For those concerned about pollution and global warming I recommend they (or their children) assist by earning degrees in physics, chemistry, biology, geology, engineering, etc. – then they can truly help solve the problems.
The earth is a very dynamic place; just because we don’t witness it doesn’t have any real meaning. It is our arrogance to think that just because we live a certain number of years, all activities can be measured by our existence; the earth is about 4.5 billion years old, the universe around 13.5 – 14.5 billion. I live at the foothills of the Rockies in Colorado – this is the second set of Rockies, the first has already eroded away. During the first I would be living in a shallow sea to the east with dinosaurs meandering about the shoreline to the west.
I won’t bother discussing the issue of global warming; it has been going on for about 1,200 years. These modern day luddites are against the only possible solution to our continued existence on this planet – using the brains that God or evolution, take your pick you’ll end up at the same place, gave us.
As a side note, here’s a fun stumper; I challenge anyone to think of a modern activity, service, or product that could exist without mining – there aren’t any.
Here’s a blatant pitch for money – I’m John Conlin, founder and CEO of E.I.C. Enterprises, Inc (www.eicenterprises.org), a 501(c) non-profit organization (your donation is tax deductible) dedicated to bringing a fact and science-based education to the poor and disadvantaged here, and throughout the world. Check it out and if you agree please make a donation – we can use the money!
Thanks
jc
ping
In about 300 years, we will be screaming about global cooling and how mankind has produced the disasterous ice-age.
I suggest they turn off the heat in the auditorium, shut off the electricity, disconnect the phones, turn off the cell towers, and stop selling gasoline in the host city while this kind meeting is going on. Let's let those who preach, practice what they preach.
Let them sit in their winter coats in the dark and listen to unamplifed talks; take notes with pencils on recycled, hand-made paper; file their reports by carrying them back to their publication headquarters; walk to and from their hotels.
And let those hotels be dark and cold, as well, and serve raw, cold food; no computer; no telephones; no televisions; no elevators; no warm water; no water above the first floor except that which is carried up the steps; toilets that will not flush unless a bucket of water is poured in.
All these evils we hope to banish are cause by the so-called fossil fuels and surely the preachers are looking forward to the day when all these things will come true. They need to set the example for the rest of us so that longed-for day will arrive all the sooner.
Geo, UCSB, '84..... I had some really excellent courses in things which I consider highly pertinent to the debate on climate change. Geochem - we studied the CO2 balance and the exchange between the atmosphere and natural waters (including CaCO2 depositing organisms). Marine Geo - we looked at how the continental config and ocean currents interact with major implications on climatic variation - so one theory went, the general overall Ice Age we are in may have been started by the closure of the Isthmus of Panama. Paleo - we looked at Paleo Climate and axis wobble and solar radiation variations, etc.
Here is the thing that I think all the resources being wasted on "Global Warming" need to be redeployed to look at - namely, where are we in the interglacial and what are the specific parametric alarm limits which would tell us the interglacial is ending?