Environmental crises compounding

[Denninmi]

Human-made Crises 'Outrunning Our Ability To Deal With Them,' Scientists Warn
ScienceDaily (Sep. 11, 2009) —

The world faces a compounding series of crises driven by human activity, which existing governments and institutions are increasingly powerless to cope with, a group of eminent environmental scientists and economists has warned.

Writing in the journal Science, the researchers say that nations alone are unable to resolve the sorts of planet-wide challenges now arising.

Pointing to global action on ozone depletion (the Montreal Protocol), high seas fisheries and antibiotic drug resistance as examples, they call for a new order of cooperative international institutions capable of dealing with issues like climate change – and enforcing compliance where necessary.

“Energy, food and water crises, climate disruption, declining fisheries, ocean acidification, emerging diseases and increasing antibiotic resistance are examples of serious, intertwined global-scale challenges spawned by the accelerating scale of human activity,” say the researchers, who come from Australia, Sweden, the United States, India, Greece and The Netherlands.

“These issues are outpacing the development of institutions to deal with them and their many interactive effects. The core of the problem is inducing cooperation in situations where individuals and nations will collectively gain if all cooperate, but each faces the temptation to free-ride on the cooperation of others.”

There are few institutional structures to achieve co-operation globally on the sort of scales now essential to avoid very serious consequences, warns lead author Dr Brian Walker of Australia’s CSIRO.

While there are signs of emerging global action on issues such as climate change, there is widespread inaction on others, such as the destruction of the world’s forests to grow biofuels or the emergence of pandemic flu through lack of appropriate animal husbandry protocols where people, pigs and birds co-mingle.

“Knowing what to do is not enough,” says Dr Walker. “Institutional reforms are needed to bring about changes in human behaviour, to increase local appreciation of shared global concerns and to correct the sort of failures of collective action that cause global-scale problems.”

“We are not advocating that countries give up their sovereignty,” adds co-author Professor Terry Hughes, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University.

“We are instead proposing a much stronger focus on regional and worldwide cooperation, helped by better-designed multi-national institutions. The threat of climate change to coral reefs, for example, has to be tackled at a global scale. Local and national efforts are already failing.”

The scientists acknowledge that the main challenge is getting countries to agree to take part in global institutions designed to prevent destructive human practices. “Plainly, agreements must be designed such that countries are better off participating than not participating,” they say.

This would involve all countries in drawing up standards designed to protect the earth’s resources and systems, to which they would then feel obligated to adhere.

However they also concede that the ‘major powers’ must be prepared to enforce such standards and take action against back-sliders.

“The major powers must be willing to enforce an agreement – but legitimacy will depend on acceptance by numerous and diverse countries, and non-governmental actors such as civil society and business,” they add.

“To address common threats and harness common opportunities, we need greater interaction amongst existing institutions, and new institutions, to help construct and maintain a global-scale social contract,” the scientists conclude.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911095358.htm

[Essex]

We are not advocating that countries give up their sovereignty,” adds co-author Professor Terry Hughes . . .However they also concede that the ‘major powers’ must be prepared to enforce such standards and take action against back-sliders.

Double-think. Marxists excel at this.

I wish they would just hold a few more rock concerts, hand out prizes to each other, make a few more propaganda films and leave it at that. But they won't.

[HillsideDigger]

All those problems have a solution built right in and no one needs to do anything to rationally address those issues. Yep, continue 'business as usual' and all will eventually be well again. Simply, sit back and be rolled over by the perfect storm that is brewing. I like storms.:)

Most people have not heard of or do not care to acknowledge or discuss the solution.

I started a thread about this yesterday and only one person has replied and I think he chose the wrong answer:

http://idigmygarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22838

[Essex]

Most people know lysenkoism when they see it even if they don't know the history of the word.

[FAADAN]

All these folks have said for quite some time that it's already too late to do anything. Why don't they just shut up and enjoy what little life they think we have left?

[bughunter99]

All those problems have a solution built right in and no one needs to do anything to rationally address those issues. Yep, continue 'business as usual' and all will eventually be well again. Simply, sit back and be rolled over by the perfect storm that is brewing. I like storms.:)

Most people have not heard of or do not care to acknowledge or discuss the solution.

I started a thread about this yesterday and only one person has replied and I think he chose the wrong answer:

http://idigmygarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22838

I like storms too. Here is something encouraging. My daughter is in sixth grade. At her curriculm night this week we learned that in Science, one of the units they will be studying is water, specifically water conservation and threats too it. They are also studying air quality. I never had anything like this in gradeschool. It's good to see this kind of education going to the younger generation. Maybe they'll do a better job than our generation has done.

Stacy

[HillsideDigger]

All these folks have said for quite some time that it's already too late to do anything. Why don't they just shut up and enjoy what little life they think we have left?

All what folks? Only a handful of the brightest and bravest suggest that.

[uprooted_kentuckian]

I like storms too. Here is something encouraging. My daughter is in sixth grade. At her curriculm night this week we learned that in Science, one of the units they will be studying is water, specifically water conservation and threats too it. They are also studying air quality. I never had anything like this in gradeschool. It's good to see this kind of education going to the younger generation. Maybe they'll do a better job than our generation has done.

Stacy

My only issue is that they teach them critical thinking, not an environmental indoctrination. Our country is much cleaner than it used to be, but from the way people talk, you would think our generation has singlehandedly poisoned the entire planet. I don't agree with that position at all.

[darwinslair]

All these folks have said for quite some time that it's already too late to do anything. Why don't they just shut up and enjoy what little life they think we have left?

I think there is always the hope you can do something, for your children, that will give them some advantage.

So you try to teach of spread what you know or beleive, in that hope, in however vain it may be, that you can make a difference.

Tom

[silverseeds]

My only issue is that they teach them critical thinking, not an environmental indoctrination. Our country is much cleaner than it used to be, but from the way people talk, you would think our generation has singlehandedly poisoned the entire planet. I don't agree with that position at all.

They DEFINATELY should teach critical thinking and they dont seem to. Just memorization. I personally think the science disproves global warming as it is commonly understood, the co2 aspect anyway.

But the truth is our world is in some pain, we can fix it pretty easily or much of it if we simply try. Im sure we could have done it for the price of bailing out the bankers and tycoons.

theres many very real issues, our oceans are being over fished, our water are full of chemicals, our air is full of chemicals, Many if not all of these chemicals can readily be replaced from plant sources. With as much BLM land we have we imo could still retain bio diversityy, and replace or synthetic chemical dependance with plant sources, for all but the most extreme lubricants.

Heck we have massive garbage islands in the ocean, the ocean is literally the basis of ALL life on earth, if it dies we will follow most likely. Or be living in domes or something crazy???? Although that experiment failed so far.

there is also our farming practices, which with the heavy salts, let alone the chemicals is destined to fail.

The children should certainly learn these things.

[uprooted_kentuckian]

They DEFINATELY should teach critical thinking and they dont seem to. Just memorization. I personally think the science disproves global warming as it is commonly understood, the co2 aspect anyway.

But the truth is our world is in some pain, we can fix it pretty easily or much of it if we simply try. Im sure we could have done it for the price of bailing out the bankers and tycoons.

theres many very real issues, our oceans are being over fished, our water are full of chemicals, our air is full of chemicals, Many if not all of these chemicals can readily be replaced from plant sources. With as much BLM land we have we imo could still retain bio diversityy, and replace or synthetic chemical dependance with plant sources, for all but the most extreme lubricants.

Heck we have massive garbage islands in the ocean, the ocean is literally the basis of ALL life on earth, if it dies we will follow most likely. Or be living in domes or something crazy???? Although that experiment failed so far.

The children should certainly learn these things.


I can generally agree with that.

[bughunter99]

My only issue is that they teach them critical thinking, not an environmental indoctrination. Our country is much cleaner than it used to be, but from the way people talk, you would think our generation has singlehandedly poisoned the entire planet. I don't agree with that position at all.


These are pretty young kids so a lot that is taught is still general, but in general the theme is not so much of "impending doom', but more along the lines of "look if people don't shape up, we are going to have issues."

Our country has only cleaned up it's act because people started recognizing just what we were creating. It wasn't just our generation, but we certainly added to it. Really though, I think it's time for the arguing about global pollution and who's fault it is to stop and instead start agreeing that hey, we should probably try and do a little better.

Stacy

[uprooted_kentuckian]

I think its time to start realizing that our country isn't at the top for pollution. It just seems that everyone wants to look to us to fix things, until of course, they don't like the way we fix things. We can always do better, but china and india and russia and many other countries aren't even close to our environmental protections. I'm not disagreeing with you, just qualifying things a bit.

[HillsideDigger]

My only issue is that they teach them critical thinking, not an environmental indoctrination. Our country is much cleaner than it used to be, but from the way people talk, you would think our generation has singlehandedly poisoned the entire planet. I don't agree with that position at all.

The United States in some ways is more 'cosmetically attractive' now than in 1969, true, but does that necassarily mean that 'our country is much cleaner than it used to be'? We still have a mere 1/25th. of the people in the world yet produce a a very disproportional percentage of the world's pollution and environmental degradation.

As well, American demand for goods causes foreign countries like China and Nigeria to experience extreme pollution.

[bughunter99]

I agree, China passed us a couple of years ago and continues to get significantly worse and India is gaining fast. Russia basically just ignores all the regulations and China and Japan ignore the fishing ones. I don't want to become like those countries though. The pictures of the pollution during the Olympics was gross and that was after they shut down the city for days to try and clear it up.

[silverseeds]

The United States in some ways is more 'cosmetically attractive' now than in 1969, true, but does that necassarily mean that 'our country is much cleaner than it used to be'?

Well I can tell you the rivers in ohio dont catch on fire anymore, and went from being rated, "eat zero fish" to now it is okay to eat ONE fish per year safely.

LOL. but it really isnt to much different.

And uk, maybe for air pollution, and long term water pollution because of water india and china mater, but OUr water is poisoned, OUR farmlands are building up heavy salts, only We can fix it. some parts of this are very local others are global, we cant ignore anything just to theoretically compete with china. Heck as far as I am concerned, I wish we would rebuild our own industry, with the cleanest possible factories, and impose tariffs so american manufacturing can compete.

I dont want to buy things from slaves with no care for the ecosystem. I feel bad for the avg. chineese guy whos trying to live just like us, but still I dont want to support slavery with my money.

[uprooted_kentuckian]

We cause them to abuse their environments? Are you sure they don't just ignore their responsibilities? That is exactly what I mean about critical thinking versus environmental indoctrination.

[silverseeds]

We cause them to abuse their environments? Are you sure they don't just ignore their responsibilities? That is exactly what I mean about critical thinking versus environmental indoctrination.

Who are you talking to with this pst? :)

[uprooted_kentuckian]

Digger

[silverseeds]

As well, American demand for goods causes foreign countries like China and Nigeria to experience extreme pollution.


we dont make them pollute, they SHOULD care, but they happen to be willing to run themselvs into the ground NOW, even mor so thn we are, which is why they took all our jobs to begin with. If america was willing to kill its soil and water completely instead of just slowly over time, and if we worked for pennies, and for 12 or 14 hours days, without talking back, we wouldnt have lost jobs. It is precisely BECAUSe they are willing to destroy themselves they beat us in the short term for these jobs.

this is why, to rebuild this economy, we should find ways to being key industries back HOME. In the cleanest possible forms, and use tariffs, to keep our american made green factory products competitive.

not only could we rebuild our economy from the ground up, but we can end the pollution china is willing to do in our names.

[bughunter99]

we dont make them pollute, they SHOULD care, but they happen to be willing to run themselvs into the ground NOW, even mor so thn we are, which is why they took all our jobs to begin with. If america was willing to kill its soil and water completely instead of just slowly over time, and if we worked for pennies, and for 12 or 14 hours days, without talking back, we wouldnt have lost jobs. It is precisely BECAUSe they are willing to destroy themselves they beat us in the short term for these jobs.

this is why, to rebuild this economy, we should find ways to being key industries back HOME. In the cleanest possible forms, and use tariffs, to keep our american made green factory products competitive.

not only could we rebuild our economy from the ground up, but we can end the pollution china is willing to do in our names.

I vote we start with Wallmart.

[uprooted_kentuckian]

China isn't willing to do anything in our name. They are willing to do it because they don't care about anything but money. I work with Chinese people everyday. They have little respect for animals, the environment or anything else that doesn't directly profit them.

[uprooted_kentuckian]

Why vilify Walmart? Walmart is like any other company. They respond to consumer need. They are ultra competitive. I don't care for their stores anymore, but Walmart isn't a problem. If consumers demanded nothing but "green" American made products, that is all you would see in Walmart.

[silverseeds]

China isn't willing to do anything in our name. They are willing to do it because they don't care about anything but money. I work with Chinese people everyday. They have little respect for animals, the environment or anything else that doesn't directly profit them.

Your right. and we simply cant compete with slaves willing to destroy their land to manufacture. so as I see it we should try to convince some industry to come back, building the ccleanest factories we can, and use tariffs to keep them competitve. I dont target wal mart although it does feed this beast, but of course if the america goods were made competitive in this way, wal mart would sell them. So I would ignore them myself.

[uprooted_kentuckian]

Wow, we pretty much agree again. That, I do believe, is a record in a 24 hour period.

[bughunter99]

Why vilify Walmart? Walmart is like any other company. They respond to consumer need. They are ultra competitive. I don't care for their stores anymore, but Walmart isn't a problem. If consumers demanded nothing but "green" American made products, that is all you would see in Walmart.

Walmart is a predatory company that enters communities, and put its competitors out of business by drastically underpricing items and then when competition is dead, it raises their prices right back up. It's size is so big it can do this without any trouble. It treats it's workers like trash. It's massive size allows it to push down wages and demand cheap product. This demand forces suppliers to move to outsource to China. Is it a sound business model? Obviously. That doesn't mean I want one in my neighborhood.

[silverseeds]

Wow, we pretty much agree again. That, I do believe, is a record in a 24 hour period.

LOL I guess it just depends of which we speak.

[uprooted_kentuckian]

Walmart is a predatory company that enters communities, and put its competitors out of business by drastically underpricing items and then when competition is dead, it raises their prices right back up. It's size is so big it can do this without any trouble. It treats it's workers like trash. It's massive size allows it to push down wages and demand cheap product. This demand forces suppliers to move to outsource to China. Is it a sound business model? Obviously. That doesn't mean I want one in my neighborhood.

First, I've seen many new Walmart stores and I've seen the little guys go out of business. I have not seen the pricing schemes you mentioned because it simply isn't necessary and in most cases, is illegal. Walmart employees are not treated like trash. It is a pricing bully. Thats business. Target thrives right beside Walmart. I'll rest my case that Walmart isn't a villain. It is a business that makes decisions based on stockholder return. That is their responsibility. Please note that I am not a big fan of Walmart, but that is because I no longer like their stores or how they treat customers.

[FAADAN]

My only issue is that they teach them critical thinking, not an environmental indoctrination. Our country is much cleaner than it used to be, but from the way people talk, you would think our generation has singlehandedly poisoned the entire planet. I don't agree with that position at all.

My daughter was a design major in college but needed a science course to keep those professors employed and provide income to the university. She took an environmental science class. It was a Summer course so the lectures were 3 hours long. The first day of class the professor spent the entire three hours lamenting the defeat of Al Gore in the Presidential election and bad mouthing George Bush and his environmental policies. She though this might get out of his system after the first day so she went to the second lecture. Another three hours of bashing Bush and lauding Gore and asking which students were Education majors as these were the ones he wanted to get to. After three days of this, she dropped the course and filed a complaint with the registrar. Kids are not being educated, they are being indoctrinated.

[FAADAN]

Your right. and we simply cant compete with slaves willing to destroy their land to manufacture. so as I see it we should try to convince some industry to come back, building the ccleanest factories we can, and use tariffs to keep them competitve. I dont target wal mart although it does feed this beast, but of course if the america goods were made competitive in this way, wal mart would sell them. So I would ignore them myself.

Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot said this for years and they were laughed at. I believe we need to go into a full protectionist mode and be self sufficient. There is nothing the rest of the world supplies to us that we couldn't do without with a little effort. We could even wean ourselves off of foreign oil ina few short years with a concerted effort.

[uprooted_kentuckian]

My daughter was a design major in college but needed a science course to keep those professors employed and provide income to the university. She took an environmental science class. It was a Summer course so the lectures were 3 hours long. The first day of class the professor spent the entire three hours lamenting the defeat of Al Gore in the Presidential election and bad mouthing George Bush and his environmental policies. She though this might get out of his system after the first day so she went to the second lecture. Another three hours of bashing Bush and lauding Gore and asking which students were Education majors as these were the ones he wanted to get to. After three days of this, she dropped the course and filed a complaint with the registrar. Kids are not being educated, they are being indoctrinated.

I know and that is my worry and complaint.

[FAADAN]

It also aggravated me in that I was paying for that diatribe.

[Bugcrusher]

We cause them to abuse their environments? Are you sure they don't just ignore their responsibilities? That is exactly what I mean about critical thinking versus environmental indoctrination.

Right on!, They made thier choice to modernize with no controls on pollution and look at thier country....I was in europe when the wall came down and the pollution and enviromental destruction on the other side was of a scale hard to believe. The 3rd world in its quest to be bigger and better like us are destroying the ground they live on...We wised up and put some laws in place that have made it better in our country...but you know you can always do better...gotta git the best bang for your buck!

[Bugcrusher]

My daughter was a design major in college but needed a science course to keep those professors employed and provide income to the university. She took an environmental science class. It was a Summer course so the lectures were 3 hours long. The first day of class the professor spent the entire three hours lamenting the defeat of Al Gore in the Presidential election and bad mouthing George Bush and his environmental policies. She though this might get out of his system after the first day so she went to the second lecture. Another three hours of bashing Bush and lauding Gore and asking which students were Education majors as these were the ones he wanted to get to. After three days of this, she dropped the course and filed a complaint with the registrar. Kids are not being educated, they are being indoctrinated.

Yep, I agree, had a prof like that when I was in school back in '75, dropped that course like a hot rock. Darned if I was gonna pay good money for his personnal opinion. Unfortunatly in the "PC" campus this is now the norm instead of the exception. Good for your daughter who can think for herself...Critical thinking is required for real learning/education, to bad it is not taught in all high schools.

[uprooted_kentuckian]

Right on!, They made thier choice to modernize with no controls on pollution and look at thier country....I was in europe when the wall came down and the pollution and enviromental destruction on the other side was of a scale hard to believe. The 3rd world in its quest to be bigger and better like us are destroying the ground they live on...We wised up and put some laws in place that have made it better in our country...but you know you can always do better...gotta git the best bang for your buck!

I have no problem with doing better, we can always do a bit better.

[artjunkie]

just a reminder,,, all the oceans are really one... all the air is really the same air... It seems like the conversation should be with that in mind... my 2 cents

[bughunter99]

just a reminder,,, all the oceans are really one... all the air is really the same air... It seems like the conversation should be with that in mind... my 2 cents

That kind of reminder can be applied to many conversations. It's a good reminder.

Stacy

[older than dirt]

I like storms too. Here is something encouraging. My daughter is in sixth grade. At her curriculm night this week we learned that in Science, one of the units they will be studying is water, specifically water conservation and threats too it. They are also studying air quality. I never had anything like this in gradeschool. It's good to see this kind of education going to the younger generation. Maybe they'll do a better job than our generation has done.

Stacy

Any wounder why some people home school ? The new green religion in school.
Propaganda is ok for yours if you want but prefer my kids get an education