date: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:31:52 +0000
from: Sophie McCook <sophie.mccook@mainmccook.com>
subject: Re: expert needed
to: Tim Osborn <t.osborn@uea.ac.uk>

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Dear Dr Osborn,
Thank you very much!

This piece was inspired by 2 things - the first was an advert I saw in 
an old National Geographic. The second is, that although I consider 
myself very eco-aware and guilt-laden. I cannot manage to get myself 
plus 3 kids on to the bus, instead of opting for the much simpler car 
journey. I think there must be something fundamentally wrong - my 
suspicion is that deep down, it seems unnatural to make things harder 
for myself. And if I of all people can't change my behavior, how can I 
hope other people will?

I have highlighted my 'made up dialogue' in blue. I have posed 
questions to a real anthropologist so they will soon be replaced, 
hopefully with real information.

As you can see, I have added my own imaginary expert talking about 
climate change - I have cobbled together info which I gathered from the 
internet.

My questions to you would be: How long do you think it will be before 
the West notice the devastating changes that we have seen around the 
Northern and equatorial regions? Are we naturally buffered from change?

And: If mankind refuses to go backwards, do you think he will think his 
way out of trouble? Are we better at trying to find innovations? Do 
people only re-act to financial incentives (as in the Stern Report 
which focussed on economic reasons for going green)?

Finally: Are we too late? If Siberia is pumping bog methane at a rate 
of tons do we all pack up and leave now? Can we combat it? Or should we 
try and persuade a couple of volcanoes to blow up and cool the planet 
for a few years?

I would like to leave a concluding view from you if possible.


Many thanks, in anticipation, 
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Attachment Converted: "c:\documents and settings\tim osborn\my documents\eudora\attach\How Soon Is Nowdoc"
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Sophie McCook
On 23 Feb 2007, at 11:00, Tim Osborn wrote:

> Hi Sophie,
>
> I don't mind taking a look at your copy, though I'm not on expert on 
> why humans are not panicking about global warming!  Will you email it?
>
> Cheers
>
> Tim
>
> At 10:04 22/02/2007, you wrote:
>> Dear Dr Osborn,
>>
>> I am a freelance journalist who yesterday started to write a piece 
>> discussing the reasons humans are not panicking about global warming. 
>> I wrote the piece (around 900 words) straight away and filled in my 
>> 'expert' bits with my own made-up expert commentary. I do this so I 
>> can complete a first draft but of course I then make sure I replace 
>> my 'fill-ins'  with real feedback from a real expert!
>>
>> Saying that, the things that my own imaginary, out-of-my-brain expert 
>> was saying seemed very good (I am a screenwriter by trade) and for a 
>> second I thought - gosh, I am a loss to climatology.
>>
>> Is there any chance you could take a look at my copy? I really would 
>> like to have a qualified scientist to appear in my piece!
>>
>> Many best wishes,
>>
>> Sophie McCook
>
> Dr Timothy J Osborn, Academic Fellow
> Climatic Research Unit
> School of Environmental Sciences
> University of East Anglia
> Norwich  NR4 7TJ, UK
>
> e-mail:   t.osborn@uea.ac.uk
> phone:    +44 1603 592089
> fax:      +44 1603 507784
> web:      http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/~timo/
> sunclock: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/~timo/sunclock.htm
>
>
>

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