Comments earthpope has made

  • Let's not get Corky

    Any synthetic product, especially petroleum-based products, are short-term solutions at best.  The entire cycle of cork, a natural material, is much more sustainable for the planet and requires us to pay attention to tightly woven fabric of the life web.  

    As for recycling options, I would add the use of ground cork for raising orchards.  A company in California claims it is the best material for orchards is used wine corks. On Umbra on wine corks posted 2 years, 7 months ago 9 Responses

  • Show me the Green

    Consumers have very little muscle and to believe we do is to live in a fantasy world.  GE is promoting nuclear power as a cure for climate change while BP spends more on public relations about their "greenness" than they do on renewable energy investments. Believing consumers have more power than shareholders takes us down the false path of sustainability that maintains things as they are--profits before people and planet.

    Just because something says "organic" doesn't mean it is sustainable.  Pesticides are still pesticides even though some may be made from natural occuring chemicals while others are man-made.  They still kill insects and other organisms.  Poor farm practices, both conventional or organic, are still poor farm practices.  

    What we need is transparancy of information with all products.  Remember Adam Smith's conditions for a free market include total information disclosure on all transactions between the producer and the purchaser.  Our economy has very little environmental information on any transaction except when companies want to showcase their minor accomplishments.

    If companies really wanted to be "green" and sustainable they would work on take-back packaging and products that could be repaired cheaply instead of having to be replaced. For example, why are all printers defaulted to single-sided printing instead of double-sided?  Because most companies that manufacture printers also make huge profits selling paper. Again, profits before people and planet.

    We won't begin to get to sustainable until it is people and planet before profits!!!

     On With big biz jumping on the green bandwagon, should activists cheer or jeer? posted 2 years, 9 months ago 13 Responses

  • Looking for the Green

    Thomas Friedman reveals the primary reason the corporations are at the table--profits. They are interested in only one shade of green--money.  Look at the companies and then look at what they are making.  GE is still promoting nuclear energy as something that "protects and preserves the environment".  If companies really wanted to do the right thing they would make simple changes to build products that promote sustainability. Why is it that HP still makes a printer that defaults to single-sided copies instead of double-sided?  Because they sell so much paper.   On Romance blossoms between big biz and enviros over a candlelit dinner posted 2 years, 9 months ago 4 Responses

  • When in doubt commision a study

    Enough with the scientific certainty (as if that were not an oxymoron!) and the continuation of arguing whose report has the best predictions.  It does not take a rocket scientist to understand the basic metrics of the problem.  Americans constitute 5% of the global population and use over 25% of the resources, contributing over 25% of the GHGs in the process.  We are a wasteful, gluttonous culture that continues on the path of planetary destruction while we commission yet another study to document our collective demise.

    Let's just take on the biggest problem facing us right now--the American Way of Life and the potential of distributing this consuming virus to the rest of the earth's inhabitants.  That is truly frighting!

    Earth Pope

    On What do the climate scientists think? posted 2 years, 11 months ago 24 Responses