains diagrams, statistics and calculations that give the lie to popular opinions and time and again elicit the "aha effect" in readers. Klaus puts one-sided, short-sighted, narrow interpretations intended to scare people into perspective. This different view of things presented by Klaus in his book "Blue Planet in Green Chains" is the first contribution by a European politician to introduce objectivity into what has until now been a one-sided discussion of environmental issues.
His warning against the hysteria in the debate about climate change should also be seen as a caution not to fall into the trap of "salutary flagellation".

"Economic growth is the solution to environmental problems, not their cause."

Using a chart taken from a study by McKitrick, the author shows that per capita CO2 emissions worldwide rose only until 1979 and have since then even been on the decline. Klaus regards this as a successful example of man's ability to adapt, which he believes should play an important role in the discussion overall. Klaus reaches the conclusion that riches and technological progress solve ecological problems, they do not cause them.

Truth or propaganda

"Writer Michael Crichton said: 'The greatest challenge facing mankind is the challenge of distinguishing reality from fantasy, truth from propaganda.' I too believe that this is the case. The hysteria about global warming is a supreme example of the problem of 'truth or propaganda?'. It takes courage to take a stand against 'established' truth. Many people - including leading scientists - see the subject of climate change completely differently. They abhor the arrogance of those who support the hypothesis of global warming and claim that it is caused by human activity."

However, Klaus in no way relieves mankind of the responsibility for taking care of the environment. Using a ridiculous phenomenon that also occurs in our part of the world, he shows how unnecessary stress on the environment can be caused. In a Japanese town with an abundance of mineral springs and where the townspeople even boast about their precious mineral water, Klaus was served French mineral water in heavy bottles while visiting the local university. "How ecologically costly it must be to ship normal water around the world when there is more than enough in the town. This is precisely the root of the problem for ecology and so-called careful treatment of the environment." We know this nonsense all too well in Vienna, where consumers buy normal water that they could pour straight from their tap or simply order "a glass of water."

A different view of things - an inconvenient truth?

The book by Václav Klaus should be standard reading in the ongoing discussion of the environment. Regardless whether you agree with him or not, Klaus's view, at variance with the opinions promoted to date, will at all events bring some balance into the discussion about the environment, a balance that has long been needed.
An exciting, highly political book that is both revealing and thought-provoking. Overall, it is also a contribution to a discussion of democracy that is often neglected in the context of environmental issues.

There is also interesting information in the appendix to the 128-page book, such as Václav Klaus's answers to the questions posed by the House of Representatives of the US Congress, or assessments like: "wind power plant as a substitute for Temelin nuclear power plant?"

The author:
Václav Klaus obtained a degree in foreign trade economics from Prague University of Economics (VŠE) in 1963. In the 1960s, he also studied in Italy and the USA. Between 1971 and 1986, he worked in various capacities at the Czechoslovakian Academy of Sciences (CSAV), the Czech Central Bank (Státní banka československá, Czechoslovakian State Bank, now CNB) and latterly at the Prognostic Institute of the Academy of Sciences (Prognostický ústav), where he worked in macroeconomics. He is a member of the Mont Pèlerin Society.

From July 1992 to July 1997, Klaus was prime minister of the Czech Republic. In February 2003 he was elected president of the Czech Republic. He is regarded as the single most important person behind the reforms to introduce a free market economy in the Czech Republic and the person who (together with Slovak Vladimír Mečiar) contributed the most to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.
Klaus is married and has two sons.

Information:

Blauer Planet in grünen Fesseln Was ist bedroht: Klima oder Freiheit? Author: Václav Klaus Published by Carl Gerold´s Sohn Verlagsbuchhandlung KG Vienna, November 2007 165 x 240 mm, 128 pages Price: € 25.- Orders: Tel.: +43/1/494 72 44, ISBN: 978-3-900812-15-7 office@cgs-verlag.at Carl Gerold´s Sohn Verlagsbuchhandlung KG