Posted by Meri-Tuuli on June 6, 2006, at 6:04:43
In reply to Re: How long do we have ?, posted by Declan on June 5, 2006, at 22:46:40
I don't think we need worry about nuclear attacks etc - for a start, if a country nuked another, well the radioactivity would travel far, and affact countries not intended by the attacker - although, well North America is pretty much two countries, so maybe it wouldn't matter too much!!
Nah, seriously there's so much attention to nuclear programmes etc that I doubt its a real issue. That said, there's no stopping some crackpot warlord, or that sort of thing. Although I think authorities have a good idea. But that said, faith in the authorities hasn't stopped the bombings in London, NYC and Madrid.
Wasn't there something in the news about Iran and its nuclear programmes??
Anyway, I think climate change and energy are going to be far worse. I mean, scientists only four weeks before Katrina struck predicted that global warming was going to produce more intense hurricanes. The American government quickly covered that finding up, I'm led to believe, or rather, didn't draw attention to it. I think they even told the scientist at NOAA to not talk about etc.
I watched a very interesting documentary about climate change (caused by humans) and the Bush Admin. Basically, loads of scientists and reports have been heavily edited to try and 'cover up' climate change by the Bush admin. Bush refuses to ratify the Kyoto protocol, which many other developed countries have agreed to. Here in the UK we talk about being 'carbon neutral' and talk about how to offset our carbon emissions and how efficent our cars and homes are. Why won't Bush sign Kyoto?
I think that climate change is a far far greater threat to mankind that anything. The UKs Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King, said that climate change is a far greater threat to society than terrorism. Which puts it into perspective I think.
I might start a new thread about climate change.
I just don't think people fully appreciate the magnitude of the problem. We simply love oil too much. But it will run out.
It saddens me to see that the developed world is guzzling natural resources at an unprecentented rate, only for the undeveloped countries to suffer, for they are the ones that will suffer as a result of climate change.
Thing is, if you put it into geological pespective , is that the planet as a whole doesn't care about a 1șC rise in global temperatures - climate flucates naturally, for instance there were ice sheets across most of Canada, Europe only a few hundred thousand years ago (a mere blink in geological terms) but it will affect us humans. Pah, I think we'll kill ourselves off in a few centries time anyway. Something else will evolve from our dust.
To put it all in complete perspective, the Sun will go supernova in 52,000 million years anyway and engulf the entire solar system, so we'll get nuked anyway.
Also I doubt that the planet can sustain many more people. I mean, its 6 billion at the moment, which was doubled since the 1950s or something like that anyway, so in another century - who knows. Humans can't keep rising exponetially in numbers without something giving. I see wars over food, fresh water, unpolluted land, etc.
What a cheery thought.
So if Iran/wherever have a couple of kilogrammes of enriched uranium that they shouldn't, well, let them have it I say. I mean, developed countries have had nuclear weapons for years. Whos to say that we will use them responsibily - we haven't in the past have we? Also, whos to say that one of our nuclear reactions doesn't blow? France gets 90% of its energy from nuclear power.
Can anyone guess what I studied at university, hahahaha.
Oh well.
Kind regards
Meri
poster:Meri-Tuuli
thread:653414
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060604/msgs/653506.html