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Preserving life itself
Save the environment or create our own?
Since the 1970's soothsayers have been warning us about global climate changes and the effects of humans on these processes. Many say that they are just naturally occurring cycles and not to worry, others say we must do what we can to control these trends. Thinking we could actually control these changes is pretty much ridiculous, thinking we can influence them to some extent is not so far out...
There are three basic things we are worried about Green House gases (mostly carbon dioxide), water levels, nuclear fallout...
The Air
Carbon Dioxide
There are two main ways to get rid of carbon dioxide, one is to plant more plants, using technology we already have had for years we can turn unproductive land into productive land producing food, ecosystems and trees. Trees are the long term answer, Plant trees everywhere.
Once upon a time, The main shelter on earth was the trees, we and our animal companions here could climb the trees during floods or to get away from certain predators. The shelter from their canopy protected us from the scorching sun the winds even the rains.The earth is very much alive, the trees are like our hair, the plants below like our skin. The soil is the body which needs the protection from the sun wind and rain. They provide homes for many birds and animals, as well as insects. They even supply us not only heat but the homes themselves and give their lives to do it...
The second way is get rid of carbon dioxide is to store it, we have the technology to remove it from the atmosphere and store it for commercial, possibly even as a fuel source. Some scientists say we could easily remove and store 1 percent of the accumulation in a single year. If Carbon dioxide is the main culprit we would know in a few short years.
We also need a serious cut back on all aeronautics from Personal jets to the Air Force. Air force jets alone used 5.8 billion dollars worth of jet fuel in 2006, that is about 2.6 billions gallons of fuel being burnt up in our atmosphere every year, just by the air force. I am also sure we could use less air shows.
If there are serious problems developing in the upper atmosphere, I would tend to look at Air planes before cow farts.
Water
Water Water everywhere but not enough to drink.
I have noticed an extreme lack of water as I have traveled the country over the years. While that is quite disturbing, what is more disturbing is the water I have seen. At rest areas in several states I have seen notices not to drink the water, bacteria, nitrates, nitrites, pesticides, herbicides, and other unspecified contaminates. Bottled water machines, at a buck or more a pop are at rest areas everywhere. The important thing to note however is that the biggest water problems are not in high population areas, but in the middle of cattle country. Elsewhere, I was greeted by closed beaches, high bacteria count, green tides or just minor irritations, just a little swimmers itch. Is this the legacy we want to leave for our grandchildren? Water is the basis for all life on this planet, these problems can not be ignored. For forty years the government has been studying the pollution in rivers and lakes, the message however is clear we must protect what little clean water there is left.
There are three major problems concerning water, one is too much AKA flooding. Scientists tell us that rapidly melting ice caps are a great concern why not bottle or store as much of this pristine water as we can bottles, tanks, pools, ponds, small lakes? Any storage of water will take it out of the cycle, less water less rain, less snow, less flooding...
Then there is opposite problem dry wells, drought, dry farmlands it seems to me that if we can pipe and haul gas and oil all over the world, why not water?
Then there is that third problem, water pollution, water has become the toxic asset of the new millennium. Many Creeks rivers lake and ponds have become too polluted to sustain life anymore, and not just in the third world. We must do everything possible to protect public waterways from all kinds of pollution and do what ever is necessary to clean up those that have become toxic assets for our grandchildren.
Congress took a direct approach to NPS pollution with the Water by passing the Water Pollution Control Acts of 1972 and 1990, better known as the Clean Water Acts, it's obvious that some things have been slowed and some cleaned up, that pollution of our waterways is still a real problem. Passing laws does't cure anything, we need a change in the core being of our consciousness as a society, Where people wouldn't even think about dumping oil antifreeze or anything else on the ground.
WASHINGTON 1/8/98-- the first comprehensive analysis ever conductedHomes
I am a fan of alternative energy sources. I think geothermal and solar are the most ignored and have the greatest potential. When most people talk about energy the conversation usually turns to automobiles, for me it turns to homes. Do you know that in the 1930's some homes and building were constructed that needed little to no heat? Envelope houses, rock energy storage (solar and geothermic together), solar heated and geothermic heating and cooling should be on top of our agenda when saving energy... Super insulated houses can be heated by body and cooking heat alone... Solar assisted systems for heating water, drying clothes and lighting of homes would also save fossil fuels. We need to Build small towns and refugee camps that are off grid using solar and wind power with greenhouses on roofs.
Underground homes, bunker houses geodesic domes, with under ground passage ways. Whole communities with self contained food water and air supplies could mean survival of our species in an uncertain range of climatesBuild as many Windmills as there are radio transmission towers perhaps they could be converted?
See also Global Warming and the greenhouse effects
Transportation Human and human electric hybrids need to be the travelers choice of the future at least for short distances, using gas powered vehicles just doesn't make any sense.
we need Serious promotion of people/solar/alternative/hybrid powered cars.
Particularly in cities and flat areas where they will implement the easiest.
Nuclear disposal will be an issue for thousands of years whether we continue to use nuclear power or not. The best thing to use it for would be to irradiate large amounts of food supplies in case of disasters that could may will put the food supply at risk. While Americans still have not accepted this technology, when there is no fresh food to be had, most will change their minds over starvation.
Economics of the future?
Direct Democracy Government of the future?
