Global WarmingOK, this is my view and the opinion I’ve formed as a result of :
1 - having lived with a geologist
2 - reading all the books on anthropology, geology, and glacial areas that I enjoy so much
3 – reading and learning what I have on the history of this planet.
4 – reading about ‘global warming’ since the term was coined
Basically, I believe "Global Warming" is an effective political scare tactic.
The warming and cooling of the globe has been happening for millions of years since time began. It is a normal and necessary part of the earth’s evolution. Glaciers form and glaciers recede, gouging out valleys and exposing them, and filling them in again. Seas rise and fall. Ground and surface water rises forming lakes, and recedes leaving wetlands. Forests and animal habitats enlarge, shrink, change or disappear entirely. This is basically how our planted breathes, inhales and exhales. As a result of that continuous process, a species must adapt, move, or die out. The ‘niche’ species will usually die out, and newer, stronger, more suitable ones are formed. All this has been happening over and over and over again for millions – actually billions of years. The earth is thought to be 4.5 billions years old – kind of a geezer, huh?
Politicians are trying to scare people into believing that things like carbon monoxide from all those millions of vehicles is creating this inevitable global disaster. And yes, people ARE helping, but the amount of carbon monoxide from people is miniscule compared to what is put into the air naturally and regularly by puffing and oozing volcanoes and methane from coal beds and other sources all around the world. We can’t stop carbon monoxide and methane from entering the atmosphere, it’s part of our environment, that’s how the planet works.
Yes, we should try to become “greener”. But not to save the planet from receding glaciers, we should become greener to keep from using up all our fossil fuel, water, and other resources before they’re gone! Because once they’re gone, we have to change or we, like the dinosaur are gone. And we are alarmingly close to that time in regard to fossil fuels. (Petroleum, coal, methane, and natural gas, are all fossil fuels.)
OK, this is where I might sound cold and heartless, but… stopping human progress because a tiny brown snail is in danger of becoming extinct is a bit foolish. Some species are niche species, that means that they were able to exist because a particular habitat was formed or left behind from an earlier warming or cooling event. Once that habitat is gone, they either move on, evolve and adjust, or die out. Again, a pretty natural process. Now does that mean I don’t care about endangered species? Absolutely not! I care very much. I’m saying that they need to find a way to measure the benefit of what they are trying to do that might endanger a species survival, against the impact of having the species become extinct. Is the loss of a particular butterfly species more important than finding more and cheaper domestic fossil fuel? Well, if other species of butterflys pollinate the same plants and can fill the same role, then perhaps finding more domestic fuel outweighs the need for that butterfly. Does the need for ivory for jewelry, and piano keys justify the extinction of African elephants? Jeebus, I hope not! At some point, we have to look at ourselves and make some very tough calls. We can’t save every single aspect of
this planet. It’s not our job. But we can conserve what we use, recycle and reclaim so that WE as a species can survive on this planet longer. But even our demise is probably inevitable at some point. And then, the planet will take a deep breath, continue her rotation around the sun, and recover from what we have done.
The fact remains that the earth is a living organism, and we are just a parasite living off it with millions of other parasitic species. We can help the planet, but we can not control what it is doing naturally. This little blue rock,… she breathes.
1 - having lived with a geologist
2 - reading all the books on anthropology, geology, and glacial areas that I enjoy so much
3 – reading and learning what I have on the history of this planet.
4 – reading about ‘global warming’ since the term was coined
Basically, I believe "Global Warming" is an effective political scare tactic.
The warming and cooling of the globe has been happening for millions of years since time began. It is a normal and necessary part of the earth’s evolution. Glaciers form and glaciers recede, gouging out valleys and exposing them, and filling them in again. Seas rise and fall. Ground and surface water rises forming lakes, and recedes leaving wetlands. Forests and animal habitats enlarge, shrink, change or disappear entirely. This is basically how our planted breathes, inhales and exhales. As a result of that continuous process, a species must adapt, move, or die out. The ‘niche’ species will usually die out, and newer, stronger, more suitable ones are formed. All this has been happening over and over and over again for millions – actually billions of years. The earth is thought to be 4.5 billions years old – kind of a geezer, huh?
Politicians are trying to scare people into believing that things like carbon monoxide from all those millions of vehicles is creating this inevitable global disaster. And yes, people ARE helping, but the amount of carbon monoxide from people is miniscule compared to what is put into the air naturally and regularly by puffing and oozing volcanoes and methane from coal beds and other sources all around the world. We can’t stop carbon monoxide and methane from entering the atmosphere, it’s part of our environment, that’s how the planet works.
Yes, we should try to become “greener”. But not to save the planet from receding glaciers, we should become greener to keep from using up all our fossil fuel, water, and other resources before they’re gone! Because once they’re gone, we have to change or we, like the dinosaur are gone. And we are alarmingly close to that time in regard to fossil fuels. (Petroleum, coal, methane, and natural gas, are all fossil fuels.)
OK, this is where I might sound cold and heartless, but… stopping human progress because a tiny brown snail is in danger of becoming extinct is a bit foolish. Some species are niche species, that means that they were able to exist because a particular habitat was formed or left behind from an earlier warming or cooling event. Once that habitat is gone, they either move on, evolve and adjust, or die out. Again, a pretty natural process. Now does that mean I don’t care about endangered species? Absolutely not! I care very much. I’m saying that they need to find a way to measure the benefit of what they are trying to do that might endanger a species survival, against the impact of having the species become extinct. Is the loss of a particular butterfly species more important than finding more and cheaper domestic fossil fuel? Well, if other species of butterflys pollinate the same plants and can fill the same role, then perhaps finding more domestic fuel outweighs the need for that butterfly. Does the need for ivory for jewelry, and piano keys justify the extinction of African elephants? Jeebus, I hope not! At some point, we have to look at ourselves and make some very tough calls. We can’t save every single aspect of
this planet. It’s not our job. But we can conserve what we use, recycle and reclaim so that WE as a species can survive on this planet longer. But even our demise is probably inevitable at some point. And then, the planet will take a deep breath, continue her rotation around the sun, and recover from what we have done.The fact remains that the earth is a living organism, and we are just a parasite living off it with millions of other parasitic species. We can help the planet, but we can not control what it is doing naturally. This little blue rock,… she breathes.
8 comments:
I totally agree with almost everything you said. However, I don't care what the politicians call it - if it makes people think that they need to consider conservation and find alternatives to oil, then we as a species will be so much better off! We need to make wind (when it can be used) and solar power more acceptable and more affordable for those who choose to use it. We even need to make it acceptable to put a clothesline in your backyard if you want to conserve energy by hanging your clothes!
While I am concerned with the melting of the glaciers, I consider "global warming" a great tool to hopefully make the world wake up and see we need to make some changes.
(Loved your blog!)
Didn't you stay the night in Seattle? If not, isn't that a long drive???
Jodi, that was my first thought too. How'd you blog if you went to Seattle? You blogged in the car, you got up in the middle of the night, ummm-------. Never mind.
I agree about the endangered species as opposed to our well being. The conservationists sitting behind desks haven't the faintest idea as to what is necessary to maintain human life and keep this planet spinning. If its outrageously controversial, make it into law and to heck with people. ------ And there is nothing as sweet smelling as clothes that have dried in the sunlight in mountain air. (Garden Valley )
Its getting crowded up here on this soap box.
Just went to Seattle for the day. It's only a 3 hour drive. We left at 7:30am, got there about 10:30am. Left there at 5:00pm, got home about 8:00.
And there's always room on the soap box when the subject is "green"!
Very well said sis, and I agree with 99% of what you said. However, I disagree with Global Warming being a political scare tactic. Hell, W and Rush Limbaugh and their ilk refuse to acknowledge that it even exists. As for Al Gore and the Dems who are yelling abou it: our government has NOTHING to gain and everything to lose by us becoming a more "green" society. This country is as rich and powerful as it is because our society is consumer-based. The corporations do not want us to "reduce, reuse, recycle": that will put them out of business. And if they go out of business, who will line the politicians pockets?
Now TERRORISM is a political scare-tactic. That keeps us fearful and supporting the war. And the war is making Bush, Cheney and all their cronies very, very, very wealthy.
You can't really believe terrorism isn't real. What about the familes of the 9/11 victims? Please don't tell me you believe the "conspiracy theory" that our own government had anything to do with it.
No, I don't believe our government was directly involved, but I know that they had credible evidence that an air attack was going to happen in NYC and they didn't do anything to prevent it. I do know people who believe that conspiracy theory, but even I can't believe our politicians are evil enough to kill 4000 innocent people.
About the current threat of terrorism: I don't believe the threat is as strong as our "leaders" want us to believe. As I said above, they are directly profiting by keeping us scared and in support of the war.
Although I do believe that the longer we're over there where we don't belong, we are actually increasing the chances of retaliation.
Hi Lala! Don't know how we got so off track, but sorry for hijacking your blog!
I've spent the day watching the History Channel which has reinforced my beliefs that we, as a human species have to take credit for almost all of the "global warming" or "climate change" - whatever we want to call it. To bad that Americans are so involved in deciding which political party is to blame and don't think of ways to fix what we've started - no politics involved.
We didn't hijack Lala's blog. She wrote a very informational piece even if we may differ on parts of it!
Change of subject !
Lala, I love your new photo ! And your hair is gorgeous ! Love the color, love the style. You're lookin' loverly !!!!!!!!!!!!
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