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It seems we have a planet we have spent years abusing. to me it is only common sense the abuse can only continue so long. Species go extinct, some say...so what... it doesnt seem responsible to me. If we can choose a path that protects the environment while we maintain or even improve our lifestyle, why not?
I have personally seen the ocean on the East coast of FLorida decrease the amount of life in my short time on the planet. When I was 5 fish would come up in every wave. as you stood in the water they would nibble the air bubbles off your legs, there were these colorful clam like creatures inn the sand... now all that is gone. rarelyt do you see fish in the water at all. There has been a change and that change has taken place in 45 years or less.
We use oil at vast rates, we create ways to make electricity from non-renewable sources. Did you know for the price of one nuclear plant we can make every home it would serve self-sufficient on wind and solar power and eliminate the need to build the plant?
And what do we do about the waste? store it in the salt mine in the dessert for 2 Million years? doesnt seem logical to me. Oh and what area of the country is safe from earthquakes that we can build a plant on?
If we spent our energy dollars on wind, solar we could effectivly protect our environment and cut our ties to the grid. I think we should be allowed to remove ourselves from the power grid and not be required to plug in. but that is another issue.
If we as a nation put an emphasis on renewable investing we could make it far more affordable and move towards every home inn the country generating their own power. Wouldn't it be nice to know you had a power source not dependent on the power company? Wouldnt you like to not send them hundreds of dollars monthly?
The resources are here now for both small wind generation systems and solar power. There aren't many places that dont have one or the other... ok Seattle has to rely on the wind..lol ( or water)
With little effort we as a nation can cut much of the dependence on world oil and power generation that creates many environmentally unfriendly additives. If we improve our lifestyle..why not?
Couild there be powerful people that hold us hostage to oil, and energy still? We need to start taking the steps to do this for ourselves. We need to change legistlation that will allow families to not sell thier excess energy back to the power companies. Eliminate their monopolies and create true independence. Why not be kind to the environment in the process? even if the ice caps may or may not melt and destroy us. Let's be proactive instead of reactive. , we have much to gain and no risk.
It seems we have a planet we have spent years abusing. to me it is only common sense the abuse can only continue so long. Species go extinct, some say...so what... it doesnt seem responsible to me. If we can choose a path that protects the environment while we maintain or even improve our lifestyle, why not?
I have personally seen the ocean on the East coast of FLorida decrease the amount of life in my short time on the planet. When I was 5 fish would come up in every wave. as you stood in the water they would nibble the air bubbles off your legs, there were these colorful clam like creatures inn the sand... now all that is gone. rarelyt do you see fish in the water at all. There has been a change and that change has taken place in 45 years or less.
We use oil at vast rates, we create ways to make electricity from non-renewable sources. Did you know for the price of one nuclear plant we can make every home it would serve self-sufficient on wind and solar power and eliminate the need to build the plant?
And what do we do about the waste? store it in the salt mine in the dessert for 2 Million years? doesnt seem logical to me. Oh and what area of the country is safe from earthquakes that we can build a plant on?
If we spent our energy dollars on wind, solar we could effectivly protect our environment and cut our ties to the grid. I think we should be allowed to remove ourselves from the power grid and not be required to plug in. but that is another issue.
If we as a nation put an emphasis on renewable investing we could make it far more affordable and move towards every home inn the country generating their own power. Wouldn't it be nice to know you had a power source not dependent on the power company? Wouldnt you like to not send them hundreds of dollars monthly?
The resources are here now for both small wind generation systems and solar power. There aren't many places that dont have one or the other... ok Seattle has to rely on the wind..lol ( or water)
With little effort we as a nation can cut much of the dependence on world oil and power generation that creates many environmentally unfriendly additives. If we improve our lifestyle..why not?
Couild there be powerful people that hold us hostage to oil, and energy still? We need to start taking the steps to do this for ourselves. We need to change legistlation that will allow families to not sell thier excess energy back to the power companies. Eliminate their monopolies and create true independence. Why not be kind to the environment in the process? even if the ice caps may or may not melt and destroy us. Let's be proactive instead of reactive. , we have much to gain and no risk.
Yes, things have changed a lot. I remember a river in Florida where I could throw a net into the river and pull in loads of fish. Now, I can see the bottom of the muddy remains of the river littered with junk and trash. When I was in Kansas there was a lake where we swam during the summer and it was loaded with fish, so much you could easily catch them with your bare hands. Now, that lake is no longer "safe" to swim in anymore. Its sad. Pollution has caused a lot of harm to the environment.
Personally, I think the price of nuclear power is too high of a price when nuclear waste lasts as long as it does. Nuclear power is NOT cheap either. I don't mind protecting the environment but unfortunately eco-freaks takes it 100 steps further. Don't build a house because you are destroying trees and the environment? Excuse me? Should we all live like the Japanese and pay $5k for a 200 sq. feet apartment crowded with 5 other families? Their logic escapes me. I don't mind cutting back CO2 emissions if it was causing global warming. Their scientific bunk however tells me otherwise. I don't appreciate being lied to and I don't appreciate people telling me I am killing the world because I don't agree with their delusional ideas.
I would love to free the U.S. from the electrical grid and solar power is KEY. Utilities, oil companies, and hedge fund managers would hate it since you won't be paying them a huge overinflated fee. I would invest heavily into solar power and try to use the electrical grid as little as possible. I hope efficiencies would improve but I doubt the above mentioned corporations would allow it to happen quickly. Already they are trying to create rhetoric with "hydrogen" fuel cells, ethanol fuels, etc. etc. All of which, they would sell for a fee like gasoline. They can't control how much the sun shines and can't charge you for it, so they hate solar power. They are trying to extend their power and survival as long as possible by buying up politicians and flaunting rhetoric about the eco-friendliness of ethanol fuel. It just doesn't make sense to me... and the increasing commodity prices are showing that... profits for them..
So in the end, I love to preserve the environment but not at a cost that makes no sense whatsoever that eco-freaks would love. I love to take us off the energy grid, unfortunately all the political candidates show the same flaw... corruption. The American voters fall for it every single time... for over 50 years, the trend still continues. I guess it comes down to me, I try to live in a manner that I think is protective to the environment. I don't use bunk science like CO2 causing global warming and then charge everyone a fee who produces CO2 emissions to line my pockets. I have politicians that are trying to do that already.
How would you like to be in an elevator when a cloud crosses between the solar array and the sun?
If the folks in Florida wanted to save a tremendous amount of electricity and money they could just stop using air conditioners. After all folks lived in Florida for many, many generations without AC.
Well, what can it hurt to live a little more "green"? Recycle, buy vehicles that get decent gas milage and maybe not make that extra trip to the store. Or maybe walk or ride a bike rather than drive 6 blocks... I really don't see the problem there.
Well of course there is no problem with being green, providing you don't get a sense of superiority. The only thing I'm against is people forcing others to be "green". Case in point, my uni just implemented new eco-friendly to-go boxes and charge an extra .50. Some of this is pure profit! I just find some of these green enthusiasts obnoxious moral elitists.
The truth is it is still unknown if real global warming is occuring and its also unknown if humans are able to influence this.
hmmm I was kinda hoping some Al Gore followers would come on here but maybe this means people are waking up to the lies. If the world is indeed warming (long term) then it has nothing to do with a persons "carbon footprint"-how laughable!
I think we all have to get over our denial about global warming and look at it in a more practical sense.
It's real and it's happening. People seem to think that because most days during Minneapolis's winters are still below 20 degrees, that global warming isn't real. Its a gradual process that will have terrible consequences for us in the long term. And most of it's effects will only be seen between Spring and the Summer. What caused the terrible hurricane season in 2005? Why are there more floods these days in the South, Northeast, and Midwest than ever? Why is New York City suddenly getting extremely mild winters?
This conversation is quite timely. A friend sent me the following link. While the video is long (about an hour), the topic is quite interesting and puts global warming in a new light. The solution is two-fold but the problem is much greater than first thought.
I think we all have to get over our denial about global warming and look at it in a more practical sense.
It's real and it's happening. People seem to think that because most days during Minneapolis's winters are still below 20 degrees, that global warming isn't real. Its a gradual process that will have terrible consequences for us in the long term. And most of it's effects will only be seen between Spring and the Summer. What caused the terrible hurricane season in 2005? Why are there more floods these days in the South, Northeast, and Midwest than ever? Why is New York City suddenly getting extremely mild winters?
See I dont think its a proven fact at all Nafster. Did you bother to read my link? Why have ocean temperatures not risen at all? The ocean is much more important to global health than land temperatures. There is no consensus among scientists as the media would like you to believe.
I'm not talking of denying global warming because of the emotional argument that winters still seem very cold. No, logically, although air temperatures have gradually increased over the last century, this is only part of a cycle much larger than humanity. The cycle of warmer to colder to warmer that spans thousands of years. Not to mention the article in the last few months that talks about how alot of the numbers used in Al Gore's argument were made up.....
Althout I admit human-caused global warming is possible it seems like a made up thing designed to take advantage of a paranoid public.
This conversation is quite timely. A friend sent me the following link. While the video is long (about an hour), the topic is quite interesting and puts global warming in a new light. The solution is two-fold but the problem is much greater than first thought.
I went to Alaska forty years ago and stopped at a small glacial lake (Portage Glacier and Lake) just south east of Anchorage, AK. The glacier was shedding small icebergs into the lake. It could be seen from the campground and road. In fact we chipped off some of the floating ice to cool our drinks.
I just spoke with my sister in law who lives near anchorage and she says the glacier is over five miles up the valley. Glacial retreat or melt back is not caused by global cooling it is caused by global warming. Glacial retreat is observable all over the world. This is a fact not an opinion! Denying this may feel good but is delusional. I do not understand why this observation can be ignored by so many people and why they would want to deny this fact.
The world is getting warmer and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. We had better figure out what the effects of this warming are likely to be and plan appropriately. Failure to do this will be far more expensive than being prepared.
I went to Alaska forty years ago and stopped at a small glacial lake (Portage Glacier and Lake) just south east of Anchorage, AK. The glacier was shedding small icebergs into the lake. It could be seen from the campground and road. In fact we chipped off some of the floating ice to cool our drinks.
I just spoke with my sister in law who lives near anchorage and she says the glacier is over five miles up the valley. Glacial retreat or melt back is not caused by global cooling it is caused by global warming. Glacial retreat is observable all over the world. This is a fact not an opinion! Denying this may feel good but is delusional. I do not understand why this observation can be ignored by so many people and why they would want to deny this fact.
The world is getting warmer and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. We had better figure out what the effects of this warming are likely to be and plan appropriately. Failure to do this will be far more expensive than being prepared.
There's no point arguing with the deniers, they'll never get it.
We are the ones who have to do the part in improving the earth.
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