Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Look Around You

In the previous post, I recommended the viewing of the most important video you will ever watch. The gravamen of that post was that population will outstrip the finite resources of the earth with an eventual lowering of living standards and ultimately the destruction of the species absent vital changes in the future.
One comment made to me by a friend regarding the lauded professor’s comments is worthy of partial quotation to illustrate the “head in the sand” position that most folks are assuming with regard to the current world problem. My friend wrote to me stating “predictions of eminent peril have been averted time and time again by the ingenuity of man and mother nature. I think only a fool would presume that we are very short on natural resources and very long on population.”
My friend is an educated person. Now many educated people, like my friend, just assume that a solution will be brought forward at some point. Education aside, one is reminded of the old saw that “assume” can make an “ass” out of you and “me.” My friend is committed to the correct goal, preservation of the species. Unfortunately, reaching that goal requires knowing what the problem is or whether there is a problem. One does not automatically assume that there is no problem. Unless we take the time to observe the world around us, we will be incapable of being a part of the solution in any fashion to any problem.
With regard to viewing the world around us, we recommend a very good site for your consideration which exams the need for conservation and recycling at http://www.storyofstuff.com/
To close on a humorous note, cut and paste the following into your browser and enjoy: http://www.kitchengardeners.org/2008/02/backyard_laying_hens.html

5 comments:

rube cretin said...

http://yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=2640
Not sure if you were talking about me in your post. Recommend you read the linked post above for an article which discusses our uncertain world and the opportunities for addressing our faulty human nature which is believed to be the source of many problems we face today. There are lots of resources washing around in the world, what we have at this point is a problem of distribution. Sooner or later however we are going to be up against real limits. At this point the data indicates the former is winning. "The American people know what they want and they deserve to get it good and hard."

rube cretin said...

http://yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=2640

rube cretin said...

http://yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=2640

rube cretin said...

a few weeks from now few will remember that i tried without success to send a link to your site. the several and probably many below represent my efforts. forgive.

rube cretin said...

http://yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=2640