Posted by Dinah on February 6, 2009, at 17:38:40
In reply to Re: Global Warming or Cooling?, posted by kid47 on February 6, 2009, at 12:02:21
That's my point of view.
I certainly see the effects man can have on the earth. I know that the wetlands have been cut up by waterways cut for access for the oil companies, and by spreading development where development was not meant to be. I know that another huge factor in the destruction of the wetlands was the escape of captive nutria into an environment where the balance of nature did not account for their presence. It's amazing how much erosion those little critters can account for.
This doesn't mean that I oppose the oil companies activities or the provision of housing or anything. Just that we need to attend to our activities and do our best to minimize future damage and repair past damage.
For that matter, don't I recall that the landscape of many areas of the UK have been sculpted by the cutting down of forests by our far back ancestors?
The things we do for whatever reasons, including the ubiquitous unintended consequences, have a lasting impact for our children and our children's children. It's our responsibility to clean up after ourselves and leave the place no worse than we received it, to the extent we can.
My objections are only to the method of delivery. It wasn't necessary to terrify a young idealistic me by talk of a new ice age. I vowed then not to be easily terrified again. And that isn't limited to the environmental catastrophes either. So now I'm a bit less idealistic and am more likely to be swayed by balanced and thoughtful discussions about what we do and don't know and what may or may not help.
Mind you, I'm a bit of a hypocrite on the subject. Nothing on earth can get between me and my a/c. Especially in my fat old age.
poster:Dinah
thread:877985
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20090116/msgs/878544.html