First of all, the idea that the climate anywhere would be substantially the same in 1,000 years regardless of human action is of course ridiculous. Second, the idea that all changes in the climate will have ill effects for humans and the 'environment' is equally ridiculous. But the truly stupid things are that a) scientists think they can predict (using 'complex' computer models) complicated interactive systems 10 years out let alone 1,000 years is insane, and b) that they do not take into account that radical changes in technology and science will have occurred if humanity still exists 1,000 years from now.
Can you imagine trying to explain to an average person in 1,000 the world in which we live? That will make explaining the world of 3,008 to us seem like explaining that 1+1=2... The media, and the scientists they help fund, are just trying to keep you scared. The Bible of course tells us time and time again not to worry.
Now, of course I am not saying that we should not be interested climate, or general creation care. We very much should. I am saying that we need to be extremely careful about buying in to predictions of gloom and doom that are tenuous at best, and I think facially absurd.
I'm just going to list some quotes from folks to show you where reason has literally disappeared:
ReplyDelete"We must make this an insecure and uninhabitable place for capitalists and their projects. This is the best contribution we can make towards protecting the earth and struggling for a liberating society."
- Ecotage (as in sabotage), an offshoot of Earth First!
"To feed a starving child is to exacerbate the world population problem."
- Lamont Cole (as quoted by Elizabeth M. Whelan in her book Toxic Terror)
"I got the impression that instead of going out to shoot birds, I should go out and shoot the kids who shoot birds."
- Greenpeace co-founder Paul Watson
"This is a good way to get rid of them as any."
- Charles Wursta, chief scientist for the Environmental Defense Fund, in response to the likely millions to die if DDT were banned
"The only real good technology is no technology at all. Technology is taxation without representation, imposed by our elitist species (man) upon the rest of the natural world."
-John Shuttlesworth, Friends of the Earth manual writer
"The right to have children should be a marketable commodity, bought and traded by individuals but absolutely limited by the state."
- Kenneth Boulding, originator of the "Spaceship Earth" concept
"The battle to feed humanity is over. In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any cash programs embarked upon now."
- Paul Ehrlich, The Population Bomb, 1968
"To capture the public imagination, we have to offer up some scary scenarios, make simplified dramatic statements and little mention of any doubts one might have. Each of us has to decide the right balance between being effective and being honest."
- Climate alarmist Stephen Schneider, Discover Magazine, October 1989
I wish I was making these things up, but these are actual quotes by people who are in environmental organizations that are dictating our climate policy as we speak. This scares the living crap out of me, esp. with their view on human life. As Christians, we need to remember that environmentalism is a new pagan religion. It's commanded that we preserve and steward creation as Christians, but we don't worship it, esp. at the demise of the human race. Esp. when wanting to implement draconian environmental laws that will take us back to the stone age. I keep thinking of the story Don Quioxte by Cervantes and thinking about attacking windmills didn't go over too well. We don't shut down our entire economy because of pseudoscience. Millions will literally starve to death. I'm stoked to talk about this more. Next post.
Punk's quotes were a little alarming to say the least...
ReplyDeletealso, I've noticed that a lot of individuals and organizations seem to be capitalizing on various "green" & eco-friendly stuff. Under the guise of "enviromentalism" etc...carbon footprints and all of that--at the cost of the welfare of the less fortunate in the world. (for example: ethanol gas & rising grocery/food prices here and the 3rd world). Just another thought.
And we are supposed to think some of these folks have the world in our best interests:
ReplyDelete"The activists, many claiming to be associated with Friends of the Earth, circulated among the villagers before the food was distributed. One activist from Brazil was particularly shameless in his tactics. He kept telling several village women over and over that the food was 'contaminated' and 'toxic' and would harm their children."
Ron Bailey, Reason magazine, Sept. 17, 2003.
I know of activists that have convinced nations, such as Zimbabwe and others, esp. in Africa to not take genetically-modified foods because they are 'dangerous.' And what happens, millions of people starve. This is really scary. People need to realize that all foods that we eat are genetically modified or hybridized, even organic foods. That is why the foodstuffs are able to survive in all sorts of climates and conditions all over the world. I'm saying we should be careful and knowledgeable about how these plants/animals are being tweaked, etc. but to make a drastic decision and outlaw this food is genocide. I thought people that cared about the environment cared about human rights. At times, I'm not convinced they all really do.
I JUST read that report, and while all your points were great, the main message from them was that NO MATTER what we do, if we ceased ALL CO2 emissions TODAY, nothing would change for 1,000 years. That's best case scenario IF they're even right, as I also agree is ludicrous. Just go read any of Crichton's essays/speeches on the delicacy and complexity of the environment, see how our national park geniuses hurt things more when trying to fix things, see how there was a global Cooling scare in the mid 70's, see how we went though an Ice age and subsequent warming of monumental proportions before we humans did anything to the environment, see THE SUN and how its cycles far exceed anything we humans can do to warm pr cool the planet, see how there is a global warming on Mars right now to back up the Sun's involvement in this Warming conspiracy, and finally, see how weather experts can't even accurately predict the friggin' Weather ten days from now, to see that any long term prediction and simple blaming of One source (us), is insane.
ReplyDeleteBut going by the experts,even if all that I said was thrown out the Wndow of this car called logic, we'd still crash no matter what we do, so why destroy our economy with more taxes in the process.
Let's be good stewards of this earth as God commands us, but that includes not go ape Sh** over a 1% change in the global temperature over the past 100 years. Scientists are ALWAYS sure they're right (see static universe theory and even Einstein's own theories disproving it ,but he still held to it as fact in stubbornness). Also see, almost ANYTHING scientist say.
We're humans. We're limited in knowledge, and any time "Science" goes beyond the scientific method of something being able to be tested over and over, don't trust it. Just call a psychic . Ask a horse to hoof twice for global warming destroying us, once for a new ice age. Scientists want us Christians to leave science out religion, so I say, Scientists, leave psychic environmental religion out of real Science. The end.
Yeah. Good points all. Enviros worship the earth. I like science, but science performed by fallen humans is limited. And if there is one thing science can tell us its that whatever we think we know, we dont know crap.
ReplyDeleteScience should describe the earth and the universe and how it works. The idea that making computer models that predict 1,000 yrs into the future, (when you put in the parameters to make it say whatever it said) is 'science' is really dumb.
Plus, the trajectory of technology suggest that if the Lord lets us live another 1,000 years we will be so advanced that we would die laughing at the thought of somehow being destroyed by the actions of the 20th century.
Anyway. I think Hip Mama makes a great point, namely that folks do this to make money. Keep people scared and you get grants. Or better yet start a carbon trading firm. Most of the 'green' stuff you see on the market is nonsense. Real green stuff is cheap: gardens, bicycles, camping. That is the green for me.
And this is too good to pass up:
ReplyDelete"In short, if we can rise to the challenge, the permanent abolition of the wheel would have the marvelously synergistic effect of creating thousands of new jobs - as blacksmiths, farriers, grooms, and so on - at the same time as it conserved energy and saved the planet from other-wise inevitable devastation."
- Catherine Bennett, The Guardian (UK), 2004.
I would expect this from someone like John Zerzan, but who knew??
G.S. Bryan posted a really funny article sorta railing on the way that Hollywood doesn't really follow all the hot air they spew out about "global stewardship" when they have carbon offsets and mansions with solar panels, prop up enviro-dictators (thanks Sean Penn), etc. I think he should post it on this blog. It's really funny, but relevant. And I too agree with Hot Mama. This is probably more about money and power. The environmental organizations have mostly been overrun with Marxist folks that want to destroy capitalism, but I don't think all of them really do. They just want to make money and gain power to control everything. Read some Orwell. It's sort of like pretty much all of my anarchist friends. None of them are REALLY anarchists. It's sexy to rebel, we hate our parents, let's play the victim, blah, blah, blah. But at the end of the day, if the capitalist system crumbled they wouldn't have their track bikes and Chrome messenger bags, laptops, cell phones, high-priced vegan treats, records, AK Press, what have you.