<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Child safety? A Father’s Day call for a longer view]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Clifford Wells http://www.grist.org/article/child-safety-a-fathers-day-call-for-a-longer-view/ Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:50:28 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/child-safety-a-fathers-day-call-for-a-longer-view/1 I have two kids, 22 and 25, and I have a slightly different perspective.  I genuinely worry about climate change for them and their kids - I'll be dead before the mayhem year gets going.  I feel rather powerless about doing anything substantial today, since there really isn't a "Bhopal Incident" to scare the pants off most people and really do something meaningful.  That's not to say we're not doing meaningful things these days, but alas, we're really not reducing greenhouse gases with the intensity that is needed, and will not for some time.  It's like foreplay leading to dry humping these days - nothing happens in nine months!  And that is where I am at, and quite saddened about the whole prospect. 

My other perspective is much more humorous.  We were blessed with lots of relatives and friends, and while we tended to buy educational toys and stuff that was pretty sustainable, possibly not all that great but "good stuff" we thought at the time, everyone else bought these horrendous toys made in China that were obxoxious, loud, plastic pieces of crap.  Several wouldn't even work without 4 to 6 "D" sized batteries, or worse yet a couple of those transistor batteries -- those were the "screamers."  It was horrible!  I got to where we were disabling the toys after almost becoming nervous wrecks!  I broke my shoulder one time tripping over all that crap.  I'd sneak them into the trash eventually, probably not a great idea either, but I sure felt good about it.  I have a very strong inclination to harrass my two kids when THEY have kids, for paybacks, but ... maybe I shouldn't do that, right?  Really?  Man, no fun!

]]> I have two kids, 22 and 25, and I have a slightly different perspective.  I genuinely worry about climate change for them and their kids - I'll be dead before the mayhem year gets going.  I feel rather powerless about doing anything substantial today, since there really isn't a "Bhopal Incident" to scare the pants off most people and really do something meaningful.  That's not to say we're not doing meaningful things these days, but alas, we're really not reducing greenhouse gases with the intensity that is needed, and will not for some time.  It's like foreplay leading to dry humping these days - nothing happens in nine months!  And that is where I am at, and quite saddened about the whole prospect. 

My other perspective is much more humorous.  We were blessed with lots of relatives and friends, and while we tended to buy educational toys and stuff that was pretty sustainable, possibly not all that great but "good stuff" we thought at the time, everyone else bought these horrendous toys made in China that were obxoxious, loud, plastic pieces of crap.  Several wouldn't even work without 4 to 6 "D" sized batteries, or worse yet a couple of those transistor batteries -- those were the "screamers."  It was horrible!  I got to where we were disabling the toys after almost becoming nervous wrecks!  I broke my shoulder one time tripping over all that crap.  I'd sneak them into the trash eventually, probably not a great idea either, but I sure felt good about it.  I have a very strong inclination to harrass my two kids when THEY have kids, for paybacks, but ... maybe I shouldn't do that, right?  Really?  Man, no fun!

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