I see that one of Bernie's babies has hit problems: the Valencia race may be ruled out, thanks to a protest lodged by the Spanish environmental group, Formula Verda. Regardless of the outcome of the objection, this may be enough to prevent the European GP being held on the proposed street circuit, the inevitable construction delays making completion unlikely before the race's given date, August 24 2008.
There is some irony in the fact that Bernie has been caught out in this manner, the greenie pressure groups being a major factor in Max Mosley's plans for the future of F1. While Max runs around in circles, trying to make the sport acceptable to environmentalists, Bernie omits to pacify them before giving the new circuit the go-ahead.
But we should not be too hard on them; environmental groups are notoriously impossible to please, their ranks being filled with the extremists who detest anything created by humans and woolly thinkers who imagine they can have their cake and eat it. It was only a matter of time before F1 ran up against serious problems in trying to keep them happy and preserve some semblance of motor sport as well. The Valencia thing is surely just the first of many such protests and the sport needs to decide now whether it is better to fight or flee.
Max is obviously of the opinion that flight is best. Bowing to what he imagines is the irresistible force of the future, he tinkers around with the rules of the sport, apparently unaware that none of it will impress the greenies. The fact is that the green lobby will not be satisfied until F1 is wiped from the face of the earth and silly energy-saving measures such as those proposed by the FIA will be seen by environmentalists for what they are: sops to keep them quiet.
It needs to be faced head on. F1 is a sport that is fundamentally at odds with the illusions and myths of the environmentalists - if it is to survive, it must fight them tooth and nail. Half-hearted measures will not achieve anything more than a breathing space; the greenies will always return demanding more.
And it is not as if F1 is devoid of ammunition. Increasing numbers of respected and knowledgeable scientists are debunking the fallacies propagated by the greenies and warmies; every day there are fresh facts uncovered that make it clear that the global warming thing is a political scam and nothing more. The tide turns and public opinion turns with it, leaving Max high and dry with his illusions.
The problem remains that, at present, the politicians have bought into the myth and there is a proliferation of environmental legislation that F1 must contend with. Valencia is an example, the EU having given permission for the greenies to proceed with their objection. It is quite likely that F1 will lose that fight, unless large sums of money are delivered under various tables. Bernie may have reason to thank his lucky stars that Max sees it as his job to hand out enormous fines to all and sundry.
But the time to start fighting is now. The sooner the sport rejects the nonsense spread by those with vested interests in announcing global warming as a threat to mankind, the better its chances of winning support from the sensible people who make up the vast majority of the public. That is where the real battle lies, in the hearts and minds of the ordinary people. They have been fooled for a while into believing the global warming scam but that belief is leaking away, now that the lies of the warmies are being exploded. F1 must take advantage of that fact and lead in the campaign to get the facts known.
This is not a global warming blog and I will say no more; it is only Max's warping of F1 in his quest to appear green that forces me to mention the issue. I have no doubt that many of you will be thinking me crazy to attack the global warming thing with such vehemence but I have to if I am to see F1 survive as something at least resembling the sport we love. You don't have to take my word for it - just keep an open mind and go read Andrea's global warming blog if you want to understand what is really going on.
There is some irony in the fact that Bernie has been caught out in this manner, the greenie pressure groups being a major factor in Max Mosley's plans for the future of F1. While Max runs around in circles, trying to make the sport acceptable to environmentalists, Bernie omits to pacify them before giving the new circuit the go-ahead.
But we should not be too hard on them; environmental groups are notoriously impossible to please, their ranks being filled with the extremists who detest anything created by humans and woolly thinkers who imagine they can have their cake and eat it. It was only a matter of time before F1 ran up against serious problems in trying to keep them happy and preserve some semblance of motor sport as well. The Valencia thing is surely just the first of many such protests and the sport needs to decide now whether it is better to fight or flee.
Max is obviously of the opinion that flight is best. Bowing to what he imagines is the irresistible force of the future, he tinkers around with the rules of the sport, apparently unaware that none of it will impress the greenies. The fact is that the green lobby will not be satisfied until F1 is wiped from the face of the earth and silly energy-saving measures such as those proposed by the FIA will be seen by environmentalists for what they are: sops to keep them quiet.
It needs to be faced head on. F1 is a sport that is fundamentally at odds with the illusions and myths of the environmentalists - if it is to survive, it must fight them tooth and nail. Half-hearted measures will not achieve anything more than a breathing space; the greenies will always return demanding more.
And it is not as if F1 is devoid of ammunition. Increasing numbers of respected and knowledgeable scientists are debunking the fallacies propagated by the greenies and warmies; every day there are fresh facts uncovered that make it clear that the global warming thing is a political scam and nothing more. The tide turns and public opinion turns with it, leaving Max high and dry with his illusions.
The problem remains that, at present, the politicians have bought into the myth and there is a proliferation of environmental legislation that F1 must contend with. Valencia is an example, the EU having given permission for the greenies to proceed with their objection. It is quite likely that F1 will lose that fight, unless large sums of money are delivered under various tables. Bernie may have reason to thank his lucky stars that Max sees it as his job to hand out enormous fines to all and sundry.
But the time to start fighting is now. The sooner the sport rejects the nonsense spread by those with vested interests in announcing global warming as a threat to mankind, the better its chances of winning support from the sensible people who make up the vast majority of the public. That is where the real battle lies, in the hearts and minds of the ordinary people. They have been fooled for a while into believing the global warming scam but that belief is leaking away, now that the lies of the warmies are being exploded. F1 must take advantage of that fact and lead in the campaign to get the facts known.
This is not a global warming blog and I will say no more; it is only Max's warping of F1 in his quest to appear green that forces me to mention the issue. I have no doubt that many of you will be thinking me crazy to attack the global warming thing with such vehemence but I have to if I am to see F1 survive as something at least resembling the sport we love. You don't have to take my word for it - just keep an open mind and go read Andrea's global warming blog if you want to understand what is really going on.