Brave New Warming
You know, I'm a big worrier. I worry about future employment. I worry about my wife. I worry about money. I worry about a lot of things. These days, when I read the newspaper or scour online news and blogs, it's very easy to be worried. Especially about things like global warming and peak oil. I often wonder what the future is going to be like, not just nationally but globally.
Then I come across bits and pieces here and there that remind me of human ingenuity, of resilience, of the willingness of humanity to confront and plan for the future. It's then when I think, "Hm, maybe things won't be *so* bad after all."
Despite Leaker's (aka Smirk) insistence that global warming hasn't been proved yet, that we have to wait until all the evidence is in, others seem to be moving on without him. Al Gore recently addressed a group of corporate leaders and investors on the topic, and they were willing to listen. Gore stated that we have to start thinking of subjects like global warming and the environment as moral issues, not as political issues. Amen. The fact that these executives and businessfolks were amenable to discussing the topic demonstrates not only a familiarity with reality, but perhaps a social sea change; our gummint may want to drag its feet, but like it or not, the planet is rapidly changing, and these changes aren't going to be all that fun.
Additionally, I ran across this article discussing how folks in Oslo, Norway, are using sewage to heat their homes. The first sentence of this article cites this endeavor as an "extreme energy project." No kidding. But I'm heartened to learn that there are adaptable and alternative ways of dealing with our energy problems. Considering the vast sewage systems of places such as oh, say, Los Angeles makes me wonder if maybe our industries should start examining and implementing similar systems here, and start investing some of their obscene profits into developing such new techniques.
The polar caps are melting-- glaciers are vanishing. It's a Brave New Warming, a new world that is dawning, and if we don't seize the moment and start dealing with it, it's going to be a bumpy ride. The fact that some folks are starting to do so isn't wholly comforting, but it's a positive step forward.
Then I come across bits and pieces here and there that remind me of human ingenuity, of resilience, of the willingness of humanity to confront and plan for the future. It's then when I think, "Hm, maybe things won't be *so* bad after all."
Despite Leaker's (aka Smirk) insistence that global warming hasn't been proved yet, that we have to wait until all the evidence is in, others seem to be moving on without him. Al Gore recently addressed a group of corporate leaders and investors on the topic, and they were willing to listen. Gore stated that we have to start thinking of subjects like global warming and the environment as moral issues, not as political issues. Amen. The fact that these executives and businessfolks were amenable to discussing the topic demonstrates not only a familiarity with reality, but perhaps a social sea change; our gummint may want to drag its feet, but like it or not, the planet is rapidly changing, and these changes aren't going to be all that fun.
Additionally, I ran across this article discussing how folks in Oslo, Norway, are using sewage to heat their homes. The first sentence of this article cites this endeavor as an "extreme energy project." No kidding. But I'm heartened to learn that there are adaptable and alternative ways of dealing with our energy problems. Considering the vast sewage systems of places such as oh, say, Los Angeles makes me wonder if maybe our industries should start examining and implementing similar systems here, and start investing some of their obscene profits into developing such new techniques.
The polar caps are melting-- glaciers are vanishing. It's a Brave New Warming, a new world that is dawning, and if we don't seize the moment and start dealing with it, it's going to be a bumpy ride. The fact that some folks are starting to do so isn't wholly comforting, but it's a positive step forward.
posted by Mr. Sandman | 11:42 PM
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