On 21/05/2021 06:07, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 20/05/2021 18:35, Tim Streater wrote:
On 20 May 2021 at 18:15:50 BST, Jack Harry Teesdale
wrote:

On 20/05/2021 18:12, Tim Streater wrote:
Â* On 20 May 2021 at 00:30:07 BST, Fredxx wrote:
Â* On 20/05/2021 00:08, Steve Walker wrote:
Â*Â*Â* On 19/05/2021 16:57, GB wrote:
Â*Â*Â* On 19/05/2021 16:18, Tim Streater wrote:

Â*Â*Â* If the alternative is climate catastrophe, then I'm
prepared to stop
Â*Â*Â* occasionally.

Â*Â*Â* How d'ye know that's the alternative?

Â*Â*Â* Let's do a risk analysis:

Â*Â*Â* Suppose all the scientists concerned about climate
catastrophe are
Â*Â*Â* wrong, then you'll be suffering a little inconvenience
unnecessarily.
Â*Â*Â* That's not the end of the world.


Â*Â*Â* Suppose all the scientists concerned about climate
catastrophe are
Â*Â*Â* right, but we refuse to suffer a little inconvenience. That
is the end
Â*Â*Â* of the world.
Â*Â*Â* It's not a "little inconvenience" when you are literally
unable to get
Â*Â*Â* to a family funeral in time without a petrol or diesel car!

Â* The same way we coped before the motor car, with careful planning.
Â* Actually, or course, we didn't cope, especially before phones. You
might get a
Â* letter a week later saying your 8th cousin had pegged it a week
previously in
Â* the west of Ireland.
Â* But then, people took that for granted. It was how it was. Today,
you tell
Â* people they will have to cope, and their response will be short,
pithy, and
Â* Anglo-Saxon.
Telegrams were a common method of fast communication before telephones
were widespread in homes.

What, in 1830? Gosh, who knew!


"Electric telegraph systems were in use commercially from the late
1830s, and expanded considerably in scope after they were nationalised
under Post Office control from 1870. For the next century the service
continued to be offered, although subject to considerable decline as the
telephone system became more widespread."

Spot on.