Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby
There is no "solution" to "global warming." or to Climate Change. Or whatever catch-phrase you wish to assign to it this week. People who are trying to "solve" it, are not right in the head. People who insist that it isn't happening, or that it's not a big deal, and therefore no one should do anything other than continue to consume fossil fuels at a rate unheard of in the 1950's, are equally not right in the head.
There is a finite amount of fossil fuels on this planet. They're called fossil fuels because they don't regenerate. Just like if you chip a tooth, it won't grow back. You'll have to replace it with something else. Resin, porcelain, metal. And as with fossil fuels - when it runs out, you'll have to have something replacing it. Solar, wind, water, ethanol, etc.
Better we at least TRY to get it start now, so that some day - assuming the human race still exists, our great-great-great-grandchildren will have heat in the winter, AC in the summer, hot water, electricity, etc.
Once upon a time back in the 1950's some of you were taught in scout camp to leave the place as good or better than you found it. Maybe some of you have forgotten that lesson, or never cared about it. That's unfortunate. Some folks care. You don't have to give up your gas-powered golf cart and I know I'm not ready to give up mine, either.
But being AWARE of the needs of our planet, the thing that we are borrowing from the generations to follow ours, is important. Making an effort to not waste - why use styrofoam plates when you can use paper plates? Styrofoam comes from fossil fuel sources (petroleum). Paper comes from renewable sources (trees, and in some areas bamboo).
Support companies that offer these alternatives, whether by buying from them, or recommending them to others, or both.
Climate change isn't just about heating and illuminating your house with oil/gas/wood/solar. It's about doing whatever we can, within our budgets and within our personal means, to preserve what we have as long as we can. Even if the inevitable happens and the planet dies (which planets do, it's part of the cycle of life), we'll know that we, as a species, made some attempt to help ourselves while we were around.
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I use paper plates. I EVEN wash the paper plates and use them twice if food is NOT too caked on them. I wash glass and ceramic glasses and cups also. I would NOT ever have a dishwasher in the house, but I will use a stove and a microwave. That is pretty SMALL potatoes and just personal choice when it compares to the BIG picture of Global Warming. People need to be aware of what they are doing. For example, many people like to sport fish. You can do it from a lake bank or from a row boat and have a pretty good time and have a SMALL environmentaL FOOTPRINT. Some people feel that they NEED a 200-horsepower boat to RACE out into the Gulf to supposedly get to the Best fishing areas. There is something IRONIC about fishing that way. To have the BEST sport fishing on the planet you need to have HEALTHY Coral Reefs - like the ones in say (?) 1950 which you could walk to in MIAMI right offshore. Today to get to a reasonable reef you need to go 20 miles offshore and be over a reef 200 feet down. What's ironic is the CO and CO2 fumes from the 200 hp engine are what is KILLING the reefs and making them harder to reach and FURTHER offshore.
I would submit that the most increase in the heating blanket in the upper atmosphere has been caused by engines burning fossil fuel. So, whatever an INDIVIDUAL could do to DECREASE their use of internal combustion engines would be the MAIN answer to improving Global warming. Electric vehicles (of ALL kinds) are better than ICE vehicles because the point of origin for electrical energy is a single large energy EFFICIENT power plant with scrubbers on their exhaust. Whereas, ICE vehicles are EACH inefficient and polluting.
.......That IS why the answer for an INDIVIDUAL is to transport themselves by bicycle, Ebike, E golf cart, E car, and
E truck. E-vehicles are simple compared to ICE vehicles, easy to repair, lighter, lower center of gravity, and will with increased production......be less costly......all while giving off less pollution and allowing Mother Earth to return to a healthier environment for people.........and for saving Polar bears and preventing the wholesale vanishing of species from the planet that is going on RIGHT NOW at a terrible RATE.