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Climate Change/Global Warming: Does it matter?

brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
in A Moving Train
I don't have anything specific to link here, no ground breaking news. Just a question- Climate change/global warming- does it matter? There's not argument anymore about climate change and global warming. Well, OK there is but not really, ya know? The evidence is all over the place, articles fill the pages of nature magazines and blogs and environment sections of papers. And yet last year (and possibly again this year) we poured more carbon into the atmosphere than ever before. (OK, since I made that claim, here's a link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/21/carbon-pollution_n_5857526.html?cps=gravity ). Is anything changing? 400,000 people marched for climate change action recently. Did it make your local news?

Please, tell me why I shouldn't be cynical or why I shouldn't feel like everything we've done to try to raise awareness and make changes regarding climate change/global warming and environmental degradation for the last 30 plus years wasn't a waste of time. Please tell me it's worth keeping up the fight. Or at least, PLEASE say something to make me laugh and feel better!
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













Comments

  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    You want funny? YOU WANT FUNNY?

    Alright, here!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16yKjz3mfHg
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    ^^^ Awwwwright! :)) That's funny!
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    Sorry bud, but I'm a pessimist here, there is no way we reverse this problem and clean this planet. Enjoy it while you can is my current philosophy :(
    The Rockefeller divestment from fossil fuel companies is reason for cheer though!
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    rgambs said:

    Sorry bud, but I'm a pessimist here, there is no way we reverse this problem and clean this planet. Enjoy it while you can is my current philosophy :(
    The Rockefeller divestment from fossil fuel companies is reason for cheer though!

    I guess that's why this issue is so frustrating- because I've grown pessimistic about it as well. What did Ed say? Fuck the pessimists? Ah oh....

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • backseatLover12backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    edited September 2014
    brianlux said:

    rgambs said:

    Sorry bud, but I'm a pessimist here, there is no way we reverse this problem and clean this planet. Enjoy it while you can is my current philosophy :(
    The Rockefeller divestment from fossil fuel companies is reason for cheer though!

    I guess that's why this issue is so frustrating- because I've grown pessimistic about it as well. What did Ed say? Fuck the pessimists? Ah oh....

    Did he say that? Awesome.

    …And of course it's worth it Brian. Just ask Stone...
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    backseatLover12 said:

    brianlux said:

    rgambs said:

    Sorry bud, but I'm a pessimist here, there is no way we reverse this problem and clean this planet. Enjoy it while you can is my current philosophy :(
    The Rockefeller divestment from fossil fuel companies is reason for cheer though!

    I guess that's why this issue is so frustrating- because I've grown pessimistic about it as well. What did Ed say? Fuck the pessimists? Ah oh....

    Did he say that? Awesome.

    …And of course it's worth it Brian. Just ask Stone...
    Yes! Good reminder- thanks! :-)

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • rr165892rr165892 Posts: 5,697
    Brian, just look at the changes that are right in front of us and compare them to what you saw as a kid,ya know before electricity.(just kidding,you wanted it light)
    There are completely electric cars,People actually care about emissions and car companies cater to enviormentally aware client.Shit,everyday I get stuck behind someone driving 10 mph slower then they should in a Prius.We recycle like it is second nature.I don't remember those bins in the 60-70s.Every major city now designates green spaces and has alternate transportation methods.Food and goods are produced in much more Eco friendly ways and shipped in enviormentally helpful packaging.Solar panels are everywhere.More and more people are respecting the earth and in return everything from water quality to animal populations are flourishing and being revitalized.It Dosent happen fast but it is happening.Climate change is inevitable and always has been.We are not going to stop the world from spinning and the sun shinning,and Mother Nature is going to do what she does.But I think we as a society are more dialed in then we were just 30 years ago(Remember the whole No Nukes thing).
    2 generations from now we will be way farther ahead and going in the right direction.

    I
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    rr165892 said:

    Brian, just look at the changes that are right in front of us and compare them to what you saw as a kid,ya know before electricity.(just kidding,you wanted it light)
    There are completely electric cars,People actually care about emissions and car companies cater to enviormentally aware client.Shit,everyday I get stuck behind someone driving 10 mph slower then they should in a Prius.We recycle like it is second nature.I don't remember those bins in the 60-70s.Every major city now designates green spaces and has alternate transportation methods.Food and goods are produced in much more Eco friendly ways and shipped in enviormentally helpful packaging.Solar panels are everywhere.More and more people are respecting the earth and in return everything from water quality to animal populations are flourishing and being revitalized.It Dosent happen fast but it is happening.Climate change is inevitable and always has been.We are not going to stop the world from spinning and the sun shinning,and Mother Nature is going to do what she does.But I think we as a society are more dialed in then we were just 30 years ago(Remember the whole No Nukes thing).
    2 generations from now we will be way farther ahead and going in the right direction.

    I

    Thank you for the positive vibe here, rr. I generally try to remain positively focused and optimistic much of the time (some would say, regarding my belief in peace as a possibility for example, overly optimistic) so I kind of regret making this thread because it is very negative. Due to a number of serious things happening that day- the local King fire exploding in size, the announcement that the Ebola outbreak was declared a global health emergency, news of the escalation of war, an article relating the fact that more carbon was being pumped into the atmosphere each year and reading an article that talked about anthropogenic climate change being unstoppable - that day felt apocalyptic to me. But my being pessimistic does not change or slow any of that so, sorry about that!

    You are correct in saying that there is more awareness of these problems today than in my childhood days- the days of horse drawn carriages, oil lamps and muzzle loading rifles (see how guns permeate every thread here, LOL!) And yet there is more pollution, more carbon in the atmosphere, a greater rate of species decline, and the rate of cancer has increased 44% since 1950- one year before my birth. Ironic, isn't it?

    I've read books that talk about how it would be best if civilization collapsed sooner that later in terms of the overall health of the planet and they are very compelling arguments. But I'm still optimistic and I still believe it makes sense to do what I can personally to be more dialed in (as you out it) and encourage others to be more dialed in and try to improve the overall health of life on earth and save our own species. Having read and learned what I have about ecology, environment and climate change, having that kind of thinking either makes me very optimistic or very much a fool. I hope I'm just optimistic.

    By the way, what you said about Prius drivers cracked me up but I have to tell you, I drive a Prius. I don't like holding people up or being held up so I either speed up, go around slow-pokes, or get out of the way and I still get 45 MPG. Must be a Florida problem with Prius drivers you have out there, hahaha! Test drive one sometime- you'll be surprised at how much get-up-and-go they have and the savings in gas makes them, in the long run, surprisingly affordable. That doesn't make them sustainable though. No car is sustainable- not even all electric cars- but the more fuel efficient the better. If I lived in a city I would rarely drive and as it is, I keep my driving to a minimum and ride share when ever possible.


    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    rr165892 said:

    Brian, just look at the changes that are right in front of us and compare them to what you saw as a kid,ya know before electricity.(just kidding,you wanted it light)
    There are completely electric cars,People actually care about emissions and car companies cater to enviormentally aware client.Shit,everyday I get stuck behind someone driving 10 mph slower then they should in a Prius.We recycle like it is second nature.I don't remember those bins in the 60-70s.Every major city now designates green spaces and has alternate transportation methods.Food and goods are produced in much more Eco friendly ways and shipped in enviormentally helpful packaging.Solar panels are everywhere.More and more people are respecting the earth and in return everything from water quality to animal populations are flourishing and being revitalized.It Dosent happen fast but it is happening.Climate change is inevitable and always has been.We are not going to stop the world from spinning and the sun shinning,and Mother Nature is going to do what she does.But I think we as a society are more dialed in then we were just 30 years ago(Remember the whole No Nukes thing).
    2 generations from now we will be way farther ahead and going in the right direction.

    I

    I think the general population is more dialed in, but corporations are putting up a more effective fight than they did in the early 70's when we got the landmark clean air and water acts. If we can bring industrial pursuits around to a longer-term style of business we can make some real progress. That being said, we can't stop the planet from warming to dangerous levels by cutting emissions, there is already too much CO2 in the atmosphere. In 2 generations things are going to be getting dire, as fossil fuels and clean water are going to be reaching their exhaustion point. We need novel solutions for making better use of cleaner energy, and novel solutions for CO2 elimination yesterday...I think we are the frogs in the boiling pot, we won't get the initiative to change until it is too late. Sad to think, but if we can't stop waging wars for profit how are we going to stop polluting for profit?
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    Unbelievably, the smog levels in Los Angeles have dropped dramatically over the years. I remember as a kid, the huge brown band across the downtown skyline. Haven't seen it to that degree in ages (though it does re-appear from time to time, depending on the weather and nearby fires).

    Brian, we have shitty Prius drivers in LA too :D Actually, we have shitty drivers in general! Lots of Priuses on the road though so maybe I just see it more on that side. Also, the Smart car drivers are among the worst in terms of speeding, zipping in and out of lanes. Had a few close calls with them.

    Not to come down on you! I know it's about the driver and not the car.
  • backseatLover12backseatLover12 Posts: 2,312
    Check out this guy Brian. He plans to remove all plastic from the oceans. Pretty smart.

    http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/the-20-year-old-who-plans-to-remove-all-plastic-from-the-ocean/
  • rr165892rr165892 Posts: 5,697
    Gambs,I think one of the best ways around your doom scenario would be huge breakthroughs in salt to fresh water conversion.I think I saw a Show that Australia was making great strides in this area.They have a huge plant in Sydney that uses moisture from sea spray and converts it.

    Brian,The one area where I'm a bit of aHypocrite is in vehicles.I still enjoy my Gas beast Lg SUV.And can't seem to make a change.I did change the air intake and chipped it for better HP and fuel economy.I think because I'm in my Vehicle all the time with work(Like a Mobile office) and I like the room inside.But that being said I am thinking about and planning to convert our fleet of Company trucks to more fuel efficient ones.Its a work in progress.
    Here in Florida when you come up on a Prius from behind you see just 2 hands,a little hair from the inside and an Obama sticker on the bumper.
  • rgambsrgambs Posts: 13,576
    With the EPA backing down on fracking, the US, and the world, is set to endure at least 50 years of methane exploitation. Despite what the industry claims, natural gas is among the "dirtiest" of the fossil fuels when methane emissions, CO2 emissions, and other contaminants are considered, and this is not including the huge industrial oil usage in producing the gas to begin with. Soon the pipelines will be connected and we will begin exporting LNG to Asia and Europe for 5 to 10 times the price we pay now. Global economics ensures our price will rise sure as shit. Desalination is never going to save us from Benzene, Toluene, or methane contamination of our aquifers. We are screwed.
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    rr165892 said:

    Gambs,I think one of the best ways around your doom scenario would be huge breakthroughs in salt to fresh water conversion.I think I saw a Show that Australia was making great strides in this area.They have a huge plant in Sydney that uses moisture from sea spray and converts it.

    Brian,The one area where I'm a bit of aHypocrite is in vehicles.I still enjoy my Gas beast Lg SUV.And can't seem to make a change.I did change the air intake and chipped it for better HP and fuel economy.I think because I'm in my Vehicle all the time with work(Like a Mobile office) and I like the room inside.But that being said I am thinking about and planning to convert our fleet of Company trucks to more fuel efficient ones.Its a work in progress.
    Here in Florida when you come up on a Prius from behind you see just 2 hands,a little hair from the inside and an Obama sticker on the bumper.

    No worries, rr. I drove a Dodge van for years and I remember what a blast my '65 Malibu was to cruise in! Not all cars need to be Prius, rr. Neil Young's big boat Lincvolt is very fuel efficient. I think we'll see a lot more of this in the near future.

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    rr165892 said:

    Gambs,I think one of the best ways around your doom scenario would be huge breakthroughs in salt to fresh water conversion.I think I saw a Show that Australia was making great strides in this area.They have a huge plant in Sydney that uses moisture from sea spray and converts it.

    Brian,The one area where I'm a bit of aHypocrite is in vehicles.I still enjoy my Gas beast Lg SUV.And can't seem to make a change.I did change the air intake and chipped it for better HP and fuel economy.I think because I'm in my Vehicle all the time with work(Like a Mobile office) and I like the room inside.But that being said I am thinking about and planning to convert our fleet of Company trucks to more fuel efficient ones.Its a work in progress.
    Here in Florida when you come up on a Prius from behind you see just 2 hands,a little hair from the inside and an Obama sticker on the bumper.

    No worries, rr. I drove a Dodge van for years and I remember what a blast my '65 Malibu was to cruise in! Not all cars need to be Prius, rr. Neil Young's big boat Lincvolt is very fuel efficient. I think we'll see a lot more of this in the near future.

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,042
    backseatLover12 said:

    Check out this guy Brian. He plans to remove all plastic from the oceans. Pretty smart.

    http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/the-20-year-old-who-plans-to-remove-all-plastic-from-the-ocean/

    This is awesome, bsl12! Encouraging, inspiring, smart- thank you!

    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













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