"Six Ways That Changing Your Life Can Prevent Global Warming"

[bloom]

By Peter Michaelson

"Reason number one is the indifference that so many of us have for our own health...."

"Problem number two is our fear..."

"The male values of power and domination constitute problem number three...."

"Reason number four finds us plagued with an overabundance of political leaders who won't lead...."

Number five on this list brings us to a serious fault line in our economic system. An underground stress is cracking the bedrock of capitalism. A leakage of fascism at the core of capitalism lies exposed by this failure to take appropriate action against global warming.

Fascism is, in part, an ill-fated approach to national governance that has obliterated all authority within its boundaries capable of stopping its destructive expansionism. In the United States, a fascist position might soon be formalized when the Supreme Court determines a case involving the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA's refusal to regulate carbon dioxide emissions is being challenged in the Supreme Court, and at least four conservative justices seem to believe, along with the Bush Administration, that the agency should not be regulating if it cannot show specific damages traceable to controllable emissions from cars and power plants.

If this narrow legal view prevails and the case is lost, one less impartial authority is left to make vital decisions regarding global warming. As a nation, then, we would be in a plight similar to that of a person who, because of a psychopathic or psychotic condition, can't make decisions between right and wrong.

Reason number six finds us waiting in vain for economics to lead us out of the impasse presented by global warming. Economics has failed dismally to protect us from the excesses of capitalism...."


http://alternet.org/envirohealth/45221/

_______________________________

I think he sort off got off the track about "Ways That Changing Your Life..." (some of these are more at the level of societal problems) - but there are economic issues related to what he said that we can all address in our lives.

[Zensea]

1. Number one ---- Stop driving so much

I agree the author got off track.
The ways provided are more ways of thinking rather than actual actions.
& I see no mention of one of the most obvious things, which is American's infatuation with the automobile.
I've managed to survive without owning an automobile at all for almost 20 years even when I lived in places that did not have any mass transit, so I know it can be done.
I don't expect everyone else cut back on their automobile use as I have managed to do, but if they did so even half it would have a huge impact.
Another would be our insistence on using so much air conditioning which strains the power grid, the electricity being produced to facilitate it causing global warming.

These two would fit under a way of thinking that has to do with how soft we've become as a culture with an expectation of everything being in a comfort zone.

[YankeyMCC]

2. I'm trying

:)

For the last year or so I've used my bicycle for most in-town errands. Used it today in fact to go get my hair cut and pick up some produce (managed to get all organic too :) )

And it was pretty cold this morning and the barber gave me a strange look when he saw me pull up and come in "It's it kinda cold to be riding your bike?"

Took it as an opportunity for a friendly back and forth of the benefits (saves gas, good exercise, so I can afford more beer and not feel to guilty about drinking it either since I get more exercise - don't ask how beer got involved ;) ) And in fact, given the parking situation in most of the places in town it's often faster to take my bike.


So I can't yet say I live without my car I think I've made a significant cut back.

But your point is well taken. The barber's reaction and some of the looks I got today just go to show how people are so set in their car-centric mindset. I recently took a trip to Germany and even though it was late October and quiet chilly bikes were everywhere. All the offices I visited had prominent bicycle parking etc...

[CrispyQ]

3. My previous boss

lives with her husband & their little dog in a 10,000 square foot house. She told me they pay $800 a month to keep it cool in the summer & a little less to warm it in the winter.

:wow:

[Massacure]

6. Yikes! That's more than my parents pay for their mortgage.

That is nuts. :crazy:

[ochazuke]

7. Where do they live?

Sounds like the Midwest.

[tinrobot]

4. MALE values of power and domination?

Sorry... I just don't buy that line of reasoning.

Stereotyping individuals for any reason, including their gender, never generates solutions.

[wickerwoman]

8. No one is stereotyping individuals.

Did the OP say "tinrobot's values of power and domination"?

No. He's talking about cultural values and the traditional Western cultural assumptions praise men who are strong, powerful and dominant and praise women who are quiet and have a lot of kids.

It has nothing to do with individuals and everything to do with ideas. Now if you want to argue that those ideas don't still saturate our culture, we have something worth debating.

[bloom]

10. well said.

I did include the author's name on purpose. It is, after all, a man making the accusation in question.

Some men are better at recognizing that particular aspect than others. And it's not like ALL men are into domination or something.

At the same time - it wouldn't hurt everyone to read The Second Sex by Simone Beauvior - it's not like the history of domination of women by men is generally taught. The teaching of history is usually something more along the lines of "Look at how powerful such and so civilization was. Look at all the wars they won. Look at who the powerful leaders were". Etc.

[Lasthorseman]

5. Why I'm not changing

First is HAARP, High Altitude Auroral Research Project. This is a real and documented fact that we have been playing with the upper atmosphere for a couple of decades now.
The second has been extensively labeled as a tin foil hat item yet I will bring it up here because it's relevant. Chemtrails. Before we get the hats out think of Dennis Kucinich's Space Preservation Act and you can only guess what made him abandon it.
The third is that the fascism is not national but global. www.spp.gov Corporations it seems have found a far greater profit margin in 6 billion easily exploitable souls rather than the 300 million energy sucking brats right here at home.

I just want to enjoy my remaining days. The Apocalypse could be minutes away.

[bloom]

9. The US is responsible for app. 30%

of the contributing factors to global warming.

It makes sense that Americans have the largest capacity (of any country) to change those actions that are contributing factors.

[Lasthorseman]

11. Depopulation

Since 1993 and NAFTA the US has exported all of it's manufacturing capability. What would you think this is in preparation for? The d word? Depopulation.