Posted: 04 June 2008 03:58 PM   [ Ignore ]
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Did you like the protagonist?
What could be edited out to shorten this?

(Click the post title to read the submission.)

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Posted: 06 June 2008 02:51 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]
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I would love to hear examples of what people do in everyday life to contribute to environmental health.  I know that, with three kids, it’s hard to change the way we function in our society to protect the big picture.  We recycle, will be trading in the SUV for something with a smaller footprint, and have been attempting to purchase locally grown organic foods.  But what else is there?  What do you do?

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Posted: 06 June 2008 08:32 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]
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I have to say that it is only difficult in the beginning stages.  Once you retrain yourself to think about it more and more it becomes easier and ideas spring out from everywhere.  However, it’s a learning process for all of us.  The best thing to do is to do all the easy things and stay educated on current events and technologies that can help.  One other thing I do that I feel is really important is to really examine a company before I buy their products.  This isn’t always easy but I try anyways.  I try to find the companies that encorporate environmental thinking into their business.

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Posted: 07 June 2008 01:38 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]
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It seems to me that there is little we can do to stop global warming.

Original ice core research showed that CO2 levels and temperatures were positively correlated.  This suggested that the CO2 causes the warming.  But it doesn’t.

Later ice core data shows which changed first, the CO2 level or the temperature.  It proves that CO2 increases come AFTER temperature increases, and can’t, therefore, be causing them.  Something else causes the global warming.

The best research I have come across shows that most of the increases in global temperature are the result of the sun.  Duh.  There isn’t much we can do about that.

As for using laws to protect wonderful creatures, it is a mistake to rely on a system (government) which gets its funding through coercion.  At best, it could be mildly effective and full of corruption.  At worst (and what seems to be the case), it will be destructive and full of corruption.  But don’t fret.  There’s a better solution.

If you wish to spend money protecting polar bears, invest in a wildlife habitat.  If you’d like so spend other people’s money without their consent, become a thief.  At least your thievery will be doing some good rather than spreading war, fear, and terrorism (er, sorry, I guess I should use the Bush euphemism for it: “democracy”.  Alas, my fingers won’t tolerate the deceit).  And people you steal from, I think, won’t have to pay taxes on what you stole.  I think you might have to though wink.

I love doing good.  I hate when I am tricked into doing evil.  It’s hard to tell the difference sometimes.  Let’s just agree not to force each other to pay for stuff, ok?

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Posted: 07 June 2008 01:56 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 4 ]
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Well I personally don’t recall asking you to spend money to save the Polar Bears or any other animal, but apparently thats what you got out of my article.  It’s not an issue you can throw money at in my opinion.  It’s an issue that goes above money and economies which are man made creations.  As for your theory on CO2 and global warming, you are entitled to disagree with about 95% of what science has to say if your so inclined.  And I am entitled to agree.  Facts are facts.  Any idiot can see that the sun plays a part in warming the earth because none of us would be alive otherwise.  Thats 2nd grade science class.  Co2 is far from being the only cause of global warming I agree but the point is that human activity is speeding up an otherwise very slow process.  Yes the earth cools and warms naturally.  But over a period of millions of years.  Since the industrial revolution, the earth has been warming more rapidly.  It is not difficult to see that there are human related causes to environmental problems.  And even if there weren’t…is it so bad to practice conservation etc.?  Your ice data is incomplete by the way.  CO2 increases after a temperature increase.  Thats correct.  But what your leaving out is the fact that co2 causes a slight increase which then makes an even better environment to create more co2.  It’s exponential.  The hotter we get the easier it is to heat it up more.  Sadly, i totally agree with you on the fact that governmemt is corrupt when it comes to wildlife protection or anything else for that matter.  But again, not sure what your talking about in regards to the stealing money comment.  Who is stealing your money?  Me?  For writing an article?  greenpeace for asking for donations?  You donate if you want or you don’t.  No one is stealing money from anyone to save a polar bear.  Unless your one of those people that think you should be paying less for gas and so it’s ok to destroy a natural place for that reason.  Then I guess I can see your point.  I think your 100% wrong but I can see where your coming from.

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Posted: 07 June 2008 03:24 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 5 ]
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Sorry.  Stealing money is how laws get enforced.  Most environmentalists seek legislation.  I subscribe to the idea that if I don’t want to pay for a service and I’m happy without it, then providing it to me anyway and then threatening me with property seizure or incarceration if I don’t pay for it, is theft.

GreenPeace donations are excellent.  If they can help, I’m all for them.

I understand the idea behind the self-reinforcing cycle of global warming and CO2.  I just can’t figure out how the earth ever cooled down before if that cycle is real.  I think there’s probably some other effects that mitigate the exponential temperature increase.  One idea I had is based on the fact that plants tend to grow bulkier in high CO2 environments.  This would increase the rate at which they pull water out of the ground and evaporate it off their leaves, and the increased water vapor would form more clouds, which would deflect more heat from sunlight.  But who knows.  Maybe we’ll all get baked.

I’m sorry if I offended you.  I didn’t know that you already knew about the ice core stuff.  I think we’re on the same side, but we’ve been underestimating each other’s comprehension of the situation.

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Posted: 08 June 2008 03:18 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 6 ]
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Your probably right.  Fact is there is a lot of ways to interpret all the science.  I think the best government is one that doesn’t have to govern because people will make the right decisions but we have proven that to be 100% wrong 90&#xof; the time…..(huh?)  I don’t like it when I have to pay for services that I don’t want or use either….like schools.  I don’t have kids, why should I have to pay for that?  But i understand that it is for the greater good and sometimes that works in environmental cases as well.  It is very frustrating to me when environmentalists try to save the earth politically though.  It is not an issue that can be solved in courtrooms and congressional hearings.  It’s something that has to be solved in the eyes and hearts of individuals like you and I.

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Posted: 09 June 2008 01:53 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 7 ]
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In the cases where the greater good is supported in a truly voluntary way, it flourishes.  When we are free enough, we often choose to put time, effort, and/or money into the greater good.  That’s how America grew so strong in the first place.  It’s a shame that the government has taken over so much of it.  By taking away the freedom to decide what greater good we want to support, they have ruined and continue to ruin most of it.  It isn’t entirely their fault.  They are simply responding to the human desire to belong and be parented (and unfortunately, many of them (Hitler) exploit that desire as well).  Eventually, governments buckle and fail under the weight of the expectations that their citizens heap upon them.  I write of hyperinflation, which has taken down several governments.

Let’s find other people who have matured beyond dependence on their parents well enough to govern themselves.

I look forward to tighter communities and the failure of government.  High gas prices help people depend more on their neighbors, so I see a silver lining there - as well as the cleaner air to breathe.  In tighter communities, more people will be interested in helping to educate children not only because of the gratitude that those students and their families would feel, but also because those kids will be taking care of us when we’re older.

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