Comments wackatalpidae has made
happy happy joy joy
"Yes! All it takes is the click of a button, and you'll never have to read a comment by [person you hate] again! And you can turn it off, if you decide [person you hate] might kind of have a point after all. And then turn it on again when you remember that [person you hate] really is a jerk."
ahhhhhhhhhhhh
the world would be so more pleasant if we could pretend the people we disagree with or dislike did not exist
wrapped in our warm cocoons, oblivious to the fact that there are people out there who aren't like us
and then wonder, why doesn't reality correspond to how I perceive it
and then shocked, you mean their are people who don't have the same view!
and then incredulous because you never took time to learn about their perspective
and not able to defeat them because your immune system was not exposed to the virus
if not with us, must be against us
happy happy joy joy
riding my magic pony off into the perfect sunset, forever and everOn Grist is cooking up a new site; what do you want to see in it? posted 1 year, 6 months ago 32 Responses
hysteria
slow-growing mature evergreen trees will be replaced by rapid-growing deciduous trees and shrubbery
net carbon fixation
evergreens won't grow in warmer climate anyway
welcome to the homogecene (www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/378212)
all that mixing between continents will lead to a new world orderOn Mountain pine beetles fueling climate change via tree deaths posted 1 year, 7 months ago 5 Responses
OMFG!
a biopsy here and a biopsy there
grow it up in a vat
and you could serve yourself for dinner!
amaze and shock and creep out your friends
it will be the latest trend for the wealthy
a few pounds of meat, millions of dollars
the look on their faces when you tell them what it is, pricelessOn PETA offers $1 million for commercially viable test-tube meat posted 1 year, 7 months ago 16 Responses
won't eat dogs or chimps
they are smart and sensitive animals
but test tube dog or chimp may be good!
i'd try it
no cruelty involved
i'd also try test tube california condor drumsticks
what would you try?
from a vat, we may get slabs of humming bird muscle or cat roasts
the imagination runs wild wild wild
everything would literally be on the tableOn PETA offers $1 million for commercially viable test-tube meat posted 1 year, 7 months ago 16 Responses
just sayin'
we don't eat people because it is just not right
we don't eat eagles because it is just not right
if test tube beef is okay
then is all meat fair game?
exotic test tube steak okay?On PETA offers $1 million for commercially viable test-tube meat posted 1 year, 7 months ago 16 Responses
extrapolation
If test tube meat is a solution as far as eating animals is concerned, is it also a solution as far as eating people is concerned? Will test tube human steaks be next and perfectly acceptable?
extrapolation
slippery slope
unintended consequences
frankenfood
On PETA offers $1 million for commercially viable test-tube meat posted 1 year, 7 months ago 16 Responsesi do not get it
there is a guy concerned
about the number of homo sapienshe says it when an opportunity arises
like there are not a couple grist
"contributors" who are not one-trick poniesand you call him a troll?
a most vile troll?
what up girlfriend?On Gristmill's most persistent troll earns props posted 1 year, 10 months ago 8 Responses
ralph nader's fault
he had to go make automobiles safer
he had to go make roads safer
if not for mr nader, there would be no suburban sprawl
commuting would be a game of russian roulette
insurance would cost bazillions of dollars
those who could afford it would risk their lives driving a short distance
natural selection
no more alleles to motivate members of the human species to live apart from the rest of the tribe
problem solved
nader tossed a bundle of regulations into the natural orderOn The privileged attitude of the motorhead posted 1 year, 10 months ago 28 Responses
homeless people
sad to give them fur to keep them warm
sad to make them stand out as the ones clad in fur
sad when they show up at work wearing old fur coats,
damaged in some manner to reduce their value
so no one steals thema badge for the homeless
not good for job interviews
why you wearing that old fur coathow about helping the homeless find jobs
so they can buy real coats and
walk through the city with dignity and
maybe even find a homeOn Umbra on (inherited) fur coats posted 1 year, 10 months ago 60 Responsesanimal already dead
ok to wear fur if animal already dead?
ok to display lampshade made of human skin if person already dead?On Umbra on (inherited) fur coats posted 1 year, 10 months ago 60 Responses
power of prayer
is pat robertson behind this?
is the grand ayatolla behind this?
will god resolve this conflict sooner rather than later?
cleanse the streets of bagdad, but of what?
and who will win?
not so clear who benefits from the next flood
but very clear who will sufferOn Largest Iraqi dam on verge of collapse, say U.S. officials posted 2 years, 1 month ago 3 Responses
back to basics
it is never enough
it is never enough until your heart stops beating
back to the three rs
reduce
reuse
recycle
no more purity
purity killsOn On PETA's latest campaign posted 2 years, 2 months ago 256 Responses
WAR!
TRUE ENVINRONMENTALISTS OPPOSE ALL WAR!
JUST TRY TO TELL ME I AM WRONG.On On PETA's latest campaign posted 2 years, 2 months ago 256 Responses
WAR!
PETA IS WRONG!
WAR IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING!
LET'S DISCUSS WAYS TO NURTURE LIFE RATHER THAN DESTROY LIFE.On Animal-rights group makes the stupid claim that enviros must be vegetarians posted 2 years, 2 months ago 208 Responses
short adam
as long as you are doing something
it does not matter whether you really accomplish somethingOn On the problem of carbon-offset projects in developing countries posted 2 years, 2 months ago 49 Responsesshort adam and matt
"But I don't think providing what ammounts [sic] to a paying job for someone with a hard life is a bad thing."
at least the children working in sweat shops can buy food
at least the abused prostitutes can by food
at least the poisoned villagers melting down computers for scrap metal can buy food
at least the miners crushed by tons of rock so we can have coal or diamonds were once able to buy foodOn On the problem of carbon-offset projects in developing countries posted 2 years, 2 months ago 49 Responses
denial
a fully laden A380 jet is, in terms of energy, is like a 9-mile queue of traffic on the road below
see http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/6/13/115230/255
9 miles of traffic
if a car is 14 feet long, that is 3394 cars
an A380 can carry 853 passengers
a trans-Pacific flight is equivalent to a 9-mile queue of commuters, only 1/4 of a person per car
there is no way changing light bulbs or buying a hybrid justifies jetting around the planetOn Travel site sends out eco-themed newsletter posted 2 years, 3 months ago 9 Responses
mission accomplished
:)
i do not have children
i am going to go buy a new and larger SUV this afternoon
i have done my part to save the world
time to relax and enjoy the rest of my life
what are you doing?
:)On Developed world scolds China for doing what it does posted 2 years, 3 months ago 6 Responses
toll roads
a beautiful thing
clear the rabble from my path
low-income people should use mass transit (and pay for it)
a sparkling chip dangling from my mirror
will open all doors like magic
and my sleek SUV will get better gas milage at 65 mph
no more stop and go
or, like the wealthy of Mexico city, I will just acquire a helicopterOn Seattle enviros face a Hobson's choice in November posted 2 years, 3 months ago 17 Responses
yes?
what is wrong with shrubs?
they will remove more carbon dioxide
they will create combustible debris
they will catch fire
the grass will return
if that is what you really want for your walking deadstock
eat something that eats shrubs
God will restore the balance one way or anotherOn Grass Backwards posted 2 years, 3 months ago 1 Response
saving trees but not the forest
flying a fully laden A380 is, in terms of energy, is like a nine-mile queue of traffic on the road below
see http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/6/13/115230/255
nine-miles of traffic
assume a car is 14 feet long
that is 3394 carsan A380 can carry 853 passengers
a trans-Pacific flight is equivalent to
a 9-mile queue of commuters
only 1/4 of a person per carOMG
so inefficient
so immoral
so evilOn Just the Ticket posted 2 years, 3 months ago 1 Responsehypocrites
not willing to change ourselves
waiting for everyone else to change first
expecting someone else to do the heavy lifting
but being green is sooooooo hard
i didn't mean that i have to give up MY SUV
but YOU don't really need one
i have a good reason
i need it for important practical stuff
it is YOU who is wasting resourcesOn Survey reveals truth about environmental fibs posted 2 years, 3 months ago 8 Responses
nine-mile queue
if a car is 14 feet long
that is 3394 carsan A380 can carry 853 passengers
so a trans-Pacific flight is equivalent to
a 9-mile queue of commuters
only 1/4 of a person per carOMG
so inefficient
so immoral
so evilOn Jetting off to global warming posted 2 years, 3 months ago 2 Responsesalso
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/6/13/115230/255
a nine-mile queu
wow!On Australian newspaper identifies consumerism as warming culprit posted 2 years, 3 months ago 6 Responses
God
meet the new God
same as the old God
sacrifice today
your child
your neighbor
an inferior cut of meat
a living wage
health care
freedomyou will be rewarded tomorrow
rain
a bison
victory or your enemy
a genuine imitation gold watch
lower taxes
freedombut pay attention to the rules
if you are not rewarded, it is your own fault
you did not follow the rules
does not matter that the rules are vagueOn Existential threats are a bummer posted 2 years, 3 months ago 14 Responses
local organic seasonal
all winter
beef
carrots
potatoes
venison when the beef runs out
canned what ever else you can grow during the rest of the year
scurvy
what me worryOn Is it really a savior for smallholder farmers in the global south? posted 2 years, 3 months ago 17 Responses
Ralph Nader for President!
Ralph Nader is the only candidate who can save us from the military-industrial-agricultural-pharmaceutical complex and its puppets in Washington, D.C.!On Predicts rabbit out of hat in three years, too posted 2 years, 5 months ago 32 Responses
AN ACT OF GOD
One might interpret this as a natural feedback loop that will strike at the heart of capitalism and demonstrate the hazards of depending on a steady flow of fossil fuel from the other side of the globe.
The religiously inclined will more likely interpret this as God's punishment of Muslims for not being fundamentalist enough, sort of like Falwell's suggestion that 9/11, though most clearly an indication of God's disapproval of Western greed, was actually punishment for tolerating homosexuals in California. Look forward to a crack down on secular humanists in the Middle East.
The Lord works in mysterious ways.On Stormy weather ahead posted 2 years, 5 months ago 3 Responses
to heck with all of it
To heck with GMOs. To heck with chemicals. To heck with hybrid corn that farmers have to buy year after year. To heck with burning fossil fuel to tear up God's plants and critters. To heck with all annual food plants. To heck with growing Asian plants in America and American plants in Asia. To heck with slaving away pulling weeds, otherwise known as food for some critter. None of it is natural and it is destroying Mother Earth! Eat native plants and animals. We are gatherer/hunters, not growers! If we all lived this way, ther would be more respect for nature. It ought to be the law. No more farming!On Pesticide efficacy is decreasing posted 2 years, 6 months ago 22 Responses
spacemen
Spacemen are a waste of money. Fire the whole lot of them and use that money for doin' somethin' useful, like securing our borders from invaders. The last time people explored a new world, the result was nothin' but trouble and more trouble. Now we're stuck here.
There should be an independent climate monitoring department with it own satellites and stuff so they don't waste money on Mars and Jupiter. Who cares what the weather is like on Venus. Nobody is going there anytime soon.
Enough exploring other planets and deep oceans. Try exploring your back yard. Nothin' useful will be learned in space. Read a book. We know everything we need to know. Build a house, grow vegetables, and have babies. No more to life than that.On Hard to believe he's part of the Bush administration! posted 2 years, 6 months ago 24 Responses
not surprising
recent news
>>A government official, who spoke of condition of
>>anonymity because he had not been authorized to
>>discuss details of the case, said the note had been
>>described to him as "anti-woman, anti-rich kid."
>>
>>The Chicago Tribune reported on its Web site that
>>the note railed against "rich kids," "debauchery" and
>>"deceitful charlatans" on campus. ABC, citing law
>>enforcement sources, said that the note, several
>>pages long, explains Cho's actions and says, "You
>>caused me to do this."
>>
>>Citing unidentified sources, the Tribune also said
>>Cho had recently set a fire in a dorm room and had
>>stalked some women.On Virginia Tech posted 2 years, 7 months ago 2 Responsesnegative feedback loops
vhemt is a good exampl of a self-limiting philosophical system
everyone join, follow their lead
i'll be right behind you, just going to hang out for a while
really, i'll be right with you
you go ahead and volunteer
say, that is a nice bit of land you have there
really, i'll be right behind youOn Somehow, I don't feel that bad for you posted 2 years, 7 months ago 39 Responses
ancient wisdom
appeal to ancients for advice about birth control?
don't use nasty chemicals but use natural methods?
stoning adulterers, especially women?
stoning victims of rape?
infanticide?
genocide of competing tribes?
it all kept human population down
i would rather not look to ancient scrolls for guidance on this!On Quit talking about it already posted 2 years, 7 months ago 92 Responses
gar and pandu
GL: "It takes a hell of a lot of nerve for people in rich nations to say that population growth in poor ones is the ultimate issue. A person in a rich nation has an environmental footprint 10 to 100 times as much as one in a poor one. If you had to choose between zero population growth in China, or zero increase in environmental impact in the U.S., door number two would be the one to pick."
rich nations reduced population growth decades ago
poor nations want a high materialistic standard of living
where is the happy medium?
we are each rowing with one oar and in wrong direction
P: "According to Arjuna, factors such as birth control (illicit sex) lead to more unwanted children due to the degradation of women."
gee
hinduism also wants faith-based family planning?
JUST SAY NO!
hahahahahOn Quit talking about it already posted 2 years, 7 months ago 92 Responses
comment two of two
isn't it ironic
environmentalist want us to return to a simpler life style
we are supposed to grow our own food to be in touch with the land
we are supposed to use fewer mass produced goods
we are supposed to buy local products to be in touch with our community
we are supposed to put more effort and time into caring for our families instead of resorting to chemical quick fixes and fast food
you know what we are going to need to do this?
LARGER FAMILIES!
need more kids to build straw houses, take care of that vegetable garden, sharpen tools, make clothing, take care of the horses
that's the natural way to live on earth!On Quit talking about it already posted 2 years, 7 months ago 92 Responses
comment one of two
environmentalists just don't like people
the problem is not the size of the human population
the problem is the behavior of human beings
limit your population growth, as numerous western nations have done, and you become a destination for those running away from nations that are not limiting population growth
it is all a giant equilibrium equation
forget ranting about limiting population growth
invest in lowering impactOn Quit talking about it already posted 2 years, 7 months ago 92 Responses
Bushman and the War for Oil
My argument is not flawed. Failure of the war to seize Iraq's oil does not negate the motive for the war. Is a war for resources only a war for resource is it succeeds? Next you will tell me Hitler did not want more living space for his master race. HEY! Newsflash! Hitler didn't gain any land from France, Russia, or any other country, so he wasn't after resources!On Maybe, maybe not posted 2 years, 9 months ago 51 Responses
Bushman and the Amish
Just trying to extend your argument. All that sarcasm about plants and animals. Doesn't really mean anything.
You brought up the Amish as something to strive for. All you have to do is pay your taxes and you are not exploiting rest of community who do your dirty work. NO! You can be a pacifist, but don't pretend you are superior. It does not work unless everyone is a pacifist.
Be honest. Easier to let someone else die. Or in this case, easier to let someone else march on Washinton to protest a war. I'm not asking Amish to sign up for an unjust war. Pacifist or not, no Americans should be in Iraq! But don't try to tell me they would be just fine without a stable democracy to build their community in. Responsibility does not end with paying taxes and voting. If you are quietly living while the rest of the world burns, you are either exploiting and protected by someone else or you will not last much longer.On Maybe, maybe not posted 2 years, 9 months ago 51 Responses
Dubbya and George Washington
From CNN:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- At a ceremony honoring America's first president at his Mount Vernon estate, President Bush praised George Washington's leadership in the American Revolution and drew parallels between that war and the war in Iraq.
"Today we are fighting a new war to defend our liberty, our freedom and our way of life and as we work to advance the cause of freedom around the world we remember that the father of our country believed the freedoms we secured in our revolution were not meant for Americans alone," Bush said.
****
Well. Then Dubbya should display the same leadership as George Washington. I hope he might find the courage to ride his noble stallion, or at least travel in one of those humvees, along the front lines of combat, encouraging our troops to continue the fight.
But Dubbya is no George Washington. There are no similarities between the American Revolution or the War in Iraq. The founders of our nation had no intention of exporting freedom. Our nation was to serve as an example of the power of a free people, not emerge to replace the empire it freed itself from.On Here we go again posted 2 years, 9 months ago 10 Responses
Amish, eh?
Pacifists. Can't survive beyond protective shield of a nation prepared to go to war. Exploitation.
Not the worst form, though. That would be going to war to seize someonone else's natural resources.On Maybe, maybe not posted 2 years, 9 months ago 51 Responses
Next on Grist...
...extolling the environmental virtues of the new green Humvee... 15 mpg rather than 7 mpg. THAT"S A 100% IMPROVEMENT! Everyone should get one.
Then... research investigating ways to get more from a whale carcass. Let's make whaling as efficient as possible... just like Native Americans used buffalo!
After that... we'll make light of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and starving Africans.
Heeeeeyyyy... gotta relax and not take life too seriously.
If you can't derive pleasure from other's misfortune.. what's the point of living??!!!On Diapers and a BB gun posted 2 years, 9 months ago 23 Responses
environment angle
I get it!!!
How many trees, and where, would Nowak have to plant to offset carbon emissions from the attempted murder?
There is the vinyl tubing and plastic garbage bags, both petroleum products. Paper probably was not an option. And then the steel knife and hammer. Energy intensive products that will not be used for legal purpose, but stored in bin as evidence or landfilled. Waste. Waste. Waste. At least the pepper spray was a renewable plant product.
And driving 900 miles?!!! Should have used mass transit. Maybe rent a Prius? How much gas did she burn for this crime of passion?! Or did she consider biodiesel?
She be sentenced to planting trees until she sequester all of the carbon she wasted. And not jusat over the next 50 years. Plant trees until all of the carbon is physically removed from atmosphere. If criminals had to consider carbon offsets before committing crime, there would be less crime. Too expensive.
Maybe a good argument for electric cars? Restricted range would required her to stop and recharge for at least a few hours. Chance to cool down and decide whether really good to kill someone.
And what about those diapers?!! Can we make something that adsorbs carbon dioxide? Human civilization needs a gigantic diaper to collect waste. Wrap them around coal-burning power plants. Chemically possible?On Diapers and a BB gun posted 2 years, 9 months ago 23 Responses
greatest story ever
Mr. Roberts, Two Comments:
First Comment
Your use of the phrase "greatest story ever told" was irksome. If you had just posted the link and some smartass remarks, fine. But the geatest story ever told? I thought Grist was trying to stimulate intelligent conversation, spiced with humor, about the environment. Do I want to send a right-wing friend here to find posts about diapers and bb guns? Sir, you are more sophisticated than that.
Second Comment
From your "someday" comment: "Let me know when that day approaches, so I can slit my throat, go to hell, and hang out with people who aren't so tediously unctuous."
This is even more sad than the story. This even more sad than your posting of the story on the Grist site. You are saying life is not worth living if you don't have stories about O.J. Michael Jackson, run-away brides, and now diapers and bb guns to follow?!
YOU NEED TO GET OUT MORE! The greatest story ever told is the story about evolution of a web of life and how it led to and supports sentient life. The sequel is about how that sentient life makes the decision to save or destroy that web. I look forward to episode three, when we learn how they go about it.
The story about diapers and bb guns is interesting. Learning a bit about astronauts and how they solve waste issue. And there is the human drama. Very interesting. But why post it here? Maybe you need another blog for this sort of stuff.
Funny, really, that you tried to gather suggestions on how to reduce comment traffic. Not posting material unrelated to Grist mission would be a good place to start.
Now I must go wash my hair shirts. But first I must find a rock and melt some snow. Where are those sticks I rub together to start fires?On Diapers and a BB gun posted 2 years, 9 months ago 23 Responses
dude
What's the latest on O.J.? Or Michael Jackson? Or that runaway bride chick?On Diapers and a BB gun posted 2 years, 9 months ago 23 Responses
very sad, but for a different reason
I was just thinking about some of the cool stuff we've learned from exploring space beyond Earth, especially the recent Mars probes. Learning about other planets can be inspiring, entertaining, and help us understand our own environment. And discovery of life beyond Earth would, I believe, change views for the better.
If only we could find a way for the American people to once again get excited about exploring space. Maybe we need better story tellers. We have to find a way to compete with American Idol and similar mind-numbing entertainment. We need people who are willing to devote time to educating America and showing them that scientific discoveries, exploring jungles, working toward energy independence... can be enjoyable to follow, to read about, to observe and participate in.
Sadly, even someone concerned about the survival of life on Earth, I think, is more fascinated by an astronaut attempting to murder someone, than by what we've learned during exploration of Mars. He is as interested in sharing this sad tale, as Americans are obsessed with following such stories.
And furthermore, I've wasted precious minutes looking at what he posted.
Anyone interested in changing America so it truly cares about Earth... this is what you are fighting. Time to stop telling Americans they are stupid and just don't get it. You are fighting human nature. We are doomed.On Diapers and a BB gun posted 2 years, 9 months ago 23 Responses
All skeptics should be burned at the stake...
or perhaps buried in an anoxic environment for long-term carbon sequestration.
After you torch the meteorologists skeptical about global warming, will you please find a way to silence the following as well:
-- all trained scientists skeptical about the safety of genetically engineered food. All properly conducted scientific studies demonstrate there are NO dangers.
-- all trained scientists who don't believe in evolution. The evidence is in. Done deal. We evolved from other life forms!
-- all trained scientists who support homeopathy. It is RUBBISH!
That is all FOR NOW. I'll add more after I think about it for a few hours.On Eh, why bother posted 2 years, 10 months ago 15 Responses
rennet
Becoming vegetarian is too hard!!! I started eating the vegi subs at Cousins to be more responsible. NOW I learn ALL provolone cheese is made with animal-based rennet!!! Cousins has NO vegi subs!
What am I to do? Are other cheeses made with animal rennet? I also learned that the only way to avoid the animal product is to use GE rennet, cloned into bacteria and grown in vats!!! SO NOW WHAT? I can't eat any cheese without thoroughly invesitgating source?
What do they use besides animal rennet and GE rennet? Chemicals?
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me find safe cheese. No animal-based or GE rennet. Where? What kind of cheese?On Livestock's long shadow posted 2 years, 10 months ago 42 Responses
Seriously Folks
I'll set aside my spanking new troll personality... for a moment.
Mr. Philpott.
How are we going to resolve the conflicting goals... (1) increasing farmer wages and saving the rural economy while (2) ensuring food prices do not skyrocket?
It seems food is priced artificially low. Famers receive very little from the original product. Increasing demand will be good for farmers, who can then afford to buy food and other necessities.
Corn is largely used to support unhealthy habits (junk food, industrial meat). As far as the third world is concerned, it is not even nutritionally balanced. It is not a crop civilization should rely on for food. And we should stop encouraging its use around the globe. Promote locally appropriate agriculture. Yes, it is locally appropriate in Mexico, but only as long as other crops are grown as well. Reliance on corn brought down several civilizations in Central America.
Perhaps if farmers receive a higher price for their corn, they can support their families on less land and afford to grow better sources of nutrition. Furthermore, a higher price for any agricultural product will take pressure off urban areas, especially in the third world, as people can return to the land.
I realize that it is difficult to separate effects on wealthy and poverty-sticken populations, but the net result of a higher price for corn appears positive.
Just my opinion. Feel free to educate me. I promise I will not repeat any of the above remarks unless doing so will contribute to an ongoing and productive conversation.
On Rising tortilla prices in Mexico point to a usual suspect posted 2 years, 10 months ago 23 ResponsesOh...
By the way, thanks Mr. Roberts for the heads up on the movie. It looks very interesting and I'm looking forward to watching it. I'm not willing to give up my TV and DVD player for the sake of the planet.
Hopefully, the movie will scare the crap out of me and encourage me to devote more effort to ensuring a soft landing for our civilization. I'm really not interested in a road-warrior lifestyle. I'm just not aggressive enough.
Later.On Best movie of the year, hands down posted 2 years, 10 months ago 81 Responses
speculation
It is all speculation. There is no model for what is happening. It is all new. And it is mostly beyond our control. Our town can't even get everyone to pick up after their dogs. Change starts with the individual. Are 6 billion people going to suddenly have an epiphany... oh yeah, those Grist bloggers are right? While you all debate the nature of the collapse of civilization, others prepare to ride it out.
Some say most species eventually go extinct and humans will follow. But not all go extinct. Cockroaches have been around for millions of years, barely changed. Humans are just as adaptable.
Are you planning on dying or surviving? What are you doing, personally, to save your life, your descendents, and the rest of creation? Have you all given up your 1500+ square foot homes? Your imported food? Thermostat set below 60F? Your freezer? Your television? Your computer? Why aren't you living in minimalist huts for the sake of preserving humanity? I don't expect you to, but you must have decided where to draw the line. How much are you really willing to sacrifice to save the planet? How much is accomplished by blogging to a select few, most already sharing your views, the rest obnoxiously opposed?
Are you CHANGING any people for the better? How so?
Time to stop laying on the guilt trip and set an example for everyone else to follow. Lectures are pointless. Examples are priceless. INSPIRE ME TO BE A BETTER PERSON.On Best movie of the year, hands down posted 2 years, 10 months ago 81 Responses
dlunn, you forgot the rail system
If the Feds had not invested in the rail system and gave away public land, the robber barons would have been stopped dead in their tracks. The whole settling of the West would have been a different story. No way to exploit natural resources like coal, timber, market hunting. No way to export "problems" from the East coast by shipping excess labor west. No breadbasket to feed America and the world. No flourishing of capitalism in America.
The freemarketeers are happy to risk someone elses skin or paycheck.... never their own!
Make the oil companies pay for their own security in the Middle East. Unleash the FREE MARKET. We'll see just how much you enjoy it d41295.On Rising tortilla prices in Mexico point to a usual suspect posted 2 years, 10 months ago 23 Responses
uh......
the initial infrastructure for the internet?On Rising tortilla prices in Mexico point to a usual suspect posted 2 years, 10 months ago 23 Responses
you folks MIGHT have a problem to solve
Do you want higher incomes for farmers or cheaper food for consumers?
I applaud the increasing demand for corn for ethanol. Why? The bulk of the cost of food is added on AFTER the farmers sell their corn. So what if processors have to add an extra 5 cents to the price of a bottle of corn oil?
This will help American famers, north AND south! The issue of paying for food is not a producer problem. Government should FOCUS on creating good jobs for people so they can buy food, NOT run farmers out of business!!!!
Yes there is corn in EVERYTHING. Soda, frying oil, junk food, industrial beef, industrial corn, obese people. I applaud high corn prices. It will solve a multitude of problems......... raise the prices of corn syrup, raise the price of junk food, raise the price of industrial agriculture, REDUCE health problems world wide, SAVE rural economies. Corn is too cheap.
You folks are happy to see gasoline double or triple in price without concern for working stiff. What's the worry over corn?
Bring it on! Let's finally pay what it REALLY costs to grow food. It might motivated us all to lose a little weight by working in our own gardens.On Rising tortilla prices in Mexico point to a usual suspect posted 2 years, 10 months ago 23 Responses
Dr. X
enough of the slippery slope!!
Just because someone believes PLANTING trees instead of grass is not always best, they are not advocating converting grass to desert!!
In some cases grass to desert is a natural cycle and you cannot prevent it.
But desert to grass is natural in some places.
And grass to forest is natural in some places.
And forest to grass is natural in some places.
Why in your mind is defense of grassland synonymous with clear cutting and desertification?
I suppose if you were among the pioneers moving west across North America, you would have looked at the Great PLains and said: this is awful, lets rip up this ecosystem that is appropriate for the dry climate and plant a bunch of cedars; who cares about the native prairie flora and fauna; we need more habitat for eastern grey squirells.On Depressing posted 2 years, 10 months ago 28 Responses
Dr. X
You are overreacting. I'm tired of the slippery slope problem. We are supposed to ignore science showing tree PLANTING is not always appropriate for fighting global warming because the Neo-
Cons will use it as an excuse for clear-cutting western forests??? And perhaps to justify attacking Iran???Gee. Maybe we should just get rid of science all together and duke it out the old fashioned way. Us folks who care about the environment will just assume we are RIGHT and kill everyone who disagrees. I mean if you don't want to bother looking at the scientific evidence anyway, better to invest the ressearch money in better guns, no? Let's all embrace Environment Fundamentalism. It is the WAY to TRUTH. No one else understands. Believe or die. That approach has worked so well in the past.
Whatever.On Depressing posted 2 years, 10 months ago 28 Responses
several remarks
Hi. You know who you are, so I'll skip pulling quotes from above.
The article says forests absorb more energy than grassland or pasture. So, commentator, it doesn't matter if continuous seasonal snow cover is already gone. Forest is still not necessarily better than grass! And when there is a bit of snow, ever notice a woody area is darker than a grassy area.
However much I hate Bush, his clearing brush -- like cedars -- makes sense. He does not care about the globe, but he cares about his own property. It is not natural for it to be covered by cedars. Cedars are invasive in some areas and destroy quality of grassland as nesting habitat for certain birds. He and Laura like their savanna and are taking appropriate care of it. Why don't you bloggers learn a little about ecology in different areas? TREES ARE NOT NATURAL EVERYWHERE.
This is Smoky The Bear all over again. First the greenies want to put out all fires. Then they don't want the Forest Service to repair the damage. Then they decide we should plant trees EVERYWHERE, ruining various ecosystems.
The jury is also still out on whether forest or grass is best for carbon sequestration. Forest matter is largely above ground and subject to rapid decay. Grassland biomass is largely below ground and remains fixed longer, actually continues accumulating and building soil year after year. Wher do you think Great PLains soil came from?
Trees belong in certain areas. Learn where they belong. Restore grass throughout Great Plains. Restore forest in New England and along the East Coast. Restore savanna in Texas. Figure out what ias best for West Coast and restore that.
The article is not a license to clear-cut north forests. It calls on left and right to figure out the best solution. The world is !@#$% complicated. Don't criticize someone who is trying to understand the problem and find REAL solutions just because it doesn't fit your world view.
FAR LEFT and FAR RIGHT, you are ALL part of the problem, not part of the solution. Learn some actual ecology instead of regurgitating far left and far right propaganda.On Depressing posted 2 years, 10 months ago 28 Responses
How I stopped worrying...
and learned to love global warming.
This nifty map show's that the average global temperature of our little planet generally does not exceed a very balmy 22C...
http://www.scotese.com/images/globaltemp.jpg
Granted, that is about 10C higher than it is today, but perhaps our species should just get used to this sort of fluctuation. If we survive long enough, we'll encounter it eventually.
hehehehehOn Turns out it's high posted 2 years, 10 months ago 11 Responses
