More to Peter Spencer's story?

The front page of The Australian has reported that there may be more background to Peter Spencer's reasons for hunger striking.

Read it here.

According to Peter Spencer's brother, there were family financial issues at play that may or may not have bearing on what he is doing now. However, attempts by The Australian to muddy the waters by bringing up an armed stand off he had with police 40 years ago after a marriage breakdown seems a bit ridiculous. It arguably makes for a better story, but I am wary of taking one crazy episode from someones youth as an explanation for something they are doing 40 years later. In fact, I am probably more wary of people who haven't done anything a bit questionable in their lives.

Always with these types of causes I bear in mind that we could all have egg on our faces at the end of the day. That natural caution is why I am generally not a joiner and how I wound up a climate skeptic. It occurred to me early on that Peter Spencer may be a bit nutty or snacking on the odd power-bar along the way (I certainly hope so), but at the end of the day it doesnt really matter, as he has publicised a little known government con-job perpetrated in the name of global warming, and that can only be a good thing.

The medico in me has been concerned from the get-go with his mental and physical health, given the extreme situation he has felt driven to. I hope there is some kind of resolution to the situation that allows him an out with his health and dignity intact, at the very least.

It would be a shame if the government was let off the hook on their policy decisions through media attempts at marginalising this poor bloke. Regardless of any background story on Peter Spencer, the issues he is protesting still stand.