I haven’t posted much of late because I just can’t justify the time I used to spend here anymore (not that I’d take a moment back, really). I made a promise to myself I would only post if I felt I had something of worth to add beyond bolstering the liberal, Democratic, environmentlist POV that many other diehard LR posters are doing a better job at than I ever could.
So, given my opinion that the only thing worrying about these days, if you really think it through I mean, is how the people of this planet can curb and ultimately stop the release of human caused fossil carbon into the atmosphere, I give you this link:
There is a webcast presentation tomorrow of what I feel is the crux of the issue and where we, especially as North Americans (OK, US citizens), need to face ourselves in the mirror and once again become the a country worthy of respect and leadership. You can check out the PowerPoint as a preview but I think the discussion is going to be very interesting.
Our consumer economy, the one where we need to buy stuff to get back our “standard of living”, is the very thing that’s going to be our undoing if we don’t figure out how to account for it’s role in driving climate change. I know it’s within our abilities to do so but is it likely given how great the cultural and societal differences there are between the world’s peoples?
Tim, who is going to be the hammer, the enforcer to get other countries to clean up their act? I’ve been to a few countries, not many but a few and I can’t say I’ve ever been in a less polluted place than the USA. We have agency after agency to control us. I think we have done our share. Who is going to tell Mexico, Russia or India to clean up their smoke belching factories or automobiles, and what will be done when they tell you to go screw yourself? Sick the UN on them?
Not that I think it matters, because I am sure humans will burn up every last bit of fossil fuel left in the earth regardless of what the USA does,
BUT
though america is not polluted, a huge portion of the pollution everywhere else is a direct result of making OUR products.
=)
Tim, who is going to be the hammer, the enforcer to get other countries to clean up their act? I’ve been to a few countries, not many but a few and I can’t say I’ve ever been in a less polluted place than the USA. We have agency after agency to control us. I think we have done our share. Who is going to tell Mexico, Russia or India to clean up their smoke belching factories or automobiles, and what will be done when they tell you to go screw yourself? Sick the UN on them?
Tim, you are absolutely right on with your observation.
What kind of behaviors and traits do you seek in a leader? Find that person or country or entity and let them be “the hammer”.
It’s simple really. We, the American people, are born leaders and we once held the trust of the World’s people in our hands. We can get it back. I know we can. The young people I work with every day are my inspiration. They get it; it’s only a matter of time that become the leaders I know they are capable of being. And time is big question mark. But what else are we going to do? Give up? Not me, not my friends and colleagues, and I hope, not my fellow Americans.
We don’t hold moral authority on much anymore. We can again and what better issue than energy use, consumption, and environment. It will be a great day when we do regain that trust; not as a hammer but as part of a coalition where we are willing to give up our old and harmful “way(s) of life”. Destroying the planet’s ecosystems is not in the Bill of Rights so let’s show the world that we now accept responsibility for our past ignorance and recent willful denial of our role in this disaster we are facing and become the leaders we once were.
For instance we often seek to improve efficiency to reduce the use of natural resources and reduce pollution. But this doesn’t work, in fact it has the opposite effect:
The root problem is too many people. There are real solutions to this that do not require fascist societies. Education, birth control, genetic engineering, can get us there. It can make us more forward thinking, reduce our numbers, and as a result maintain a high standard of living while not using up our resources faster than they can be generated.
Any attempts to be cleaner and more efficient and more clever WITHOUT also controlling population just creates more people. You accomplish nothing.
What do you mean by “free”?
Anarchy? No of course not.
So, I’ll just put you down as a quitter then shall I?
So, if I play along too, does that mean I will have to ride a bamboo bike with bamboo wheels and tires, a coconut shell for a helmet, a burlap sack for my outfit, leave for a race four days early on my bamboo bike (dont want to drive and burn fuel and pollute the air)…Stay over nite in the park and not a hotel, never go to a race that involves flying to get there (kona), grow my own food, move closer to work (never did like the city) so I dont have to drive to work. When purchasing something on the internet, make sure thay deliver it via pigeon and not a truck that drives right to my door after it flew across country to said truck. Well, I can say I commute “almost” every day on the bike, thats got to count for something yes?..I tried to put a wind turbine in my yard but the HOA denied that request!
I would say on the average, your typical “active” triathlete pollutes more, uses more fossil fuel and purchases more items that are petro based than your average couch potato…And dont forget all that evil CO2 your off gassing while training for a race or just staying in shape!
And I better not see anybody with a tri wet suit either…
Hopefully your feeling so guilty now, our tri attitude is contributing to global warming, climate change…Hopefully, I will see leass peeps at races now…Speaking of races, when we race, look at the huge contribution to climate change we add from that…
Tim, who is going to be the hammer, the enforcer to get other countries to clean up their act? I’ve been to a few countries, not many but a few and I can’t say I’ve ever been in a less polluted place than the USA. We have agency after agency to control us. I think we have done our share. Who is going to tell Mexico, Russia or India to clean up their smoke belching factories or automobiles, and what will be done when they tell you to go screw yourself? Sick the UN on them?
Since we’re talking about climate change (subtly different to pollution I grant you) and hence CO2, here’s a few stats for you:
The US has 5% of the worlds population, but contributes 23% of the world’s CO2 (according to the US department of energy)
That same 5% also consume 26% of the worlds energy
You mentioned Mexico, India and Russia. Russia has twice the land area and half the population of the US, yet only generates about a fifth of the CO2. India has a third of the area, 3-4 times as many people as the US and also generates about a fifth of the CO2. Mexico has a fifth of the land area of US, a third of the population and only generates about one fifteenth of the CO2.
Basically, whether you measure it by country, per capita or even per square mile (a factor on which US should do pretty well as it’s relatively sparsely populated) the US produces far more CO2 than anywhere else in the world. Mexico, India and Russia are all pretty bad emitters as well and they will no doubt get worse as their economies expand, but they have a long way to go before they even get close to the US on any measure you choose.
The US doesn’t do too well on other pollution measures either. More municipal waste per capita than any other coutnry in the world, third worst emitter of nitrogen oxides per capita, etc. To be fair, things look like they might improve under Obama - US has finally signed up to an international agreement on mercury pollution which Bush has been blocking for years. But to say that “we have done our share” on pollution and emissions is naive at best.
I’m not even completely convinced on climate change yet (though figure it’s better to be safe than sorry), but your post really did deserve a bit of a reality check!
Our consumer economy, the one where we need to buy stuff to get back our “standard of living”, is the very thing that’s going to be our undoing if we don’t figure out how to account for it’s role in driving climate change. I know it’s within our abilities to do so but is it likely given how great the cultural and societal differences there are between the world’s peoples?
Agreed.
The irony is that there is nothing new here. The whole issue was summed up very nicely in a book by the German Economist E.F. Schmacher over 30 years ago call, “Small is Beautiful”. I found an interesting Blog dedicated to Schumacher book and vision here:
The irony is that since the publication of Scumacher’s book, we have seen a massive increase in the size and rate of consumption of that key consumer population in the west - in particular in North America. So clearly just about everything he said has been completely disregarded, but now these thoughts are being revisited.
I remember reading Schumacher’s book back when I was in High school. It had a profund impact on me at the time, and still does today.
I guess you have either not read or have read and do not believe in the theory that a truly free market would be the best way to solve our environmental troubles? I think too many people get wrapped up in this notion that the way to fix our environmental problems is with more government agencies, more regulations, more of the same crap which has not worked for the past how many years? I think we need to address the issues facing our environment, the problem is I disagree with the majority of people on how we need to go about doing that.
No, I am saying that today’s environmental issues have been allowed to occur due to the failure of our regulations. More generally, I do not believe that regulation will fix the problems. Regulations end up protecting polluters and preventing the market from enacting the appropriate repercussions for environmental damage.
OK, I apologize for the snarky reply; I agree that controlling population is a desirable goal but from my reading (and personal experience), that is a much harder behavior to modify than commerce and consumption.
I will take you to task however for your slippery slope argument, one that many here on ST like to use for dramatic effect (I include myself), that only a fascist form of government can effectively set a nation on the path to a fossil carbon free society.
Is Iceland fascist? Is Denmark? Is Australia (OK, they’re “on their way” but more comparable to the U.S.)?
You can control population with only a modicum of unrest by allowing girls to go to school. Think it through.
You can reduce our fossil carbon emissions with a modicum of unrest by educating the public on how their consumption and purchasing choices are linked to climate change.
No fascists needed.
And to the other poster with his “coconut helmet”. You sound like a nutcase when you throw out that old anti-conservation “we’ll all go back to caveman days” shtick. How about some real thoughts regarding reducing the fossil carbon footprint of triathlon instead of the same tired old “bamboo bike” screed (wait a second, bamboo bikes rock!)
isn’t it more reasonable to assume that our present environmental issues exist because consumers and the business community (Free Market) did not police themselves. The Free Market had its chance throughout the 18th, 19th and first half of hte 20th centuries.
