Enough said.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
It's the little things
Do you think you can't make a difference? Collectively, we all can. Buying recycled household paper products for tissues, toilet paper and paper towels makes a large difference. See the above article.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Parenting in the Age of Climate Change
Great article! I look forward to reading her book.
It seems that parenting responsibly means handing your children a better life than you were given. At least, we should not make things worse. How then do we deal with this issue - one that seems bigger than anything we have ever seen before? What other threats have we seen and felt unleashed seemingly upon the whole world?
Any local or regional threat (drought, war, famine, fire, flood) creates upheaval, but people can move. We cannot, yet, leave the planet for better pastures.
True world-wide threats almost seem sublime. Atomic bombs? Rational actors realize that MAD (Mutual Assured Distruction) seems to prevent a full world bombing. Asteroid impact? Either we ignore the problem as remote (physically, temporarily and statistically) or place our faith in science to discover a way to deflect or destroy the invader. Epidemic? Visit the country or seal ourselves off.
Global Warming? For those of us who can no longer ignore the awful truth, what is left to do? We can't pick and move. Well, we can, but to where? What land will be under water? Will there be fresh water? Will it get warmer or colder? Will it be wetter or drier? Who can I blame? What can I fix?
Almost everything I eat originates with petroleum unless I try really, really hard. Almost everything I buy originates with petroleum. Almost everything I do (the bits on your screen, right now) originates with petroleum.
We built this economy for over 100 years to be based upon a very cheap available resource. To solve the problem, we require a tremendous worldwide effort to change to something new, something sustainable, something with much lower impact.
We will all be better for it. Healthier and happier. I hope we can do it and that it will be enough. I would hate to leave these things for my grandchildren to clean up. I'd much prefer they get to enjoy the almost comical story of how we all managed to escape a global catasrophy.
PS: For a cynical view of this, read James Lovelock's opinion.
It seems that parenting responsibly means handing your children a better life than you were given. At least, we should not make things worse. How then do we deal with this issue - one that seems bigger than anything we have ever seen before? What other threats have we seen and felt unleashed seemingly upon the whole world?
Any local or regional threat (drought, war, famine, fire, flood) creates upheaval, but people can move. We cannot, yet, leave the planet for better pastures.
True world-wide threats almost seem sublime. Atomic bombs? Rational actors realize that MAD (Mutual Assured Distruction) seems to prevent a full world bombing. Asteroid impact? Either we ignore the problem as remote (physically, temporarily and statistically) or place our faith in science to discover a way to deflect or destroy the invader. Epidemic? Visit the country or seal ourselves off.
Global Warming? For those of us who can no longer ignore the awful truth, what is left to do? We can't pick and move. Well, we can, but to where? What land will be under water? Will there be fresh water? Will it get warmer or colder? Will it be wetter or drier? Who can I blame? What can I fix?
Almost everything I eat originates with petroleum unless I try really, really hard. Almost everything I buy originates with petroleum. Almost everything I do (the bits on your screen, right now) originates with petroleum.
We built this economy for over 100 years to be based upon a very cheap available resource. To solve the problem, we require a tremendous worldwide effort to change to something new, something sustainable, something with much lower impact.
We will all be better for it. Healthier and happier. I hope we can do it and that it will be enough. I would hate to leave these things for my grandchildren to clean up. I'd much prefer they get to enjoy the almost comical story of how we all managed to escape a global catasrophy.
PS: For a cynical view of this, read James Lovelock's opinion.
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