Comments redjenny has made

  • Planetary Fever

    "Climate Change" is probably the least alarmist, and most accurate.

    However, I like "planetary fever" because it expresses the fact that we're making the planet sick. You know when you have a fever, sometimes you get chills, sometimes you get hot, and boy it sure is unpleasant. On Overreacts to global warming posted 2 years, 10 months ago 15 Responses

  • Crazy Economists

    Yes, JMG, people like Craig are ruining capitalism!! We can't let our children hear about this. After all, where would our economy be without excessive greed.

    It is very nice to see someone in the public eye say money isn't everything.On Craigslist founder teaches us a lesson posted 3 years, 1 month ago 4 Responses

  • More

    Sorry to post again so soon, but here is a much more detailed explanation of what I said (with pretty graphs and everything!.On Rethinking 'overpopulation' posted 3 years, 1 month ago 77 Responses

  • Excellent Post

    One thing I learned in my university sociology classes was how the birth rate naturally decreases when the following occur:

    1. More equal rights for women (including reproductive control, delayed marriage, and the possibility of paid work outside the home)
    2. Reduced death rate, especially infant mortality (although this takes one or two generations to kick in
    3. Industrialization & Urbanization (unlike in agricultural households, lots of kids are no longer an asset)

    Women's rights and poverty are crucial to stemming population growth.

    Of course, I think a lot of people who are afraid of "overpopulation" are typically really afraid of being overwhelmed by non-white people in developing countries. On Rethinking 'overpopulation' posted 3 years, 1 month ago 77 Responses

  • As someone wise recently said

    We can't shop our way to sustainability.

    Or something like that. Unfortunately the corporate capitalist system alienates us from the products we purchase. We have no idea what goes into making, transporting, selling them. On Some farmers' markets aren't as local as you think posted 3 years, 2 months ago 3 Responses

  • SUV's and Image

    Safer is part of it, but the other part is the whole image of the SUV. Like  a tough truck, but comfortable... Look at their names to get an idea of how the industry is positioning their SUVs. (Take an Expedition... to the nearest starbucks. Or how about an Excursion... to your kid's school)

    Read The Rebel Sell for a great analysis of how the 60s counterculture consumerism is at the base of this. The desire to be "different" that is supposedly countercultural actually drives the capitalist consumption machine. On And why is it still around? posted 3 years, 2 months ago 10 Responses

  • Excellent Piece

    I agree that fear inspires little or nothing in the way of positive action because it more often than not saps hope and will. Survival as a short term goal takes precedence over long term goals. What progressives, especially in regard to environmental issues, need to focus on isn't fear per se. Reality is frightening enough and every truthfully scary message needs to be accompanied by hope and steps for action.On Reason. Compassion. Forbearance. Selflessness. These are not the hallmarks or our time. posted 3 years, 3 months ago 6 Responses

  • Fear is not a rational emotion but it is very real

    Unfortunately fear is easily manipulated because people are notoriously bad at judging risk. Excellent book on this subject: False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear by Marc Siegel.  Fear is also, I think, one of the main reasons people vote right wing, despite the fact that right wing policies are harmful to the majority. We shouldn't, however, look down on people for their irrational fear - we all have irrational fears of one sort or another. Fear is very complicated and ridiculing someone for their reactions certainly doesn't help - the fear reaction is very real and creates a biological response. If the media accurately reflected reality, it would make a big difference. Imagine if every person killed in a car accident, or by cancer, or heart disease got first page coverage!On Fear and environmentalism posted 3 years, 3 months ago 8 Responses

  • Efficiency

    Interesting article on efficiency

    Also, have you see the claims made by the Department of Energy on efficiency of various modes of transportation as reported on wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_efficiency (scroll down the page to the chart)? According to this, driving is more efficient than taking the bus or intercity train. Does this make sense?On Walking tall tale posted 3 years, 3 months ago 22 Responses

  • What about energy used in producing the car?

    Don't forget all the energy used hauling the raw materials for the car out of the ground, shipping them, producing the parts in the various factories, shipping the parts to the factory in which the car is assembled, and then shipping the car to the consumer...

    Also, I don't know any environmentalist who promotes big-agra farming... Most of us want to improve the efficiency of transportation AND food production/distribution.On Walking tall tale posted 3 years, 3 months ago 22 Responses

  • Excellent Article

    Very good analysis. I wish more people could see what you are showing to be true. I'm so sick of the people who blame obesity in the poor on their bad choices. As you showed, their choices are actually quite rational when health is of lesser concern (by necessity) than the bottom line. Time AND money are rarities for the working poor. They don't have enough of either to prepare healthful meals... and then their kids get used to eating doritos for lunch and the cycle continues.On How the feds make bad-for-you food cheaper than healthful fare posted 3 years, 9 months ago 9 Responses

  • Poverty & Environmental Degradation Linked

    It isn't so apparent here, but in developing countries much more so. If someone farms, and the messed up environment reduces their ability to do that, all of a sudden a hard working self-sufficient family joins the ranks of the poor. For example, the reduction of the water table in India, or climate change in Africa (see: http://redjenny.blogspot.com/2005/06/aid-to-africa-and-climate-change.html)

    Wrecking the environment makes it harder for people to support themselves. Directly impoverishing real people shouldn't be dismissed as a natural byproduct of civilization. On Poverty in a civilized world posted 3 years, 9 months ago 11 Responses

  • Interesting, but...

    Keep in mind many poor people also do not own their own homes. More often than not they do not live in energy-efficient homes, because their slumlords just don't care. They have much less control over how much energy they use for home heating and electricity. The poor have to choose between "eating or heating" - they need an alternative not just economic incentives (although those should be part of the mix).

    Rewarding people for NOT using cars is a great idea, but also there is a need to create an alternative here too. Broad-based public transportation, for instance, should be free, high quality, and accessible. It should be the standard. Cars could be some sort of luxury perhaps, heavily taxed to pay for public transportation.
    On Poverty in a civilized world posted 3 years, 9 months ago 11 Responses

  • english... for your future

    "why do you speak english?" ... "for your future"

    That is terrible! I can't believe how sickening it is!On Super Bowl hybrid commercial, warm and fuzzy edition posted 3 years, 9 months ago 1 Response

  • Rounding Down

    Yes, they can round down to 0 if the amount per serving is less than 0.5 - all they have to do is fiddle with the serving size. Who on earth eats 11 chips?On How can junk-food makers label goods laden with partically hydrogenated oil posted 3 years, 10 months ago 5 Responses