I’ve always been somewhat prone to feelings of guilt. Things were my fault, for reasons I couldn’t necessarily explain. Sometimes I could draw a line from an action I’d taken and connect it directly to the disaster unfolding before me. At other times, I’d have to use a little imagination before comfortably ascending my throne of regret. Then I heard about reincarnation and past lives, and it opened up a whole new realm of possibilities. I wondered if I might have caused the War of 1812, or even one of the major plagues in Europe. Maybe the Great Fire of London, the sinking of the Titanic, and the assassination of Gandhi all resulted from something I’d done. In other words, I’ve never had a problem accepting responsibility, even when it didn’t belong to me.
So the fact that I’m tired of being blamed for global warming is pretty revealing.
I keep hearing that we have to start taking care of the planet. Start? We’ve been listening to this lecture for forty years, but apparently no matter what we do, it doesn’t even constitute a beginning. I went to Epcot in 1995 and left almost every exhibit feeling racked with remorse. The audience was hammered relentlessly with the message that humans are ravenous, wasteful, and determined to destroy the environment.
But we’re not. Humans are the only creatures that give any thought to the environment, or try to help endangered species. We set aside millions of acres as national forests and parks. We re-use, recycle, and replenish. We pass laws designed to clean up the air and water. We turn off lights, crank down thermostats, and purchase biodegradable bags. Humans built Epcot, for crying out loud! Yet, even after taking these and hundreds of other steps, we still have to endure scoldings and threats. We still have to be told to get started.
The ice caps are melting, the oceans are rising, the islands are sinking — and it’s all our fault.
One solution is to cut down on our use of resources. Conserve, they tell us. But how do we conserve anything? And how do we measure what we’ve conserved? You can’t measure what you don’t use. My neighbor on this side of me puts in a swimming pool that holds twenty thousand gallons of water. I think I might want to do the same, but then my environmentalist neighbor on the other side tells me how precious fresh water is, and how so little is available for drinking. I change my mind about the pool. Have I saved twenty thousand gallons of water? What if the environmentalist is really bad at making his case and causes me to contemplate putting in a pool that’s twice as big, and then I decide against it on my own? Have I now saved forty thousand gallons? Is there any limit to the amount of water I can conserve by simply imagining larger and larger pools before reconsidering?
It’s the same with gasoline and electricity. A decade ago I thought about buying a thirty-foot RV that got seven miles to the gallon. By getting a Honda instead, how much fuel did I save? I just now had the urge to go toast an entire loaf of bread, one slice at a time, for no reason whatsoever, but at the last moment decided to reorganize all of my screwdrivers according to handle color instead. I may do this every day for the next four years, because I really want to reduce my carbon footprint. In that light, don’t I deserve the swimming pool?
The most extreme of these views comes from people who say that no matter what we do, we should leave no trace of ourselves. If you go walking in the woods, you should be careful to not move any rocks or even break a twig. Not break a twig. How, in our effort to honor and protect the planet, did we manage to forget that we’re part of the planet? Why is it that when a beaver builds a dam, that’s called nature, but when people build a dam, that’s called tampering with nature?
Of course, the organizations promoting such philosophies always seem to have a full line of merchandise for sale, including everything from beverage containers and keychains to hats and tee-shirts. But there’s an even greater price to pay. Their beliefs have made us neurotic and gullible. Consider the idea of disappearing islands. In his 2009 book Idiot America, Charles Pierce said this:
“…New Zealand agreed to accept all eleven thousand inhabitants of the Tuvalu atoll, which had been rendered uninhabitable by rising sea levels.”
What image does that create in your mind?
I envisioned an evacuated island and thousands of environmental refugees struggling to resume their lives in a strange country. When I did an online search, I found countless websites bemoaning the imminent drowning of this, the world’s second-smallest nation. Type in “Tuvalu sinking” and notice how many results you get. I got 247,000.
In fact, Tuvalu consists of nine coral atolls and a population of 12,300. Its official tourism website features photos of people dancing, small children playing, beautiful scenery, and local culture. Hotels list their rates and offer vacation packages. I could find no mention of evacuation or inundation, and this was today, April 4, 2011 — more than a decade after the first reports appeared that Tuvalu would soon vanish under the waves.
You can find many frantic stories about numerous islands being swallowed up by the sea. If you wish to help, donations are gratefully accepted, even though the official websites for those islands seem to be unaware of the impending doom.
Are the oceans rising? Some reports claim levels had been increasing by a steady one millimeter per year for almost five thousand years, but have been rising by two millimeters annually for the past couple of centuries. How you measure such a tiny rise in something as massive and active as the world’s oceans is a mystery to me. It’s similar in ways to the question of how you go about detecting a one-degree increase in global temperature, spread out over a hundred years. What kinds of instruments were being used a hundred years ago? Where were the weather stations located, and have their surroundings changed since the equipment was first installed? How hard would it be to manipulate the data when you’re dealing with such a small change? And how tempting would it be to do so when your funding depended on the results?
The question isn’t whether or not the climate is changing. It’s been changing throughout the Earth’s history. There’s almost nothing in the universe that stays the same forever. Planets are bombarded by comets and asteroids, stars explode or condense into black holes, and entire galaxies collide. Yet somehow, the average temperature on our world spikes by a couple of degrees and we panic.
Whenever I hear the rantings of anyone predicting some imminent catastrophe, I ask one question: Is there money to be made from convincing people the end is near? Are there books and DVDs being sold? Bumper stickers, seminar tickets, calendars, and coffee mugs? Are documentaries being filmed and awards handed out? If so, I don’t believe a word of it. Faith healers make their living by convincing people they have some fictional ailment, then curing them for a price. They were preceded by traveling snake-oil salesmen, and have now been followed by global warming hullabaloo artists.
Turn on your television and you’ll likely hear someone lecturing you about your wasteful habits — your thoughtless use of electricity, for example. Yet not one of those shows will ever ask you to turn off your television in order to save energy. The authors and publishers of an endless stream of books warn us of the doom we’re causing, yet they hope for larger and larger printings of those books. That means more power to run the presses, more trucks making deliveries to bookstores. Think back to the Y2K frenzy, or the one focused on 2012. And as surely as there are opportunistic entrepreneurs, there will be other such calamities in the years to come. Experts will tell us it’s critically urgent that we pay attention, change behavior, and most important, shell out some money.
In the case of climate change, if we follow their instructions and the catastrophe doesn’t happen, they’ll claim the measures worked. If temperatures continue to rise, they’ll say we didn’t do enough.
I think the Earth’s climate is part of a complex cycle, one we haven’t been around long enough to witness, and one we may never fully understand. We surely have some impact on that process, but it’s likely minimal. It’s going to get warmer no matter what we do or don’t do. Instead of wasting time switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, maybe we should show nature some respect and assume the climate is going to keep changing. More than anything, we need to stop worrying about breaking a few twigs, and start taking better care of each other.
As usual , most of the original artwork for the cartoons in this post was done by Ron Leishman. I manipulate the images to fit my needs and add dialogue and captions, but the true brilliance is Ron’s. Visit his website to see what I mean.
Mostly Bright Ideas 
rogerthesurf
April 4, 2011
“In the case of climate change, if we follow their instructions and the catastrophe doesn’t happen, they’ll claim the measures worked. If temperatures continue to rise, they’ll say we didn’t do enough.”
I like that!
Did you ever consider the economics of following “their” instructions?
Cheers
Roger
http://www.rogerfromnewzealand.wordpress.com
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
The economics of this whole thing reminds me, again, of the dam diverting the river: It’s taking a very large cash flow, trying to send it in another direction, and creating a pool that didn’t exist before. Other than that, I suspect nothing else really changes.
LikeLike
rogerthesurf
April 4, 2011
Charles,
I used your quote on my blog as “quote of the week”.
Trust that is OK.
Cheers
Roger
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
Thank you, Roger. I’ve never been quote of the week before. Not even quote of the day, as far as I know.
LikeLike
souldipper
April 4, 2011
I agree. We do need to take better care of each other – worldwide. Whether 2012 finishes up with a blast or a whimper, we have everything to gain by taking much better care of each other – starting right now.
Heaven, to me, would be a world where money does not exist:
“Could I have some bread, please?”
“Sure.”
“How much?”
“Oh you can have the whole loaf.”
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
There’s a chasm between where we are and what you describe, Amy. I doubt we’ll ever get there, but it would help if we just changed direction. Actually, it would help if we simply adjusted our gaze a bit to see what else is possible.
LikeLike
Terrance H.
April 4, 2011
That was brilliant! In fact, the whole thing was brilliant.
I was one of those conservatives who bought into the whole man-made climate change bit, until I started doing some research and discovered that, before I was born, scientists in the 70s were pushing the so-called “global cooling” that was sure to “devastate our planet and way of life.”
After reading that and watching The Great Global Warming Swindle, I’ve changed my mind.
If man-made climate change is real, then I want to know about it and worked toward reversing it, regardless of the cost to the economy.
Make me believe. That’s what I say.
The 2012 doomsday predication is on par with the Millerites of the 19th Century. It’s a lot of nonsense and little else. And all the clowns out there writing books and producing movies, like that fraud Mike Bara, are going to laugh their way to the bank on December 22nd, 2012, never to be heard from in public again.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
I’m surprised at how many reputable scientists have gone into panic-mode and jumped on this bandwagon. There’s overwhelming evidence that the planet has gone through dramatic climate changes over millions of years, and there was no man-made industry to cause it.
LikeLike
carldagostino
April 4, 2011
“Not to leave a trace of yourself” is all part of those dopey religions for people on the other side of the world that wear rags and eat 27 grains of rice for dinner. Don’t leave any footprints is allegedly the ultimate expression of humility. Bull ! I am sure glad St. Paul, Dr. Jonas Salk, Mother Teresa, Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Edison and Mrs. Roosevelt decided to “leave traces of themselves” for the immeasurable benefit of us all.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
Those religions are all part of successful cultures that have made countless important and valuable contributions to civilization. I think balance is what everyone seeks; what that balance looks like is what shows up as our differences. Leaving no trace, taken to the extreme, would require not living. The people you mentioned certainly lived, and gave us much.
LikeLike
Priya
April 4, 2011
I like most of your thoughts here a lot, Charles. The key is to realise that Earth and Nature are much bigger and more powerful entities than all the billions of us put together, I believe too. You’ve said that impressively well in the last paragraph.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
Thanks, Priya. I think we tend to forget just how big this planet is. The oceans contain 332 million cubic miles of water. I’m not an engineer, but I don’t think our ability to affect the temperature of that much water even remotely compares to the effects produced by the sun, and by the geological activities of the Earth itself. But we can’t handle the idea that we’re insignificant in any way, can we?
LikeLike
carldagostino
April 4, 2011
I apologize the to people of other religions. It was a weak and inappropriate attempt at humor. It was meant to be self deprecating as well for the alleged lack of understanding of a number of us Westerners.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
Don’t worry, Carl. Anyone who’s read your blog knows where your heart is, and it’s definitely in the right place.
LikeLike
She's a Maineiac
April 4, 2011
I absolutely love your last line. And I agree that us humans tend to think we are much more significant than we truly are in the grand scheme of things.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
Sometimes our significance shows up at the wrong time, though. That’s why one person with a bomb can injure or kill dozens, and intimidate millions.
LikeLike
Allan Douglas
April 4, 2011
I can not say for sure, Charles, about the rest of those historic events and any hand you may have had in them, but I suspect you’re in the clear. Except for the Titanic. I was reading a book on that disaster and there was a photo of a crewman telling the rest of the crew, “Don’t close the water tight doors. We won’t need them and opening and closing all those doors will just slow us down in getting to the crew mess at meal time. Just leave them open.” And this fellow looked a bit like you. It is possible that your self flagellation may be warranted here.
Until yesterday I would have agreed with you in that Humans are the only creatures that have any concern for the environment. But, just yesterday I was reading in Grit Magazine that we have a brother-in-arms when it comes to environmental concern and modification. The beaver. The mighty beaver is second only to humans in it’s ability to manipulate it’s environment. Although… I have yet to see any beavers at the recycling centers turning in their soda cans and plastic milk jugs.
(Oops… I read a little farther and you’ve tagged the beaver into the fight. Good job!)
Your account of Tuvalu seems particularly apt in expressing the confusion over claims of imminent global disaster. And the question of is money being made… lets see… a light bulb used to cost twenty five cents, now a government accepted bulb (CFL) costs around $7.00.
You hit the nail on the head again in the fact that activists look at recorded HUMAN history, point to planetary changes and scream about how we’re destroying the planet. But if we look at the geological history of the planet (in which, according to scientists human history is a mere blink of an eye) there have been many cycles: it gets hot, it gets cold, it gets hot again. As you say: change is normal.
Personally, I do promote conservation of resources, and avoiding polluting the world around us more than we have to. But I doubt we’ll be the extinction of the planet. More likely we’ll be the extinction of ourselves. Then something else will take over… maybe beavers. I wish them luck, maybe they’ll do a better job.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
Thanks for the great comment, Allan. I think that may have been me on the Titanic. If my memory serves me correctly, the crew mess was serving pizza that night. And those doors were heavy.
I believe in conservation, too, and not messing up the environment. But we’re here, and to pretend we’re not would just paralyze us.
LikeLike
Snoring Dog Studio
April 4, 2011
Scientists have made my life a living hell. Whether it’s which food leads to high cholesterol or how warm the earth is, no one should have to spend that much time worrying about decisions made. People on either side of the global warming issue will tell you, “Get informed!” Really? Try to muddle my way through scientific papers on the topic? Even if I relied on the dumbed down versions, wouldn’t I still be forced to make a choice between this scientist or that one? And now I’m going to paraphrase Foucault (and I hope it will be the last time):
Foucault theorized that discourse is a medium through which power relations produce speaking subjects. He argued that power and knowledge are inter-related — power is always present and can both produce and constrain the truth. Discourse is related to power as it operates by rules of exclusion.
It seems to me that scientists are always in search of the power positions in society. And, once a group of scientists takes charge and acts as thought leaders, any opposing opinions are crushed. So, in the case of climate change, I guess we’re all still waiting to see who’s going to take the knowledge leader position. Until then, even though sometimes it feels like a reflex, I’ll continue to turn off unnecessary lights, save water by planting xeric plants, wear wrinkled clothes, reuse ziplock bags, and recycle, among other things.
Amazing, insightful post that really pulls at the heart strings at the same time presenting a controversial issue in a delightfully funny way. You’re an artist with words, Charles. Love those cartoon captions!
LikeLike
Terrance H.
April 4, 2011
Though I reject man-caused climate change, I see no reason to be wasteful. I turn off unnecessary lights, attempt to save water by not planting anything at all (because, well, I don’t know how!), and shutting off the faucet while brushing my teeth!
The latter only means I’m definitely an eco-nut.
Ever notice how all the “be green” people and organizations are producing bumper-stickers at record levels? LOL.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
It has to come down to what makes sense for each of us, SDS. I try to behave outside my home in much the same ways I behave inside my home. There’s never a reason to put garbage on the ground, in the water, or in the air. Resources should be used as needed, never wasted, and replaced as carefully as possible. At home, I spend a certain amount of time working, relaxing, and cleaning up after myself; there’s a balance that feels right. It makes sense for me as an individual — and all of us as a society — to do the same in the larger world in which we live. But something about this global warming movement doesn’t feel right. It feels like a scam, one of those speaking subjects you referred to by way of Foucault that’s being directed by those seeking power. And now the next generation has had its brains washed; kids come home from school and lecture their parents about saving the planet. The scale has tipped and something has become true simply because enough people have been convinced that it is. That’s what scares me the most.
LikeLike
shoreacres
April 4, 2011
The only change I might suggest for this piece is the substitution of “hoax” for “hullabaloo”. There’s some mighty bad science being done in the name of AGW (anthropogenic global warming) and a whole lot of grant-writing being done by folks eager to cash in at the public trough.
There’s nothing worse than an academic fad, unless it might be an academic fad supported by politicians who are getting rich from peddling it. When Al Gore, for example, shows up in his Kia and limits himself to one 4800 square foot house (see how generous I’m being?) I’ll grant him some credence. Same goes for his friends.
Nothing irritates me more than a bunch of 30-year-old ideologues telling me I have to “be green”. When I was growing up, there were no cardboard or plastic milk jugs. We got our milk in bottles, which were returned to the store or the milkman, washed and reused. There were no clothes dryers. We hung our laundry out in the sun and wind to dry, until the homeowners’ associations run by the “environmentalists” showed up and told us we couldn’t do that any more because it “looks bad”. Disposable diapers didn’t clog the landfills because there weren’t any. People (eeeewwwww!!!) actually washed and reused diapers.
And so on.
I cannot stand self-righteousness or hypocrisy, and the only thing the environmental movement has produced (at least on its most politicized and radicalized fringes) is a bumper crop of both.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 4, 2011
It doesn’t surprise me, Linda, but you said it better than I did. I think it keeps coming down to the same issue: we have a tendency to listen and follow the wrong people. We think because someone sounds informed, they are, and because someone talks like a leader, they’re going to behave like one. We’ve forgotten how to think. Worse, our children are being taught by people who’ve forgotten how to think. We need to figure out how to escape this downward spiral before it’s too late.
LikeLike
Val Erde
April 4, 2011
Very well said, Charles. I love the bit about the beaver…!
The things that irritate me most are the hypocrisy of telling people to save fuel and then flying to eco-conferences. What is wrong with video conferencing? And those energy-saving lightbulbs are full of mercury that is dangerous to dispose of. And water… how is water running out when there is so much in the seas? For all the money that is spent on wasteful things, why not build desalination plants instead?
Is it all about money, though, or is there an element of snowballing going on here? These things gain momentum and then one after another everyone gets panicked. Particularly since the advent of the internet when things get disseminated so easily.
LikeLike
Snoring Dog Studio
April 4, 2011
No kidding, Val. I’ve got a nice collection of used energy-saving bulbs because I’m AFRAID to throw them away! So I have to live with them.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
I agree with you completely about the hypocrisy, Val. Celebrities preach to us about conservation, then hop on a private jet to go to Paris for the weekend. I think it’s all about money and attention, as so many things in our culture seem to be.
LikeLike
Christina Cronk
April 4, 2011
What a great post! I agree, we allow ourself to be guilted into far too many things.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
I’m surprised to see how many of us are holding onto those old light bulbs. And after changing over to the new, energy-efficient kind, did anyone’s electric bill actually go down?
LikeLike
clbowyerproject
October 13, 2011
Yes, mine did. When I changed over it lowered our bill, about $20 per month.
LikeLike
Margie
April 4, 2011
I wonder if the only way the environmentalist lobby could push their agenda was by upping the stakes with a threat of global warming. People are most easily manipulated if they are fearful, and the threat of man made climate change is certainly an excellent tool. Look how many governments have bought into it.
I have no problem with being environmentally conscious, but I will be a bit ticked if global warming is just a myth. This has been the longest, coldest winter I have ever endured…
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
One of the things that makes me suspicious is the tendency toward long-term predictions, all based on computer models. Predicting the future is impossible, and when it comes to weather, anything beyond tomorrow seems to be little more than a guess. When they start forecasting average temperatures at the end of the century — and want to base major social changes on those forecasts — that seems ludicrous.
LikeLike
Lenore Diane
April 4, 2011
I would definitely categorize this post as a bright idea. The title of your blog is safe. Climate change will forever be a debatable topic, proven – in part – by the feedback you’ve generated.
Galileo by Indigo Girls. Have you heard that song? It fits.
You have included so many wonderful points of view. Many of the thoughts folks have pulled and quoted, I agree with 100%. I especially liked, “There’s almost nothing in the universe that stays the same forever.” Though I would take out ‘almost’, because the universe is constantly changing and will forever change.
Plus, the reality is that the temperature of earth will rise as the sun burns regardless of how we live our lives. Eventually, though neither you nor I will be here to witness it, the heat of the sun will engulf the earth as the sun becomes a red giant.
Oh, how I love this topic. Thank you for sharing this with us. I quite enjoyed it. Having said that, I believe, as we take better care of each other, we’ll find we will take better care of the environment, too.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
Thanks, Lenore. I agree, it’s a topic that we could talk about forever, or at least until the sun does engulf the Earth. (Do you think that will be our fault, too?)
LikeLike
Damyanti
April 4, 2011
I used to feel very guilty about my carbon footprint and so on, but now I practice moderation. I will not feel guilty about taking three showers a day while millions go thirsty elsewhere in the world, but that does not mean I will flood my garden for the heck of it.
Great post, as usual, made in your inimitable voice.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
I find it hard to believe that in the 21st century, we’re still not capable of getting drinkable water to every person on this planet. Let me correct that: We are capable, but we seem to have other priorities.
LikeLike
charlywalker
April 4, 2011
I lived in Los Angeles for quite some time and always living under the threat of the “final big earthquake hitting and L.A. disappears into the ocean…”
So I bought land in Arizona hoping it will turn into Waterfront property…..
Love this post Bronxboy55..and you don’t look a day over 35…
spread the humor.
LikeLike
rogerthesurf
April 5, 2011
Charlywalker,
“So I bought land in Arizona hoping it will turn into Waterfront property…..”
Sounds like you are joking.
But just wait till we get the 7 meter rise from the Greenland icecap as promised by the IPCC.
I cannot resist being boring and directing you to when they say this process will be complete.
“Contraction of the Greenland Ice Sheet is projected to continue to contribute to sea level rise after 2100. Current models suggest that ice mass losses increase with temperature more rapidly than gains due to precipitation and that the surface mass balance becomes negative at a global average warming (relative to pre-industrial values) in excess of 1.9°C to 4.6°C. If a negative surface mass balance were sustained for MILLENNIA, that would lead to virtually complete elimination of the Greenland Ice Sheet and a resulting contribution to sea level rise of about 7 m. The corresponding future temperatures in Greenland are comparable to those inferred for the last interglacial period 125,000 years ago, when palaeoclimatic information suggests reductions of polar land ice extent and 4 to 6 m of sea level rise”
http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/spmsspm-projections-of.html#table-spm-3
The emphasis is mine.
Cheers
Roger
http://www.rogerfromnewzealand.wordpress.com
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
That reminds me of something I didn’t mention. There are many inhabited islands that are just a few feet above sea level, and natural erosion occurs around them, because you have what is basically a clump of dirt in the middle of the ocean. This creates the impression that the sea level is rising. But really, the land is gradually disappearing; that’s what erosion is. I don’t know if a slice of California really could just fall into the Pacific, but if it does, I doubt it would have anything to do with what kind of cars we drive.
Thanks for the comment.
LikeLike
notesfromrumbleycottage
April 4, 2011
There is a part of me that wants to agree with you but I remember when Lake Erie was on fire and when the Chicago River was a cesspool. Thanks to wild-eyed environmentalists, it is possible to catch fish in these bodies of water again. Maybe the truth is finding a middle ground that can co-exist with our consumerism tendancies and having a healthy environment.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
That’s exactly what I think, Rumbly. I don’t want our rivers to catch fire either; in that case, extreme situations call for extreme measures. The planet is huge and powerful, and if we just use common sense we can keep it a healthy place to live. It’s our own survival we should be worried about.
LikeLike
Sarah
April 4, 2011
Thanks, Charles, for inserting some common sense into this issue. I’m not sure where Terrance H. is located–and perhaps it was just a typo–but in the U.S. it’s the conservatives who do NOT believe humans are solely responsible for global warming/climate change. I agree that “The Great Global Warming Swindle” is informative viewing, as is “Not Evil, Just Wrong: The True Cost of Global Warming Hysteria,” which reveals, among other things, how wealthy Al Gore has become preaching his gospel. When the IPCC’s e-mails were leaked in 2009 proving that the “science” had been doctored and man-made global warming was a hoax, I was among those who naively thought that revelation would put an end to all the hysteria. It seems to me to be the height of narcissism to assume that we humans can be solely responsible for climate change when there’s that great glowing yellow orb in the sky and Earth on its axis; therefore, it’s cold in winter and hot in summer. Makes perfect sense to me. Regardless of the “debate,” I will continue to do what I have always done: reduce, reuse, recycle, and replenish, but not because I’m trying to save the world. I do it because my parents raised me to be a good steward (i.e., not wasteful) of my–and the Earth’s–resources. As do many here, I most appreciate your final thought. As we learn to take better care of each other, that respect for life will undoubtedly carry over to our environment, the planet, etc. Thanks for another great post, Charles!
LikeLike
Terrance H.
April 4, 2011
Sarah,
It wasn’t a typo. I actually meant that I was one of those conservatives that believed in man-made climate change, like John McCain. I was a former liberal and hadn’t totally given up all those beliefs.
Suffice it to say, there is hardly a shred of liberal belief left in me.
LikeLike
Sarah
April 5, 2011
Thanks, Terrance, for setting me straight. I suppose I’m a bit farther to the right on the spectrum than you are (or should I say, were?) because I would never use the words “conservative” and “John McCain” in the same sentence. I totally get your point, though, and I must say (facetiously, of course): Welcome to the Dark Side.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
And thank you for a great comment, Sarah. As I keep saying, if we just take the habits we use to keep our homes livable and apply them to the outside world, I think we’ll be okay. But it’s ridiculous to think global weather should be unchanging; that’s what weather does. It changes. But any change — warmer, cooler, more snow, less rain, hurricanes, typhoons — provides the opportunity for some flim-flam artist to tell us why, whose fault it is, and what we need to do about it. Oh, and how much it’s going to cost.
By the way, I’ve always wanted to say “flim-flam artist.”
LikeLike
Sarah
April 5, 2011
Thrilled to give you a chance to work “flim-flam artist” into the dialogue, Charles! Actually, you’ve given me an idea for a writing exercise for my students….
LikeLike
Linda Paul
April 4, 2011
Charles, as usual, you’ve presented us with some really bright ideas to chew on. I especially like the way you point out that we can’t measure what we don’t use. I know that climate change is an inevitable fact, like ocean tides and smelly socks. As individuals we are but mere ants in our potential to control the complex cycles that govern our universe.
The burden of guilt for something over which we have so little control is ludicrous and perhaps even nihilistic to kids growing up under that burden today. And if we cared more about each other as human beings, we’d surely be wasting a lot fewer resources in war and political games.
All that said, though, I’m keenly aware of the sheer volume of resources that Americans use per capita as compared to the rest of the world. I find wasteful use of anything distasteful so I try to reuse and recycle as much as I can. Just as I can share my lunch with the homeless guy on the parkbench, so I can I use water sparingly so there will be more to go around.
Thanks for a really interesting and thought provoking post. AND…now I’m off to check out Ron Leishman’s work. Your clever use of it adds tremendously to your blog.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
Linda, I think the ease with which this hysteria has spread is directly related to our scientific ignorance, and our decreased ability to think critically. A man stands in front of a movie camera with a few bar graphs and some footage of arctic ice falling into the sea, and we’re mesmerized. Throw in some pictures of a polar bear looking for food and we’ll believe anything.
Glad to hear you agree about Ron’s cartoons. He seems like a nice guy, too.
LikeLike
Jess Witkins
April 5, 2011
I loved the cartoon about nature and your comment about not stepping on twigs. I agree that we should be respectful to nature, but what if part of nature hates us? lol. For example, I love the sun, but it hates me and makes me break into hives. Could be a redhead thing…could be my arch nemesis? Little does he know I’ve got SPF 80 on my side! Muahahhahaha
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
I should apologize for your sun problems, Jess. They’re related to the hole in the ozone layer, which I may have caused when I spray painted my Volkswagen in the early ’70s. Sorry.
LikeLike
magsx2
April 5, 2011
Hi,
Absolutely brilliant post and oh so true. Here in OZ we are getting hit big time at the moment with all the scare tactics under the sun, our Government is trying to bring in a Carbon Tax, and a lot of people are not happy. People all around OZ are starting to have “No Carbon Tax” rallies, very peaceful I might add, so far there has been 3 and more coming. It is all about money I’m afraid, when there are Billions of dollars at stake they will tell you anything.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
It’s always about the money, magsx2. When all of those green products began to appear on store shelves, I noticed they were much more expensive than the traditional products. It’s apparently assumed that we’ll pay to assuage our own guilt.
LikeLike
Amiable Amiable
April 5, 2011
‘I’ve never had a problem accepting responsibility, even when it didn’t belong to me.’
There’s a place for this sentence in the Doormat Club’s mission statement. When my mother passed away, I found in her desk a collection of “I’m sorry” notes that I wrote from the time I learned to write until my 20s. People still tell me, “Stop saying you’re sorry.” Actually, they kind of yell it at me.
I laughed when I read Snoring Dog Studio’s comment about the energy-saving bulb. Just this morning, I went to replace a bulb, only to realize it was one of those $7 jobs. I had an anxiety attack for a minute worrying about how I was supposed to get rid of it. Imagine my relief when I saw that the lamp was unplugged. Good thing I won’t have to worry about that again for another five years. Right? I mean, I think that’s how long they’re supposed to last. Or is it ten years?
Is there such a word as envirophobic? If not, there should be because that’s what I am, thanks to all the environmental hullabaloo. And, now, I’m afraid to hike a nature trail for fear of breaking a twig.
LikeLike
writerwoman61
April 5, 2011
I thought of our club the minute I read this post, AA…
Interesting and thought-provoking as always, Charles…I’m getting to the point where I am overwhelmed by information about what’s good for me and bad for me…it’s tempting to say, “If it kills me, so be it!” I’ve always tried to be a “good citizen” environmentally by recycling, composting, not using chemicals in my garden, and keeping consumerism to as much a minimum as one can with four teenagers at home…
I think that the nuclear catastrophe in Japan or the little wars starting up everywhere have a greater potential to wipe us out than global warming!
Wendy
LikeLike
Amiable Amiable
April 5, 2011
I know, Wendy. I thought the same thing. What does not being able to say “no” mean for an envirophobic person? I think it means we are inclined to believe everything we hear about global warming. Would you tell Al Gore “no” to his thoughts about it? I didn’t think so. I feel your pain.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
Wendy, if you have four teenagers at home, forget about war, nuclear catastrophe, or global warming. You have enough to worry about.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 5, 2011
It’s as though most of the world has joined the Environmental Doormat Club, AA. One of the ways they get us all into that “I’m sorry” mode is by continually reminding us that we’re destroying the planet our children and grandchildren will have to live in. I think our children and grandchildren will ridicule this hysteria one day. But then, they’ll likely be dealing with their own imagined catastrophe.
LikeLike
Amiable Amiable
April 7, 2011
Okay, enough worrying about war, nuclear catastrophe, and global warming, Charles. You have something far more pressing to think about: When are you purchasing your iPad?
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 7, 2011
I’m at the last step: Trying to settle on a response to the IRS or Revenue Canada when they ask how I can justify taking the cost of the iPad as a business expense. So far all I can come up with is, “Amiable Amiable said it was all right.” Do you think that will be good enough?
LikeLike
writerwoman61
April 7, 2011
It might fly with Revenue Canada…the IRS is a different story!
LikeLike
carldagostino
April 5, 2011
I have engaged in discussion with people that don’t believe in global warming esp after the last 2 winters. I am astonished at their recalcitrance. I suppose the earth is flat as well.The earth goes through particular natural cycles as it has over millions of years. I don’t think we understand this completely. The difference now is that with 200 years of pollutants pumped into the atmosphere the impact is so dramatic that any earth change will no longer be a natural cycle. That particulate pollution has made a thick permanent barrier that does not allow heat to bounce off this planet in proper measure. The retained heat causes the planet to warm up. Makes pretty simple sense to me. We may feel better about fuel efficient cars but all that does is increase the problem at a slower pace and the damage is repairable.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 7, 2011
But, Carl, how do we separate the natural cycles from the human contribution? The only way is to simplify a very complex process to the point where the explanation loses all meaning. When you say the impact is so dramatic, what exactly do you mean? I don’t see a couple of degrees as dramatic at all. The earth has been pumping particulate matter into the air for millions of years: volcanic eruptions, asteroid and comet strikes, wildfires. And why do we tend to look at this issue in just one way? A thick barrier wouldn’t just trap heat; it would also block heat from coming in from the sun. If some desert areas will spread because of warmer temperatures, won’t a lot of frozen tundra also become arable land? And if it’s generally warmer, won’t billions of people be using less heating oil?
LikeLike
Anonymous
October 17, 2011
“A thick barrier wouldn’t just trap heat; it would also block heat from coming in from the sun”
But in this case the barrier is the atmosphere. Please inform yourself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_effect
LikeLike
bronxboy55
October 17, 2011
Sorry, but I don’t talk to anonymous people, and I don’t rely on Wikipedia for my information. I will say that I’ve read hundreds of science books, and it seems the only people who never say something has been scientifically proven are scientists.
LikeLike
Melinda
April 5, 2011
“More than anything, we need to stop worrying about breaking a few twigs, and start taking better care of each other.” Amen!
I use those energy saving lightbulbs…but only on things the kids can’t knock over and break (lamps) because I’m so terrified of breaking one. Screwing in the overhead light in the kitchen while balanced on a ladder I feel like I’m handling a bomb. It almost slips out of my hand and I feel the shock go through me of what just almost happened. Dropping it on the porcelain floor I would have to evacuate…for how long? It makes me a nervous wreck. I have the used ones padded and hidden in the garage until the day I can take them to the waste disposal site. Aaaah…The added stresses of helping the environment. 😛
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 7, 2011
It feels a little like a giant lab experiment, doesn’t it?
Be careful, Melinda, and thanks for the comment.
LikeLike
arborfamiliae
April 6, 2011
You and several others mention the idea of balance. It seems like this is one of those areas where balance and common sense are needed. The Classical Greeks put forth the idea of the Golden Mean–the middle way between two extremes. What I’ve found in my own life is that often we need the extremes tugging at us to help keep us in the middle.
When I was younger, I pictured the ideal stance on most issues as a static middle position. Now I think a dynamic middle position, moved and stretched by the tension of being pulled from both sides, might actually be a healthier position.
That being said, I think there’s a lot of crap out there when it comes to statistics about climate change and human impact on nature.
Keep challenging us to think…it helps keep us near that Golden Mean.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 7, 2011
I agree with you, Kevin. That’s why I think there’s value in extremism: it creates that tension you describe so well. And it helps us figure out where our own boundaries are by identifying the limits. The process breaks down, though, when people blindly take sides and turn the discussion into just another reason for personal attacks.
LikeLike
Julia
April 6, 2011
I just wanted to throw this into the mix: A story written by someone in my office, published in the Ohio State University Alumni Magazine, about someone famous who works at my university. I’m just sayin’
http://www.ohiostatealumni.org/media/Pages/climatechange.aspx
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 7, 2011
Two quotes jump out at me, Julia.
Gore: “His work is the most serious warning cry yet that it is time to change our ways.”
Thompson: “Certainly, climate science is complicated, but human behavior is almost a chaotic system.”
Gore’s comment is exactly how I began this post. What does he mean that it’s time to change our ways? We’ve been recycling, conserving, and taxing for decades. We’ve been installing solar panels, putting up wind turbines, and using better insulation in our homes for decades. We’ve been adding more and more emission control devices to our cars and buying more and more vehicles that run on alternate fuels for decades. Yet we haven’t even begun. This makes me think that whatever we do, not only will it never be enough, it will never even qualify as a start. And that has something to do with increasing someone’s profits, I suspect.
Thompson’s quote makes me wonder, too. Climate is absolutely a chaotic system and we have no way to predict it accurately; the best we can do is create models. And for him to say human behavior is almost a chaotic system is ridiculous. The Cuban Missile Crisis comes to mind.
I appreciate your sending the article. The more we talk (and think), the better chance we have of making good decisions.
LikeLike
shoreacres
April 7, 2011
Honest to goodness, you HAVE to read this. If you’ve followed any of the science of all this (or any of the “science”, for that matter) you’ll find it one of the best bits of satire yet. When I first ran into a discussion of it… Well, you’ll see.
Real Climate: The Sheep Albedo Feedback
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 7, 2011
Thanks, Linda. That reminded me of a Saturday Night Live spoof I saw in the early 1970s. It was a parody of a TV commercial for the recently unveiled twin-blade razor; the parody humorously announced a new three-blade product, and the skit worked because at the time the idea of three blades seemed ridiculous. There are now razors with five blades, I believe. The notion that sheep albedo will someday be linked to climate change doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.
LikeLike
carldagostino
April 7, 2011
Two or three degrees would raise sea levels about 6 inches or more. I think that would shrink Florida land mass a lot. I just moved very close to the ocean and even at 61 I still can’t swim. Oh,
oh. Doa ! Yes the warmer tundra would extend the wheat belt several hundred miles north in Canada and Russia and a positive there is increased food production. A negative there is that it provides more breeding ground for tropical insects to plague us like in Africa. I suppose it would open much of Antarctica to mining but ownership issue may cause another world war. Yes a thick barrier may block heat as well but I think the radiation stuff still gets through. Seems we would use less heating oil if it is warmer but the flip side is we’ll use that and perhaps more energy to keep our homes cool. I am not smart and knowledgeable enough to respond to some of the very substantial questions you raise. But it seems man has participated in the natural cycle when it has not participated is the million year past. And that participation has to have some effect I think. What is going on in Japan is man made and not part of the earth’s natural cycles, for instance. So I guess the real discussion must be on the opening sentence of your above comment. How do we measure it? Seems like we have begun to create meaningful protocols to do just that. I seem to remember a lot more 35-45 degree winter weather days here in Miami in my childhood. Maybe 20 or so. We are “lucky ” to get days like that a half dozen times now. In Miami the “heat” discussion takes a different direction. The heat is about the all too frequent fatally shooting of suspects by the police and the increased shooting of police and innocent people by the thugs.
LikeLike
cooperstownersincanada
April 7, 2011
Another profound and interesting piece. I’ve gone around feeling guilty for most of my life as well. It’s ironic that Epcot Center – which I’m sure sucks up countless kilowatts of energy – was built, in part, to educate us about taking care of the environment. Thanks for the interesting post.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 8, 2011
Thanks, Kevin. I often wonder how much energy is used to transmit the message that we need to use less energy.
LikeLike
Jessica Sieghart
April 9, 2011
This is a really interesting topic, Charles. I’m always feeling a bit of pressure to be more “green” and I try. I have my own tote bags that I bring to the grocery store, I do as much recycling as I can and I did switch to those lightbulbs throughout the house, too. I’m still using them, but am actually a bit worried as to how many people are just throwing them in the trash. I’m thinking soon we’ll have to stop using them when mercury levels get too high. A lot of my friends switched to organic food and then I started reading about it and found articles that if every farmer switched to organic, like 25% of the worlds population would starve to death because of the increased space needed to do so. I have no idea what’s true, but I don’t want to feel responsible for that so I don’t buy organic anything. I sometimes wonder how many people I’m putting out of work by not using the plastic grocery bags, too.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
April 9, 2011
You’re right, Jessica. There seems to be a downside to many of the positive actions we’re encouraged to take. I often wonder about the wisdom of running hot water to wash out an empty ketchup bottle so it can be recycled. The reusable grocery bags do seem to make sense, although we have about thirty of them and still manage to forget them in the car every time we go into the supermarket.
LikeLike
opit
April 27, 2011
Carl Dagostino seems to forget that the proposed ‘warming’ would not give the north real soil or solar gain sufficient to drive growth of crops.
I’m agreeing with many of your thoughts about chaotic systems, etc. And because I smelled a rat when the matter came to my attention, I ran an exhaustive Search to find out what I could on the matter.
I’m still shocked by what I’ve missed…but all in all I’m not unhappy with my initial reaction. You see, I follow geopolitics. Systemic fraud is rampant in both Britain and the U.K….as is economic warfare.
If the US and China exempt themselves from expenses everyone else signs up for, the others will have put themselves in a box of their own making…and that’s only part of the story.
Back to the Search results – which meant something huge as it verified fraud which led me to the NPT TRAP. But that’s not what I first saw.
opitslinkfest.blogspot.com > Topical Index > Climate in Contention
There’s an article from Dec 4 2009 that started the ball rolling for me : a find in LaRouche’s stacks about the Global Warming Hoax being part and parcel of nuclear nonproliferation treaties and energy deprivation warfare – of which the Third Pillar of the NPT is an essential part.
LikeLike
poetgranny
October 17, 2011
Yay for you for speaking up! Being respectful of our earth and fellow creatures is obviously important. Encouraging a frenzied fear is another. We now have the ultimate excuse (along with expensive government regulations) for shoddy, cheap quality in almost everything we buy, and buy again and again because nothing lasts any more. How is this helping the earth??? AMEN TO TAKING BETTER CARE OF EACH OTHER. And congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
LikeLike
bronxboy55
October 20, 2011
Thank you, poetgranny. In my simplistic way of thinking, it seems to me that if we treated the planet the way we treat our individual homes, we’d be all right. And you’re right about disposable products. Someone’s making a lot of money.
Thank you for your nice comment and good wishes.
LikeLike
Anonymous
October 22, 2011
What an absolutely brilliant blog. I like the difference in perception of beavers and humans damming the world. It made my day that the first ever blogs that I read were yours and very addictive. Can’t wait to read more.
Do excuse my excessive enthusiasm, due to this being my first experience of registering and using a blog site. Your insights and comments really made me think. And yes, I have been living under a rock… my 2 girls, oldest being 3.5 years will vouch for that! They play together, independently of me so I can now actually take time out for myself and learn about the world again. (the first blog I read was your ‘Don’t ask, don’t yell’ – also brilliant, so I’d like to add that coming out the other end of 3.5 years later of parenting and thinking the worst is over – then finding, well actually it’s just beginning, hmmn!)
After reading your ‘Climate change hullabuloo’, I read John Coleman’s blog ‘Global warming is a total scam’ from way back when in 2008. People’s replies to John were utterly rude and disrespectful, attacking him as a scientist to dare to state that GW is a scam. I found it interesting to read such a change in response and thinking towards the notion of GW, 3 years later, compared to the more openminded responses to your blog. It’s nice to see that people are looking out for each other, afterall, hey?
LikeLike
bronxboy55
September 27, 2012
I’m sorry for the inexcusable lateness of this reply (eleven months!) There are so many complexities in the global warming/climate change issue. What bothers me most is how quickly most people retreat to one corner or the other. We crave simple answers, but sometimes there just aren’t any.
LikeLike
littleoldfashionedme
January 17, 2012
3 points: First, my hubby insists on buying those new bulbs even though they aren’t nearly as efficient as they claim (ask any electrician) and the proper disposal of which involves a HazMat suit.
Second, the new ‘high efficiency’ appliances these days have an approximate life span of 7 years. I have an old rental property with a 30 year old fridge in it. Tell me what’s more environmentally friendly? The old one in the house, or the new one in the landfill?
Third, our forecast for today was -26, yet the stated temperature is -29. If they can’t even get the daily forecast right, how on earth can they predict what it’s going to do in a hundred years?
Just discovered your blog, and am enjoying it immensely already. ~ Christine
LikeLike
bronxboy55
September 27, 2012
I just got rid of my 29-year-old Sony television. Does anything we buy now last that long? And those light bulb claims are questionable, aren’t they? Is it even possible for the average consumer to document how many hours they got from a light bulb? As for the difference between weather forecast and actual temperature, I also wonder how they choose which numbers to record. I live on a relatively small island, yet the daily highs and lows can vary by several degrees, depending on where you are.
Thanks for the kind words, Christine.
LikeLike
gingerjudgesyou
February 2, 2012
I love this post! I constantly find myself getting into arguments with people about global warming and how I don’t think humans are the cause, that global warming is a cyclical phenomenon and people look at me like I’m crazy! Temperatures have been rising and falling since the dawn of time. You had the ice age, the little ice age, the reversal of the poles. Are humans responsible for all these events too? “But, the research shows…” MY research shows that you can pretty much find literature to substatiate any claim you make. It’s amazing how many people believe what Al Gore tells them. Great post! Do you mind if I reblog?
LikeLike
bronxboy55
September 27, 2012
My favorite argument is when people point to the planet Venus and say, “Look! Runaway greenhouse effect — that’s what’s going to happen here!” Venus? Was that our fault, too?
LikeLike
Purple Ink
February 21, 2012
Interesting thoughts Charles. Agree with the over- hype made by some people- the twig breaking, that’s a bit cuckoo in the head eh.
I completely agree that climate i suppose to change, we’ve had ice age before. But what about energy resources, they haven’t been consumed and exhausted at this rate, so obviously no track record to prove that. And anyway sustainability is not about stopping anyone to consume, it’s about giving the planet enough time to replenish, so that we always have enough to consume. Try watching the documentary Hot Cities, good insight on how it affects people in communities unlike us city folks.
Like you said, don’t waste. Lastly, Tuvalu is a tourist destination, but it’s also a member Alliance of Small Island states.
Always good to read up on the debate.
LikeLike
bronxboy55
September 27, 2012
As of September 27, 2012, Tuvalu is alive and well. But even if it weren’t, there are hundreds of islands in the Pacific that are barely above sea level — I mean a few feet. Is it really so astonishing to think that sooner or later, the ocean is going to overwhelm them?
http://www.timelesstuvalu.com/
LikeLike
ZinalBhadra
July 4, 2012
Hi Charles,
I have been reading your blogs since yesterday and i must say, you write so well. Your writing is lucid and helps the readers connect with what you are saying.
About this ‘climate change hullabaloo’, i find myself agreeing to a lot of things you said here. I feel sooo guilty about using all those resources, using that extra bucket of water for a luxurious bath, using car for short distance and so on. Now I think, there is little humans can do to control climate and nature and we should stop fretting about it.
Few years back, one of my friends told me that this ‘entire climate change scare’ is a man-made phenomenon, and people are just playing with human emotions, directors are making money through their sob-films which make us feel oh-so-guilty and novelists are just making quick bucks by spinning their ‘doomsday’ story. I couldn’t believe my ears and accused him for being so insensitive towards earth and for being so shallow. But looks like he was right after all.
Regards,
Zinal
http://zinalbhadra.wordpress.com/
(would love your feedback on my blogs, am very new here)
LikeLike
bronxboy55
September 27, 2012
I don’t know why we can’t just use some common sense when it comes to the environment, Zinal. Most of us manage to take care of our individual homes pretty well. If we treated the outside like we treat the inside, I think we’d be all right. But as your friend said, that takes away the opportunity for a few people to make a lot of money through scare tactics.
LikeLike