Posted on 01/25/2007 10:31:10 AM PST by cogitator
Before attacking me, read the entire article and my comments on it.
Before starting to read the article, read the sentence above.
Former UN weapons inspector Hans Blix warned on Thursday that global warming was a greater threat than weapons of mass destruction, and advocated promoting peaceful nuclear technology around the world.
"The threat against the global environment and global warming are a greater threat than weapons of mass destruction," he told journalists on the final day of a visit to Egypt promoting his commission's report on reducing weapons of mass destruction worldwide.
"It is of utmost imperative that the whole world reduces the emission of greenhouse gases," Blix said. "Nuclear power can give the world enormous amounts of electricity without giving any greenhouse gases."
Blix gained prominence as the UN inspector who maintained ahead of the US-led invasion in 2003 that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction.
After leaving the United Nations, he was commissioned in 2003 by the Swedish government to lead a 14-member international commission to study how to end the presence of weapons of mass destruction in the world.
His remarks on Thursday came as the nuclear temperature in the Middle East was rising over Iran's decision to continuing enriching uranium in its own nuclear programme -- a move the US fears will result in the development of nuclear weapons.
Last month both Egypt and Jordan also asserted their right to develop peaceful nuclear technology, prompting fears of a regional nuclear arms race.
"The (nuclear non proliferation) treaty is under strain, but I think it is an exaggeration to say it is falling apart," Blix said, while admitting that Iran obtaining nuclear weapons would create "a long-term domino effect which would be very serious for this part of the world."
"The region would be much less tense if they didn't enrich their own fuel," Blix said, while conceding that Iran had the right to do so to support civilian nuclear technology. "But you don't need to exercise every right."
Instead he urged Iran to buy enriched uranium, as most countries with much large civilian nuclear programmes do, while calling for a system that would ensure Iran did so.
Blix also dismissed the notion that the United States would use the pretext of nuclear weapons to justify a strike on Iran, as it did against Iraq in 2003.
"I think after Iraq and Lebanon, the US public are increasingly against military measures," he said.
Blix singled out countries with nuclear weapons for not holding up their side of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and not reducing their weapons stocks or helping other countries develop civilian nuclear technology.
"Disarmament has been dead for several years," he said, referring to the lack of progress over the past decade at UN nuclear disarmament talks in Geneva as well as in the UN General Assembly.
"Nuclear weapon states have not fulfilled their part of the bargain," Blix said, explaining that if Russia, the United States and other countries eliminated their weapons, non-treaty adherents such as Israel, India and Pakistan would gradually get rid of their own as well.
Blix is engaging in idiotic hyperbole.
But he's actually right about nuclear power being a good idea to provide more energy globally, and it would have an environmental benefit of decreased carbon emissions.
He needs perspective; just ONE terrorist nuclear action would devastate the global economy, far more than 9-11 and I'm sure more than 50 years of economic effects from global warming. Who would care about the environment while digging out of the rubble of a massive global depression?
If it was abundantly clear that Iran was on the verge of a working nuclear weapon, the range of choices would be pretty limited.
I'm not going to debate/discuss this article. My opinions of it are clearly stated above. Feel free to add your own.
Blix!? I thought that guy was eaten by sharks?
And you are still tacitly agreeing with him. Hmmm....
Hmmm...Here's an idea: Let Hans search for evidence of global warming. That way it will never be found!
How, exactly?
That doesn't make it much of a threat. After all, he's already demonstrated that he feels nuclear weapons and other WMDs are no biggie.
Senile old Red.
Blix? Thought he was dead.
What are Blix's qualifications to speak on the matter of weather? In fact, what are Blix's qualifications to speak on the matter of anything?
Now that I mention it, does this guy remind you of Jimmy Carter? That is, a supposedly benevolent old guy with a competitive, envious streak a mile wide, for which he's willing to sacrifice goodness itself.
Hans must've watched the same show I watched on the History Channel about a week ago. The topic was the 10 most likely ways the human race could be wiped out and they ran the gamut from nuclear war to asteroid impacts to plagues/bioterrorism to gamma ray bursts to supervolcanos ....etc. But #1? Global warming, of course. ....and Fox News was mentioned as being the leading global warming skepticism/misinformation provider and Al Gore was featured as the leading voice of sanity. Does Soros own the History Channel?
I've posted a good number of articles, but I've never done the above. I thought this was a perspective worthy of comment (mostly negative).
How dare you!
Solution to balance of the space-time continuum
1) Pull the newly discovered ancient Leonardo painting from the wall of the old Italian house where it was sequestered.
2) Insert Jimmy Carter and Hans Blix into the space vacated in the wall and reseal.
and Voilla--space is appropriately occupied throughout the universe but our world is a better place.
That's the only part I agree with.
Stick to that policy. I always read what you have to say on my threads (even though I don't agree with it). When you post a thread with Blix making a ridiculous hyperbole it makes you look like a joke.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.