Amazon River Disaster & Global Warming Facts
- Thread starter Heiko Bleher
- Start date
Very true. We keep waiting for technology to save us, when what we really need is a return to the basic concept of sacrifice.
I try to do my part, I feel like I do more than many of those immediately around me in my small town (compost, recycle everything even though it means lugging it to the bins myself, buy used everything as much as possible) but compared to a real hard core environmentalist, it's small potatoes. I don't have a composting toilet, I don't grow my own food. Why? It's too much work or it's out of my comfort zone.
But that's what we need to do to really make a difference, not just replace lightbulbs, but use natural light. Not just drive a hybrid, but drive less. Not just buy organic produce but buy local produce, or grow your own. It's all about less buying...not just buying the "right" thing.
I think a little huff and puff is good. It doesn't make us hypocrites just because we don't do everything right. We all need to believe that we can make a difference, that what we do does matter. Sometimes it even saves us money, which is indeed great.
But many of the "green" things I do, I hardly think about the money saved...composting and recycling don't really save me money, certainly buying earth friendly cleaning products like Method products, doesn't. Although the main reason I do that is because I'm nursing along a 30+ year old septic system, and while vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice etc. are great...sometimes they just don't cut it. I don't want to wash my clothes with borax, sorry!
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A sacrifice is only a sacrifice if you do it voluntarily. If you're compelled to exchange something of greater value for something of lesser value (the basic definition of sacrifice) the words "theft" and "blackmail" are much more accurate than "sacrifice". That's the real problem.
I never told anyone what to do, i just stated what was wrong and why it was our fault.
The consider this: Its not a sacrifice, is saving your own ***. Help earth, you will increase you likely hood of survival, hurt earth, you lower it. Simple, and no sacrifice involved.
Very good! You've learned the true nature of sacrifice at a relatively young age! Giving something up isn't a sacrifice unless you value what you give up more than what you get. Many people never learn that, which is why they say stupid things like how much they sacrifice for their children. You are being true to your stated values. Now we need to work on the process by which one chooses their values!
If you really wwant to reduce yourc arbon footprint, the mostefficeient way is to not exist. All the reaali environmentalist sare already gone. If yourestill alive it;s only beacuse you vealue youre own life over the wellbe ing of the earth.
Technology....sucks. Except for everything built before 1900 because we basically relied only on agricultural and not technology, i.e. textiles and raw materials, i.e. steel, to survive and fund our country. Thus it would seem our drive to build and create is inadvertently killing us I suppose. My $0.02 today? Score +1 to the horse-drawn plow.
I hate politics.
I hate politics.
There's no point in arguing if climate change is man-made. The vast majority of climate scientists think that it is, and while they could be wrong, their best guess is way better than anyone's on here. Anyone who thinks it's not man-made has an agenda and then finds "facts" to support it (a tremendously common type of thinking, sadly), rather than looking at all available information and drawing conclusions from them. So there's no point in arguing with them.
Now what to do about it? I tend to think if we manage to save the planet as it currently is, it will be through new technologies that clean the environment and sequester things that are harmful to it. This is far more likely than trying to get massive cultural and political changes. It's good for everyone to try to do their part, but in the end it's not terribly efficient when dirty technologies are cheaper for most of the developing world. And who is any developed nation to tell emerging countries they shouldn't use those dirty technologies, when they're the main reason the developed countries are where they are?
I walk everywhere, I don't eat meat or dairy (a MASSIVE part of anyone's carbon footprint, though environmental reasons are not at the heart of this decision for me), when I had the option in Wisconsin, I paid more to power company to supply my household's electricity from wind farms, I recycle, I try not to buy junk I don't need, etc., etc., etc.
Does all of this make a real difference? Nope.
Now what to do about it? I tend to think if we manage to save the planet as it currently is, it will be through new technologies that clean the environment and sequester things that are harmful to it. This is far more likely than trying to get massive cultural and political changes. It's good for everyone to try to do their part, but in the end it's not terribly efficient when dirty technologies are cheaper for most of the developing world. And who is any developed nation to tell emerging countries they shouldn't use those dirty technologies, when they're the main reason the developed countries are where they are?
I walk everywhere, I don't eat meat or dairy (a MASSIVE part of anyone's carbon footprint, though environmental reasons are not at the heart of this decision for me), when I had the option in Wisconsin, I paid more to power company to supply my household's electricity from wind farms, I recycle, I try not to buy junk I don't need, etc., etc., etc.
Does all of this make a real difference? Nope.
