We've come a ways, but there's an awfully long ways to go still. On this day of recognition, anyone got any ideas?[quote]More than 1 billion people all o..."/>
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REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS
Happy Earth Day...sorta
Thursday, April 22, 2010 6:28 AM
NIKI2
Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...
Quote:More than 1 billion people all over the globe will observe the 40th anniversary of Earth Day today, which promises to be the largest since that first event in 1970. In 2010, the environmental challenges we face are global and call for new solutions. Forty years ago we were reactive. In 1969, the year before the first Earth Day, two environmental disasters grabbed the country's attention: a massive oil spill coated the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, grew so polluted that it actually caught fire. Forty years later, with climate change looming and no strong international agreement in place despite the Copenhagen Climate conference, environmental activists are taking a proactive stance. They are arming themselves with the internet and social media to create another grass-roots movement for change, even larger than the first. How countries like India and China solve their future energy needs has an impact on people everywhere -- many developing countries are now pulling ahead of the United States on renewable energy -- and how the United States addresses its key issues will have an equal impact. Americans of all political stripes can agree on certain essential goals, such as how we must preserve the world's natural wonders for generations to come and how we must live in harmony with this world of finite natural resources. But not everyone sees the bigger picture -- that the global economy will improve by moving away from dependence on fossil fuel, that investments in renewable energy can create jobs and that a new revolution is needed to replace the outdated Industrial Revolution. More than 1 billion people all over the globe will observe the 40th anniversary of Earth Day today, which promises to be the largest since that first event in 1970. In 2010, the environmental challenges we face are global and call for new solutions. Forty years ago we were reactive. In 1969, the year before the first Earth Day, two environmental disasters grabbed the country's attention: a massive oil spill coated the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, grew so polluted that it actually caught fire. Forty years later, with climate change looming and no strong international agreement in place despite the Copenhagen Climate conference, environmental activists are taking a proactive stance. They are arming themselves with the internet and social media to create another grass-roots movement for change, even larger than the first. How countries like India and China solve their future energy needs has an impact on people everywhere -- many developing countries are now pulling ahead of the United States on renewable energy -- and how the United States addresses its key issues will have an equal impact. Americans of all political stripes can agree on certain essential goals, such as how we must preserve the world's natural wonders for generations to come and how we must live in harmony with this world of finite natural resources. But not everyone sees the bigger picture -- that the global economy will improve by moving away from dependence on fossil fuel, that investments in renewable energy can create jobs and that a new revolution is needed to replace the outdated Industrial Revolution.
Thursday, April 22, 2010 8:18 AM
AURAPTOR
America loves a winner!
Thursday, April 22, 2010 3:37 PM
Thursday, April 22, 2010 3:47 PM
CHRISISALL
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: bump... still a few hours left !
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:02 PM
KWICKO
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)
Quote:40 Years of fear mongering and getting it absurdly wrong.
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:20 PM
Quote:Originally posted by chrisisall: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: bump... still a few hours left ! Soylent Green & Back To The Future 2 also had their science pushed up too close to now; doesn't make 'em wrong, just not timely. The laughing Chrisisall
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:24 PM
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:27 PM
MAGONSDAUGHTER
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Earth Day Predictions, 1970 "We have about five more years at the outside to do something." Kenneth Watt, ecologist "Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind." George Wald, Harvard Biologist "We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation." Barry Commoner, Washington University biologist "Man must stop pollution and conserve his resources, not merely to enhance existence but to save the race from intolerable deterioration and possible extinction." New York Times editorial, the day after the first Earth Day "Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years." Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist "By...[1975] some experts feel that food shortages will have escalated the present level of world hunger and starvation into famines of unbelievable proportions. Other experts, more optimistic, think the ultimate food-population collision will not occur until the decade of the 1980s." Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist "It is already too late to avoid mass starvation." • Denis Hayes, chief organizer for Earth Day "Demographers agree almost unanimously on the following grim timetable: by 1975 widespread famines will begin in India; these will spread by 1990 to include all of India, Pakistan, China and the Near East, Africa. By the year 2000, or conceivably sooner, South and Central America will exist under famine conditions....By the year 2000, thirty years from now, the entire world, with the exception of Western Europe, North America, and Australia, will be in famine." Peter Gunter, professor, North Texas State University "Scientists have solid experimental and theoretical evidence to support...the following predictions: In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution...by 1985 air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half...." Life Magazine, January 1970 "At the present rate of nitrogen buildup, it's only a matter of time before light will be filtered out of the atmosphere and none of our land will be usable." Kenneth Watt, Ecologist "Air pollution...is certainly going to take hundreds of thousands of lives in the next few years alone." Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist "We are prospecting for the very last of our resources and using up the nonrenewable things many times faster than we are finding new ones." Martin Litton, Sierra Club director "By the year 2000, if present trends continue, we will be using up crude oil at such a rate...that there won't be any more crude oil. You'll drive up to the pump and say, `Fill 'er up, buddy,' and he'll say, `I am very sorry, there isn't any.'" Kenneth Watt, Ecologist "Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, believes that in 25 years, somewhere between 75 and 80 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct." Sen. Gaylord Nelson "The world has been chilling sharply for about twenty years. If present trends continue, the world will be about four degrees colder for the global mean temperature in 1990, but eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age." Kenneth Watt, Ecologist
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:32 PM
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:34 PM
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:36 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Saw Dennis Leary at the Roxy, here in Atlanta, sing that song. Front row seats. Great time.
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:40 PM
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:41 PM
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:46 PM
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:53 PM
HKCAVALIER
Quote:Originally posted by Magonsdaughter: Alanis Morrisette certainly didn't.
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:58 PM
Thursday, April 22, 2010 6:03 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Kwickie - Missed that Iron Curtain thing, did ya ? " We will bury you !! " Doesn't ring a bell ? Naw, probably not.
Thursday, April 22, 2010 6:05 PM
Friday, April 23, 2010 12:32 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Kwickie - Missed that Iron Curtain thing, did ya ? " We will bury you !! " Doesn't ring a bell ? Naw, probably not.
Friday, April 23, 2010 1:51 AM
Friday, April 23, 2010 2:30 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Why did they stop at Eastern Europe?
Friday, April 23, 2010 3:03 AM
PIZMOBEACH
... fully loaded, safety off...
Quote:Originally posted by Magonsdaughter: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Earth Day Predictions, 1970 "We have about five more years at the outside to do something." Kenneth Watt, ecologist "Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind." George Wald, Harvard Biologist "We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation." Barry Commoner, Washington University biologist "Man must stop pollution and conserve his resources, not merely to enhance existence but to save the race from intolerable deterioration and possible extinction." New York Times editorial, the day after the first Earth Day "Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years." Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist "By...[1975] some experts feel that food shortages will have escalated the present level of world hunger and starvation into famines of unbelievable proportions. Other experts, more optimistic, think the ultimate food-population collision will not occur until the decade of the 1980s." Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist "It is already too late to avoid mass starvation." • Denis Hayes, chief organizer for Earth Day "Demographers agree almost unanimously on the following grim timetable: by 1975 widespread famines will begin in India; these will spread by 1990 to include all of India, Pakistan, China and the Near East, Africa. By the year 2000, or conceivably sooner, South and Central America will exist under famine conditions....By the year 2000, thirty years from now, the entire world, with the exception of Western Europe, North America, and Australia, will be in famine." Peter Gunter, professor, North Texas State University "Scientists have solid experimental and theoretical evidence to support...the following predictions: In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution...by 1985 air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half...." Life Magazine, January 1970 "At the present rate of nitrogen buildup, it's only a matter of time before light will be filtered out of the atmosphere and none of our land will be usable." Kenneth Watt, Ecologist "Air pollution...is certainly going to take hundreds of thousands of lives in the next few years alone." Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist "We are prospecting for the very last of our resources and using up the nonrenewable things many times faster than we are finding new ones." Martin Litton, Sierra Club director "By the year 2000, if present trends continue, we will be using up crude oil at such a rate...that there won't be any more crude oil. You'll drive up to the pump and say, `Fill 'er up, buddy,' and he'll say, `I am very sorry, there isn't any.'" Kenneth Watt, Ecologist "Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, believes that in 25 years, somewhere between 75 and 80 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct." Sen. Gaylord Nelson "The world has been chilling sharply for about twenty years. If present trends continue, the world will be about four degrees colder for the global mean temperature in 1990, but eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age." Kenneth Watt, Ecologist Good to hear you are pro pollution and pro using up more resources! Let's pollute more, yay! Let's all sing along... You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna get myself a 1967 Cadillac, El Dorado convertible Hot pink with whaleskin hub caps and all leather cow interior And big brown baby seal eyes for headlights, yeah And I'm gonna drive around in that baby at 115 mph Getting one mile per gallon, sucking down quarter pounder Cheese burgers from McDonald's in the old fashioned Non-biodegradable Styrofoam containers And when I'm done sucking down those grease ball burgers I'm gonna wipe my mouth with the American flag And then I'm gonna toss the Styrofoam container right out the side And there ain't a goddamned thing anybody can do about it You know why? Because we got the bombs, that's why Two words, nuclear fucking weapons, okay? Russia, Germany, Romania They can have all the democracy they want They can have a big democracy cake walk Right through the middle of Tienanmen square And it won't make a lick of difference Because we've got the bombs, okay? John Wayne's not dead He's frozen and as soon as we find the cure for cancer We're gonna thaw out the duke and he's gonna be pretty pissed off You know why? Have you ever taken a cold shower? Well multiple that by 15 million times That's how pissed off the Duke's gonna be I'm gonna get the Duke and John Cassavetes (Hey) And Lee Marvin (Hey) And Sam Peckinpah (Hey) And a case of whiskey and drive down to Texas (Hey, you know you really are an asshole) Why don't you just shut-up and sing the song pal I'm an asshole (He's an asshole, what an asshole) I'm an asshole (He's the world's biggest asshole) A S S H O L E, everybody A S S H O L E Arf arf arf arf arf arf arf Fung achng tum a fung tum a fling chum Ooh, ooh I'm an asshole and proud of it
Friday, April 23, 2010 3:47 AM
Friday, April 23, 2010 4:03 AM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Why did they stop at Eastern Europe? Why did they TAKE Eastern Europe ?
Friday, April 23, 2010 4:06 AM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: And while conservation absolutely has its place, is a dire necessity, some have gone completely over board. There's a lot of space between going back to the stone age vs completely paving over the entire planet with asphalt. But simple minds want to deduce such things to, well, the most simple of terms.
Friday, April 23, 2010 5:38 AM
Friday, April 23, 2010 9:04 AM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Point is, when I was in HS, I FULLY bought into the GreenPeace, save the whales mentality.
Friday, April 23, 2010 10:12 AM
Friday, April 23, 2010 10:50 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Why did they stop at Eastern Europe? Why did they TAKE Eastern Europe ? To put as large and wide a buffer between Moscow and Germany as they could. Now answer my question: Why did they STOP at Eastern Europe?
Friday, April 23, 2010 10:53 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: Naw, t'was never more than a passing thought. And I'm sad to have it; the things I've seen and heard about elder care nowadays...
Friday, April 23, 2010 10:55 AM
STORYMARK
Quote:Originally posted by chrisisall: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Point is, when I was in HS, I FULLY bought into the GreenPeace, save the whales mentality. So you swung as far in the other direction in you old age to balance things out. Makes sense. The laughing Chrisisall
Friday, April 23, 2010 11:03 AM
FREMDFIRMA
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: I'm just hoping that when it's my time, I'll (a) know it's my time, and (b) have the strength to lift a pistol.
Friday, April 23, 2010 12:35 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: Nice to know he's always been a hard-core "follower".
Friday, April 23, 2010 12:57 PM
Friday, April 23, 2010 12:59 PM
Friday, April 23, 2010 1:00 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: Quote:Originally posted by chrisisall: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Point is, when I was in HS, I FULLY bought into the GreenPeace, save the whales mentality. So you swung as far in the other direction in you old age to balance things out. Makes sense. The laughing Chrisisall Nice to know he's always been a hard-core "follower".
Friday, April 23, 2010 1:02 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Why did they stop at Eastern Europe? Why did they TAKE Eastern Europe ? To put as large and wide a buffer between Moscow and Germany as they could. Now answer my question: Why did they STOP at Eastern Europe? Hell no. You think that was OK ? Or JUSTIFIED ? To just take over some countries to serve as a buffer ? That's like saying.... " Oh, he raped that girl cause she was pretty, and was wearing a skirt.... " Bones: "Don't 'rawr' her!" Booth: "What? she'rawred' me first."
Friday, April 23, 2010 1:06 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Why did they stop at Eastern Europe? Why did they TAKE Eastern Europe ? To put as large and wide a buffer between Moscow and Germany as they could. Now answer my question: Why did they STOP at Eastern Europe? Hell no. You think that was OK ? Or JUSTIFIED ? To just take over some countries to serve as a buffer ? That's like saying.... " Oh, he raped that girl cause she was pretty, and was wearing a skirt.... "
Friday, April 23, 2010 1:14 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Storymark: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Why did they stop at Eastern Europe? Why did they TAKE Eastern Europe ? To put as large and wide a buffer between Moscow and Germany as they could. Now answer my question: Why did they STOP at Eastern Europe? Hell no. You think that was OK ? Or JUSTIFIED ? To just take over some countries to serve as a buffer ? That's like saying.... " Oh, he raped that girl cause she was pretty, and was wearing a skirt.... " Just noting - Rappy still did not answer the question. "I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."
Friday, April 23, 2010 1:23 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: By the way, the Pentagon (under Bush, actually) DOES believe that climate change will be one of the main driving forces behind any future conflicts the U.S. is involved in, for whatever that's worth.
Friday, April 23, 2010 1:29 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: And while conservation absolutely has its place, is a dire necessity, some have gone completely over board. There's a lot of space between going back to the stone age vs completely paving over the entire planet with asphalt.
Friday, April 23, 2010 1:59 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: But global warming isn't real. so what's the point ? Certainly not man caused global warming, so your analogy is pointless.
Friday, April 23, 2010 2:02 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Magonsdaughter: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: And while conservation absolutely has its place, is a dire necessity, some have gone completely over board. There's a lot of space between going back to the stone age vs completely paving over the entire planet with asphalt. I can't see where conservation has gone completely overboard, we're still polluting our arses off. Much of the world is becoming a giant toilet (bathroom to you guys ) and really there have been few meaningful measures to reduce our footprint - carbon or otherwise - on this planet. We are facing resources problems and over population issues. It's not that we are facing an imminent dry up, it's that we'll spend years battling each other over those resources. What were the Gulf Wars really about - same old, same old. Who controls the oil, who gets access to the oil. I too have some issues with conservationists - especially around these parts where they object to wind farms and desalination plants and basically any form of alteration to the environment which is not realistic, but I want the main issues to be at the forefront of people's mind, including those who shape policy. That's where I get frustrated about climate change skeptics....so what if the predications aren't as dire (and there are few scientists who support that view). Trying to work out greener, more sustainable ways of living seems to be a win win in my mind.
Friday, April 23, 2010 2:06 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: But global warming isn't real. so what's the point ? Certainly not man caused global warming, so your analogy is pointless. The Pentagon begs to differ.
Friday, April 23, 2010 2:08 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: In Rappy's world, trying to live greener is "un-American". It will destroy the country if we try to lessen our impact on the planet.
Friday, April 23, 2010 2:10 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: When folks start politicizing the data, as was done 40 years ago, or today, THAT'S when conservation has gone over board. As I said, there's a happy(ier) middle ground in between the two extremes. I MAY be a bit naive on this matter, but it seems to me that we can raise awareness, respect for the planet, live cleaner & more responsibly, with OUT resorting to chicken little tactics of the global warming zealots.
Friday, April 23, 2010 2:12 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: In Rappy's world, trying to live greener is "un-American". It will destroy the country if we try to lessen our impact on the planet.
Friday, April 23, 2010 2:13 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: I MAY be a bit naive on this matter, but it seems to me that we can raise awareness, respect for the planet, live cleaner & more responsibly, with OUT resorting to chicken little tactics of the global warming zealots.
Friday, April 23, 2010 2:14 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AURaptor: You're backing Bush, the Pentagon..... why, you're nothing but a closet NEO CON!!
Quote: I'm sorry, but the evidence is clear on this matter. There is no man made global warming.
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