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Contemplation for the day #2: Climate!


Ms. Spam
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Contemplation of the day #2 (non-satire this time): While climate change is an extremely important environmental issue, it is neither the only nor the most potentially dangerous ecological issue we face. I am concerned that all other environmental issues seem to have disappeared behind the argument over whether science or a fundamentally fictional world view will guide policies in regards this single threat.

 

I'd say #1 is exponential growth in human population and use of land surface. With humans, their pets, and their livestock now making up, by some current estimates, 98% of the terrestrial vertebrate macrofaunal biomass of the planet (animals on land bigger than a mouse), and growing, this is a pretty big deal. There is no reasonable argument that 'self-correcting' models of population growth or intensive surface use of all but the most marginally habitable environments are even remotely supported by evidence. Others near the top of the list are piss-poor management of surface and subsurface freshwater resources and non-replaceable arable land, the destruction of critical riverine and estuarine reproductive environments, the long-term impacts of thousands of transported 'invasive' species, and so on. I wish I had time to write more.

 

Are we crying "The sky is falling?"

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Yeah, too many people is a much bigger problem.

 

Too lazy to look it up, but supposedly, once populations reach a certain level of comfort and technology, they're supposed to stop squirting out babies every five seconds (because there are other things to do now, and babies become more of a burden than a "blessing"), and fall at or below the replacement line. Let's give everybody a new gaming console!

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I believe we're stewards of the planet, whether that is by design or we're just at that point doesn't matter to me. I believe there is no downside to taking care of where we live and I seriously wonder about the people opposed to it. The Almighty $ seems to the be biggest opponent to cleaning up our ways, wastes and abuses. So maybe someone should invent a time machine and make sure Rocky loses to Drago.

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So... On the population thing... To derail this with a nifty little tidbit.... Apparently you could fit the entire human population of the earth in Texas. And if everyone were standing they'd have a 300 metre radius of personal space. My mate did the maths and it works out apparently, Texas being 280something thousand kilometres squared. If we built Couruscant there the world would be sorted.

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Me!

 

My biggest environmental concern is consumerism. It's such a waste. More garbage per household is created now then ever before and that trash has to go somewhere. It burns me up that people in my complex can't sort their recycle stuff correctly or don't even do it and toss their trash in our special marked recycle cans because the dumpster is 5 extra feet away.

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