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Should We Live Shorter to Save the Planet?
The National Review's Human Exceptionalism ^ | October 10, 2013 | Wesley J. Smith

Posted on 10/11/2013 7:45:19 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Humans are the enemy! A new study published in Ecology and Society claims that longer life expectancy for us is bad news for the planet. From the study by Aaron Lotz and Craig R. Allen:

We found a positive relationship between life expectancy and the percentage of endangered and invasive species in a country…The overall trend in high-income countries with improvements to the Human Development Index, which includes human life expectancy as one of its variables, is toward a disproportionately larger negative impact on a country’s ecological footprint. However, some lower-income countries have a high level of development without a high impact on ecosystem services (Moran et al. 2008).

Increased life expectancy means that people live longer and affect the planet longer; each year is another year of carbon footprint, ecological footprint, use of natural resources, etc. The magnitude of this impact is increased as more people live longer.

Bad humans! Bad, bad humans.

The answer is supposedly–it’s becoming a cliché–that we see ourselves as just part of nature:

Fischer et al. (2012) propose a “transformation strategy” that assumes that direct links between people and nature are better than indirect links. This paradigm shift would recouple the social-ecological system.

Wrong. We are the exceptional species. The environment benefits most when we see that it is our duty to manage the environment responsibly because we are human. If we redefine ourselves as just another animal in the forest, that’s just how we will act.

The authors don’t say whether we should try and live shorter lives. But that certainly seems an implication.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: climatechange; environmentalism; gates; genocide; gmo; humans; nwo; obamacare
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

41 posted on 10/11/2013 8:49:31 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I used to ask my leftist sister if she agree with the Voluntary Himan Extinction Program. She didn’t know what I was talking about.


42 posted on 10/11/2013 8:50:22 PM PDT by originalbuckeye (Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Death-cult lefties should practice what they preach.


43 posted on 10/11/2013 8:52:31 PM PDT by Stingray (Stand for the truth or you'll fall for anything.)
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To: Stingray

Yes, but they never do


44 posted on 10/11/2013 8:56:03 PM PDT by GeronL
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To: citizen

I guess I care about the planet more than you, since I am shorter.


45 posted on 10/11/2013 8:56:59 PM PDT by Stayingawayfromthedarkside (Tea Party Anarchists? Freedom = Anarchy to communists.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If that’s what they want, how about we start with them? They go first.


46 posted on 10/11/2013 8:57:31 PM PDT by lu shissler (ecause)
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To: citizen

oops! I guess I mistook your comment. Oh well!


47 posted on 10/11/2013 8:59:48 PM PDT by Stayingawayfromthedarkside (Tea Party Anarchists? Freedom = Anarchy to communists.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Humans are only the enemy if you are satan; he was livid that God gave us souls.


48 posted on 10/11/2013 9:03:57 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: Bullish

Whew! Missed it by 5 years.


49 posted on 10/11/2013 9:08:43 PM PDT by Stayingawayfromthedarkside (Tea Party Anarchists? Freedom = Anarchy to communists.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Hell NO!!!


50 posted on 10/11/2013 9:10:14 PM PDT by dalereed
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

That’s their endgame.

I welcome all the Gaia worshipers living shorter lives. I am all for them sacrificing so that we don’t have to listen to their holier than thou preaching and junk science.


51 posted on 10/11/2013 10:09:36 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; UCANSEE2; cripplecreek; Route395; Jack Hydrazine; GeronL; sportutegrl

One of the best responses to the “save the planet” environuts - by George Carlin. Both funny and to the point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c


52 posted on 10/11/2013 10:21:42 PM PDT by aquila48
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To: citizen

How about billions of Asians and Africans live shorter loves than Americans?


53 posted on 10/11/2013 11:58:32 PM PDT by glorgau
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Bugs Bunny calls these kind of folks maroons.


54 posted on 10/12/2013 12:22:24 AM PDT by righttackle44 (Take scalps. Leave the bodies as a warning.)
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To: UCANSEE2
try this....


55 posted on 10/12/2013 12:50:45 AM PDT by spokeshave (While Zero plays silly card games like Spades - Putin plays for keeps.)
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To: sportutegrl

U GO Girl!
~5’3”~ and drive one too!


56 posted on 10/12/2013 1:29:38 AM PDT by poobear (Socialism in the minds of the elites, is a con-game for the serfs, nothing more.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

That’s what Obamacare is for.

Save money on health care through reduced expenditures.

Save money on pensions/Medicare/Social Security through reduced lifespan.


57 posted on 10/12/2013 1:34:48 AM PDT by Haiku Guy (Gun Control Haiku: Say "Registration" / And they call you paranoid / So say "Privacy")
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>> We are the exceptional species. The environment benefits most when we...

I didn’t read beyond this point for what should be an obvious coloring of the author’s attitude — and assuming no surprise changes in direction of his thoughts.

Look, we’re wonderful, we’re perfect. Arguably nothing is imperfect — it’s God’s plan. But we’re rebels, and we know we’re perfectly imperfect for good reason; to make sure idiots like Mr Exceptional don’t get away with his Nazi-like intentions of making an imperfect World perfect.


58 posted on 10/12/2013 1:49:52 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The Mayans and Aztecs can be as short at the want.


59 posted on 10/12/2013 2:55:58 AM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Obamacare is viewed by them as a step in the right direction. And will yield favorable results, for them.


60 posted on 10/12/2013 4:04:09 AM PDT by Vinnie
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