Global Warming

[Dis]

This sounds silly, but I'm really depressed over global warming. I've always been a bit uncaring about this before, but the recent history channel program on global warming has me really concerned. I also watched an Inconvenient Truth recently. Though I have to admit History Channel loves to use scare tactics for ratings. It's their fault I'm afraid of Gamma Ray Bursts . I never figured out how that applies as "history". They should be called the disaster/armageddon channel.

It's just horrible what we have done with this planet, and I see no hope. 5 degrees isn't much, and I believe if it stopped there, humans could easily adapt. even 5C wouldn't be so bad. But I really worry about runaway greenhouse effect that will turn this planet into Venus. Yes I know, it's silly to worry about stuff that will happen after my death. What can I say, I've always been a worrier.

I suffer from that liberal guilt syndrome. So I'm looking for advice from you guys. I don't want to just not care, I feel like a ******* for not caring about global warming. But I also feel like a hypocrite as I live in the desert, and food must be shipped hundreds (and in the case of tropical fruits thousands) of miles to get to me. I feel guilty just living. How do I deal with this guilt? And don't say to kill myself, I already have little desire to live. I'm worried I might actually do it after my dog dies (as I will have no reason to live after that point). And I actually would feel better about suicide as I wouldn't be polluting the environment this way.

[Bkeela]

Humanity needs end of the world crises, otherwise they would get bored. If it wasn't global warming, it would be WWIII or some other disaster.

The only people that should feel guilty about the mess the world is in are breeders. From what I gather Dis, you're not married with kids - so do not feel guilt. By not having kids, you have more than offset any carbon you produce living out in the desert.

[Cort Haus]

Re: Global Warming

Originally posted by Dis
I feel guilty just living. How do I deal with this guilt? And don't say to kill myself, I already have little desire to live. I'm worried I might actually do it after my dog dies (as I will have no reason to live after that point). And I actually would feel better about suicide as I wouldn't be polluting the environment this way.

This is precisely the problem with people like Al Gore. They are demanding that people see their lives (and the lives of others) as worthless, evil existences that should be snuffed out.

We are living in an age of misanthropy where humans are bad, mmkay? and genocide can actually be seen as a good thing.

[Elok]

Stop watching the History channel, I say. Stick to more fun and lighthearted stuff like MythBusters on Discovery if you want to feel educated watching the boob tube. If you're guilty about living in the desert, move.

And what Bkeela said. I actually prefer it this way to the Cold War. Constant fear of nuclear annihilation is much worse than some weenie atmospheric phenomenon. It's far worse than even GW and terrorism put together.

[VetLegion]

Re: Global Warming

Originally posted by Dis
This sounds silly, but I'm really depressed over global warming. I've always been a bit uncaring about this before, but the recent history channel program on global warming has me really concerned.

Make sure you've heard the other side too!

[Dis]

moving is tempting, but even in farm rich areas, food is shipped hundreds of miles and a growing trend in the U.S. is getting even food that can be produced locally from countries in South America as labor is cheaper there, and the food is consequently cheaper despite having to be shipped to another continent.

oh and I'm too lazy to move. I have thought of moving to Reno to escape the inevitable water crisis my city will face. But Reno also has their water problems. I really do think my city will run out of water in 15 years or so if this drought in the rockies (we rely on rockies snow fall) continues.

A big problem in the U.S. is everyone is moving to the southwest and southeastern states and moving away from dumps such as Detroit. I'm sure Detroit has plenty of water, too bad no one wants to live there. . I suppose I could always move to detroit, but if they don't have jobs...

[Traianvs]

Re: Re: Global Warming

Originally posted by Cort Haus


This is precisely the problem with people like Al Gore. They are demanding that people see their lives (and the lives of others) as worthless, evil existences that should be snuffed out.

We are living in an age of misanthropy where humans are bad, mmkay? and genocide can actually be seen as a good thing.

I have never seen or heard Al Gore say this.

PS: You say truth: humans are bad. You're not going to deny that are you?

[Krill]

genocide we don;t mind doing it to other species, but do it to humans and loads of people complain

[Traianvs]

I suffer from that liberal guilt syndrome. So I'm looking for advice from you guys. I don't want to just not care, I feel like a ******* for not caring about global warming. But I also feel like a hypocrite as I live in the desert, and food must be shipped hundreds (and in the case of tropical fruits thousands) of miles to get to me. I feel guilty just living. How do I deal with this guilt? And don't say to kill myself, I already have little desire to live. I'm worried I might actually do it after my dog dies (as I will have no reason to live after that point). And I actually would feel better about suicide as I wouldn't be polluting the environment this way.

The solution is simple. Try to do something about it, even if it's in a very minor way. If everyone has been brainwashed and looks at economy and ecology differently, then people in general will take care of our planet more rationally, imo.

Originally posted by Krill
genocide we don;t mind doing it to other species, but do it to humans and loads of people complain

Yeah, because genocide is so inefficient. A good pandemic or some major famine decimates humans much easier!

[Krill]

Well, PH ought to start getting a move on with H5N1 then

[Blake]

Originally posted by Krill
genocide we don;t mind doing it to other species, but do it to humans and loads of people complain

Indeed. I really can't see a problem with human genocide so long as we support genocide of other species.

I would tend to say that the genocide should be done towards certain ends, for example we do genocide other species for a reason (even if it's apathy) not JUST for the sheer joy of genocide.

For example it'd be a lot smarter to genocide the population which is most wasteful, we'd want to do it efficiently and this would mean targeting the areas which maximize population density x polluting density.

It'd be dumb to say, start by genociding Iceland, when Iceland isn't really doing much harm - genociding the population of Iceland doesn't really help solve any problems. So I'm not talking about token genocide as an appeasement-to-the-gods strategy, but really good wholesome genocide which solves real problems.

We'd do well by starting by eliminating many of the major population centers in USA and China, maybe India (the population density is high even if they aren't too bad overall), pretty much all western countries could stand to genocide some of their major cities, to be fair. Maybe in New Zealand we could do Auckland, that wipes out a 3rd of the population and the city wouldn't really be missed that much by the rest of the country, it'd solve a lot of traffic problems too.

[Krill]

Goodbye Liverpool

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Krill
genocide we don;t mind doing it to other species, but do it to humans and loads of people complain

Geno means people, surely. You can't genocide animals, and you can't homicide an animal.

Etymology apart, it demonstrates my point about the prevailing mindset of misanthropy and hatred for humanity that people are so widely considered no better than animals.

When animals can have ethical discussions on websites like poly, that's the time we start considering them as equals. Not sooner.

[Cort Haus]

Re: Re: Re: Global Warming

Originally posted by Traianvs
I have never seen or heard Al Gore say this.

Not directly, but taken to its logical conclusion, his message is anti-human - as evidenced by some of the opinions we see here.

PS: You say truth: humans are bad. You're not going to deny that are you?

I was doing a Mr Mackay off South Park with the "humans are bad, mmmkay?".

Humans can be both bad and good. The fashion these days is to ignore all positive aspects of humanity and promote the negative ones. There is nothing 'good' about nature, btw. It's a bloody struggle of self-interest. Only humans have any concept of philanthropy or ethics. That's what makes us special (one of the things).

[Krill]

*shrug* Humans can not survive without other animals. They can survive without us. I'd say that animals are on some levels our superiors.