Posted by Dinah on February 4, 2007, at 17:24:26
In reply to Re: 'Humans blamed for climate change' » Dinah, posted by Honore on February 4, 2007, at 15:32:43
Perhaps so. I was expressing my personal feelings of betrayal, not any belief or disbelief in the science involved. There was certainly no mass objection to the theory in the seventies. I assume that if there were any objections, they were silenced by the fact that the call to action was beneficial. My beef may be more with the press than the scientists. It wasn't nice to scare little girls senseless in the greater interest of environmental awareness. Scary days those were. The threat of nuclear war, overpopulation, the new ice age. At least I'm too young to have hidden under my desk in nuclear bomb drills or had a bomb shelter in my backyard. Still, I was pretty sure the earth wouldn't see my fortieth birthday. I was left with an overriding preference against extreme scenarios, I think.
I am more compelled by the fact that we're tenants on earth, not owners, and are dutybound to leave the planet in at least as good shape as we found it. Whether not doing so means disaster to us personally or not.
The area I live in has been damaged by humans far more quickly than global warming will damage. The infrastructure for oil exploration was built with no concern for the future, and that has directly damaged the wetlands that have historically protected us. As only one of many many examples. This area has been harmed enormously by man's actions.
Who hasn't had their heart broken by strip mining or clearcutting or the loss of habitats or hunting animals into extinction? Or the careless introduction of species not native to an environment?
I suppose I'd prefer an emphasis on a more all encompassing view of man's responsibility to the earth that shelters us.
On the other hand, I don't bicycle to my grocery store, and although my annual vehicle mileage is quite low, it's more because of my reluctance to go out than any greater good. There's no way I could live without a/c. So I may not have all that much room to talk.
poster:Dinah
thread:729113
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20070130/msgs/729710.html