David's comments 2026-06-09

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@@ -4,6 +4,61 @@ title: Dissertation log
 author: Joe Carstairs
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+## 2026-06-09
+
+I met David de Pomerai yesterday. He had only a few comments and thought I was
+on track.
+
+I should address the issue, that climate change is not a one-off catastrophic
+event like nuclear Armageddon, but something gradual and continuous. I've made a
+note in chapter 2.
+
+David is expecting me to elaborate on the other aspects of apocalyptic language
+apart from the end-of-the-world motif which green rhetors are missing. This is
+already part of my plan for chapters 2 and 3, so I've made no changes.
+
+David raised an eyebrow at my unsubstantiated assertion (which needs filling out
+anyway) that the 'energy transition' shows no sign of starting. He argues that
+there are some signs, namely, falling coal consumption in China, electrification
+of cars, and increasing production of renewable energy. I made a note of these
+caveats.
+
+David liked my comment on the _gilets jaunes_, but added that a similar
+spectacle had been seen in the UK under the Brown government, when he tried to
+introduce a 'fuel price escalator' which had to be cancelled after protests from
+lorry drivers. I've made a note to investigate later this in chapter 1.
+
+David thought that my comments on how the fossil fuel industry exploits science
+for its interests and the comparisons to the tobacco industry were cogent, but
+wanted detail. He thought the specific tactics mattered. In the case of the
+tobacco industry, he said, companies created doubt with a 'blunderbuss' tactic,
+admitting that smoking could contribute to lung cancer while investigating
+hundreds of alternative possible contributory causes. He'd like to see me
+explore whether the fossil fuel industry is currently using similar tactics.
+I've made a note in chapter 1.
+
+David noted my comment that fossil fuel companies are acting rationally (which
+as yet needs to be expanded and evidenced). He made a comment like 'they're
+seeing the writing on the wall for fossil fuels,' suggesting he thinks that
+'acting rationally' for fossil fuel companies means secretly planning for an end
+to fossil fuel exploitation. I don't think this is true at all, noting that
+fossil fuel companies have already set aside enormous amounts of future
+exploitation potential, as documented in Naomi Klein's _This Changes
+Everything_. I've made a note in chapter 1 to consider this when I expand the
+point.
+
+On the term 'Anthropocene', David commented that it was never accepted as a
+geological epoch, though it does have huge currency, noting the 'Anthropocene
+Briefing' in _Nature_, and mentioning Paul Crutzen as the one who coined the
+term. I've made a note in chapter 1.
+
+We discussed that I need to find examples of green success. He mentioned Luis de
+Silva and the Earthshot prize. I also need to make the link between practical
+success and successful rhetoric. This is a big ask, and is something I should
+bear in mind as I progress through my dissertation. I'm aware I'm currently
+short on examples; I may need to spend a couple of days doing more reading when
+I get to chapter 3.
+
 ## 2026-06-02
 
 ### @{rootes-2016}