Dee Nile...
SamSpade said:
NOT in denial that it is taking place, as some on this board are.
...here.
Warming in what context? The last 100 years? 500? How about the excellent data recording of 5,000 or even 50,000 years ago?
And what did we do 'wrong' then? Too many fires in the cave? Use unseasoned wood?
My whole point is that ANYTHING that is happening to this planet is irrelevant in a conversation of what 'we' can or should be dong about. It is meaningless
in, as you say, the big picture.
First off, people who complain about our use of fossil fuel and then want us to drive Yugo's or ride a bike instead of build nuclear reactors are not interested in solutions; they're interested in how they feel about it.
Second, if we stopped using oil tomorrow, it would have ZERO positive effect on global warming. Is China gonna stop? The rest of the developing and growing world? Who is supposed to freeze to death or starve in the name of Mother Earth? Any volunteers? Who gets to die when their Super car gets flipped over by the wind or it bumps into a tree?
Matters of degree you say? Reduction, not elimination? Fine, so we cut back, what, 10% and then what? NOTHING, that's what. Anything we don't use WILL be used by someone else and cheaper to boot because of supply and demand.
It is beyond absurd to not recognize that our energy use is accelerating and will continue to do so...forever. When the conversation is based on this irrefutable FACT then I'm interested.
200 years ago I used some wood to heat the home, cook some food, a few logs at a time. I am using exponentially more energy to type this WORD and to have a light bulb in the room which is to say nothing of the energy used in making this computer and building and distributing and selling the light fixture. And I still haven't made lunch nor is it all that cold or hot outside...at the moment.
We WILL use more and more and more energy per person than yesterday and this will go on and on and on. We will turn a barrel of oil or some gas or some coal or some radioactivity or wind or sun or switch grass or corn or flowing water into ever more refined energy to live our lives.
This equation will multiply and magnify as person after person, throughout the world, raises their standard of living. Fast forward two generations when the Chinese live as we did two generations before now. That right there will double the use of energy. Where will we be? Where will the other 5 billion or so people be? India, Europe, on and on?
Do we keep them in the desert, the jungle, away from modernization?
Anyone who truly cares about our environment, including me, MUST face reality and understand that NOTHING would be better for us than to USE UP oil as fast as possible. For every MPG increase in fuel standards we mandate, there is more oil for some other Shmoe in East BF to burn, and he will burn it. We use up oil, we move on to the next great thing.
I'll grant you that we are the 'problem' on one condition; We talk about EFFECTIVE solutions. I'm not interested in feel good chat about wind mills, sweaters and tiny cars.
Then, just when we all feel better and our air is PERFECT, good old Mother Nature might just plummet us into the deep freeze anyway or melt us or crack open her crust for awhile and mess us all up.
Where do you think he gets all of his accurate info? If it's on the interweb thingy then it must be true! Everyone knows that.
