Press rules: fossil fuel bans.

Good day. First of all, are there any questions relating to the press conference that was aborted yesterday?

(FOGEY raises hand.)

Colonel?

If international co-operation is essential to fix climate change, how is the Coalition going to obtain universal co-operation, Ma'am? World peace seems to be a prerequisite, and that is unachievable. So what's the Coalition's plan?

That's a very good argument, Colonel. Climate chaos cannot be solved on a global scale unless there's world peace first, I agree. But the prognosis is that world population will diminish by the end of this century by well over eighty percent, whether as a consequence of war, starvation, one-child per family, pandemic, a nuclear exchange, or whatever. At that time in the future, when there may be less than half a billion humans left, then a sustainable society will become a possibility. That's why refuge is needed, so that our people here will be numbered among the survivors. We're not just idealists gazing at the stars; we just want to survive and our children and grandchildren to survive too.

Is that clear, Colonel?

Yes, but how can you be sure that the human population will diminish by eighty percent by the end of the century? Where is the evidence?

Of course, there's no absolute certainty in science, Colonel, but most projections show a substantial decline in human population by the end of this century. For instance, the population of China is expected to halve by two thousand and sixty, thanks to the one-child-per-family policy. The outlook for the twenty-first century is a great die-off; both of humans, and other species. Make no mistake, Colonel!

From an ecosystem standpoint, no species can be an apex-predator and concurrently overrun the planet like rabbits. That'd be ecologically impossible, Colonel.

Up till now, little's been achieved to lower greenhouse gas emissions. In nineteen hundred and ninety, greenhouse gas emissions were thirty-eight billion tonnes; in two thousand twenty-one, over fifty-four billion tonnes, a forty-four percent increase.

(Lieutenant raises hand)

Of course, it's cumulative emissions that dictate climate; but annual emissions're still rising, and oil companies haven't been reined in or closed down.

Lieutenant?

The lack of progress on curbing emissions is hardly surprising when the global elite're unwilling to curb propaganda, or compromise on lifestyle. Fossil-fuel-based air travel continues to contribute three percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Exactly. And fossil-fuel-based fertilisers around half that. Simply cutting-out artificial fertilisers would shrink agricultural production, erode soil-fertility, and thus undermine the gains of the Green Revolution, leading to poor-man starvation. (LIEUTENANT raises hand.) The best alternative is organic farming.

Lieutenant?

Is there a handout on all this? We'll need to explain it all to the public.

Absolutely. A handout'll be coming round soon.

An alternative hypothesis is called every-last-drop-of-oil, exemplified by some countries in Asia where over ninety percent of earnings come from exporting fossil-fuels, so that any path to zero-carbon is economically unpalatable.

(LIEUTENANT raises hand.)

Lieutenant?

What about methane leaks?

Yes, methane leaks caused more global warming in twenty-twenty-two than pan-UK carbon-emissions. While propaganda remains upbeat, a likelier future reality involves ongoing endless extraction, with concomitant, progressive unmanaged-depopulation. These're predictions by UN agencies.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was measured at over four-hundred-twenty-five parts per million at Mauna Loa in April two thousand and twenty-three. This represents a fifty percent increase over the last seventy-five years, and is the highest for the last eight hundred thousand years, according to the evidence from ice cores taken in the Antarctic.

(FOGEY stands and waves papers agitatedly.)

This evidence (and the work of the IPCC) predicts that the world'll achieve a plus one-and-a-half degree warming (which was originally our target for the end of the century) within the next few years.

Sit down, Colonel.

Colonel?

At this point, I must object.

What's the nature of the objection, Colonel?

The data was falsified.

You cannot recall even reading the relevant report, Colonel, so how would you know?

Do your homework, Colonel.

Moving on, please note that section seven of the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act specifically envisages a precautionary approach, even if there's scientific and technical uncertainty about those risks.

In response to this prospect of upcoming climate chaos, the government has determined on several steps, the first of which is to eliminate most fossil-fuel-powered air travel as from midnight tomorrow.

With that in mind, from midnight tomorrow, air traffic movements involving fossil-fuelled aircraft will cease. There'll be an exception made for military aircraft, military drones, and military helicopters, whether used by our own air force or our allies. There'll also be a short-term exception made for Police, Ambulance, Fire and Emergency services. They'll need to re-equip within twelve months.

(LIEUTENANT raises a hand.)

Yes, Lieutenant, I'll take one short question now.

(Still seated.)

Won't this all be a complete waste of time if climate change is not happening?