It's Time to Abandon Earth Day

[Ed Hudgins]

It's Time To Abandon Earth Day
By Edward Hudgins

April 22, 2018 -- There was a telling juxtaposition of events in April 1970.

On the one hand, young people, infused with the Age of Aquarius, gathered in parks for the first Earth Day. They sang, danced, speechified, consumed illicit substances, and virtue-signaled they didn’t want a polluted planet.

On the other hand, the Apollo 13 spacecraft, crippled by an explosion, limped back to Earth, with the survival of three astronauts very much in doubt.

That April, a movement began to fight a perceived explosion of technologies and materialism that were polluting Earth, with the survival of humanity at stake. This worldview was as profoundly wrong then as it remains now.

Human Improvement

We all want to live in a world conducive to human health and safety. The good news is things have been improving for years.

Starting with the big picture, some five decades ago, 45 percent of the world’s population was living in extreme poverty. Today, that number is less than 10 percent. Back then, global life expectancy was 60 years old. It is now around 72, in developed countries, it’s more than 80. Even in Africa, the most impoverished region of the world, average lifespan has climbed from 47 to 60. The annual death rate of children under five years old has dropped from about 15 percent to under 5 percent, with much of that progress coming in developing countries.

And what about the environment? At the time of the first Earth Day, more than one million individuals worldwide, mainly children, died each year because of pathogens in polluted water. Fortunately, over the past four decades, the portion of the global population with access to improved water sources has jumped from only about 50 percent to more than 90 percent....

Read more.

[william.scherk]

Pruit and Trump on Earth Day

5 hours ago, Ed Hudgins said:

It's Time To Abandon Earth Day

Edited April 22, 2018 by william.scherk
Added Presidential statement

[Peter]

Well said, Ed.

[BaalChatzaf]

"Earth is, of course, of tremendous value to human beings...."

Earth is of supreme value to human beings.   It is (right now) the only place in the cosmos where we can exist.

 

[jts]

According to Steven Greer, planet Earth is under quarantine. Humans are not allowed to colonize other places. First humans must grow up and learn to be more responsible for the environment and not make war. According to Steven Greer, there are civilizations out there that don't have a word for 'war'and don't know what war is.

I heard a rumor that the reason why the USA didn't go back to the moon is they found somebody already there who told them to not come back.

For more science fiction, listen to Steven Greer videos. It's better than Star Trek.

 

[Ed Hudgins]

Thanks Peter!

JTS, the big question is, who they hell is Steven Greer and why would anyone waste a neuron transferring a charge via a synapse on what he blathers about anything?

[jts]

7 hours ago, Ed Hudgins said:

JTS, the big question is, who they hell is Steven Greer and why would anyone waste a neuron transferring a charge via a synapse on what he blathers about anything?

Your questions are rhetorical, not sincere. If you really wanted to know who the hell Steven Greer is, you would do a simple search and you would quickly find this website that explains it all.

http://disclosureproject.org/

You draw a conclusion without any information. Usually a rational person gets information first before drawing a conclusion.

The big question is not who the hell is Steven Greer. That is easy to find out for anyone who is interested. The big question is:

Are the 500+ government, military, and intelligence community witnesses testifying to their direct, personal, first hand experience with UFOs, ETs, ET technology for real? Or are they a bunch of liars or kooks?

I don't know. I didn't go thru all that information and even if I did, I probably would not be able to evaluate it. So instead of drawing a conclusion, I don't know.

If this stuff is true (not saying it is), then we might get technology that would make petroleum and coal obsolete. That should be a reason to be interested.

 

[william.scherk]

'Who is Steven Greer?'

13 hours ago, jts said:

According to Steven Greer, planet Earth is under quarantine.

 

 

[Peter]

Unfortunately or fortunately, for the people who have rational, evidence driven intellects there is no proof of extraterrestrial life. Which means we should give this “plot” as little credence as unicorns. I have seen some credible evidence for sinking cities that led to the semi myth of Atlantis, but there are no alien craft, ESP, spirits, real witches (sorry Harry Potter), yetis, etc.

As a spooky or inspirational plot device, alien encounters and all unreal things of interest are totally acceptable. Why go to Jamaica, Mon, when you can join us on an island tour of Lilliput? Just don’t bring any of those tiny people on board in your hand bags . . . .

If there were repeatable, scientific evidence it would be in the New York Times, not The National Enquirer. Textbooks would teach the history of the evidence found. And magic, would not be a "magic act."        

[9thdoctor]

I say let's abandon Tax Day first. 

 

 

[Peter]

15 hours ago, 9thdoctor said:

I say let's abandon Tax Day first. 

 

 

That is a powerful message. But America is still overspending and not bringing down the debt. Maybe after two terms of Trump and one term of a President Pence, we can finally start to address that. Shrink the budget. Pay down the debt. Don't get into any wars. Laissez Faire the economy so it can GROW. Tax Day would need to exist until the day the debt is paid off. Government services could still be paid for as  they are used. 

[Ed Hudgins]

Okay, we're deep into tin-foil hat, nut-case territory here, so I'll leave those with more time on their hands or those who get a dark amusement observing this form of human folly to populate this thread. I will say that since my teen years I found the issue of life on other worlds of serious interest. I was especially impressed by a young, little-known fellow who spoke in 1969 at Goddard Space Flight Center, where I'd been an intern, to separate flying saucer nonsense from a real search for extraterrestrial intelligence. That was Carl Sagan. Anyway, I guess I won't be seeing some of the folks on this thread on Mars. Hope Elon Musk's colony does way!

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Come on, Ed...

Objectivists normally don't like the idea of life on other planets.

You know why?

Because Ayn Rand said Objectivism was a philosophy for living on earth.

Earth...

Did you get that?

Not on any other friggin' planet.

Michael

[Ed Hudgins]

What on Earth are you talking about? ( ) This really Mars the conversation! ( ) Did you Planet this way? (  )

[Peter]

As we have come to understand the beginning of microscopic life here on earth, I think most scientists "think" life could evolve elsewhere. However, aliens with human like abilities may or may not exist. The distances between stars is so great, it may be a while before we figure out how to prove alien life's existence. I remember certain gases like methane could indicate life on other planets. But I am still hoping for earth receiving an alien TV or radio broadcast of their version of "I Love Lucy." Now, an alien Carl Sagan would be even nicer to listen to. "Greetings Earthlings, billions and billions of miles away. Want to get together over a few mugs of beer?" 

[caroljane]

As my hometown faces unprecedented flooding, and many of my relatives are building backyard arks, on top of totally crazy hot weather, maybe it's time to forget about the day and just abandon Earth...

[Peter]

I am 14 feet above sea level, but if I drive about 3 miles, it is 40 feet above sea level. If predictions about the rise in sea level have any validity, higher ground will become pricier, and people will stop building houses on the beach. Yet, it would take some serious flooding to stop people from populating what is now prime real estate.

On top of a mountain, would odors be less noticeable? Just wondering. Would it be cruel to sing to a Hawaiian, "On top of old smoky?"

I just got a notice from a friend in Hawaii, that she is not being impacted but two other Radford High School grads (in Honolulu) do live near the active volcano, but as of now, they are also OK.  

 

[caroljane]

28 minutes ago, Peter said:

I am 14 feet above sea level, but if I drive about 3 miles, it is 40 feet above sea level. If predictions about the rise in sea level have any validity, higher ground will become pricier, and people will stop building houses on the beach. Yet, it would take some serious flooding to stop people from populating what is now prime real estate.

On top of a mountain, would odors be less noticeable? Just wondering. Would it be cruel to sing to a Hawaiian, "On top of old smoky?"

I just got a notice from a friend in Hawaii, that she is not being impacted but two other Radford High School grads (in Honolulu) do live near the active volcano, but as of now, they are also OK.  

 

The goddess Pele must be really, really irate.  Maybe somebody finally told her about the 2016 election.

[Ed Hudgins]

FYI: Data show only very small, steady sea level rise for centuries and no correlation with CO2, the usual culprit of the climate alarmists. If I can figure out how to post jpgs, I will put some up showing this info.

[william.scherk]

9 minutes ago, Ed Hudgins said:

FYI: Data show only very small, steady sea level rise for centuries

[Peter]

1 hour ago, caroljane said:

The goddess Pele must be really, really irate.  Maybe somebody finally told her about the 2016 election.

Pele and Thor are all for President Trump. The trickster god Loki was for Old Hickory Clingon.

It is interesting that different cultures have different “gods,” that occasionally share attributes. I still have to laugh when I hear about the many (too many) Hindu ‘gods.” Also of interest is the fact that even though people of the western hemisphere are more “cultured,” “scientific,” and “knowledgeable” some of these enlightened people still “invent” things that have no basis in fact. Yet, if the invented “fact” is called a religion, then political correctness insists we not scoff at it.

For instance, if someone told you that they have aliens inside of them, the universe was created 6000 years ago, or that a deity is talking to them and therefor people should do what they say, I think those people should be considered as crazy as loons. The loonies may not harm anyone other than themselves, but I tend to put distance between them and me, just to be safe.

On another subject, I was looking at a magazine for teachers and one author was saying the violence in schools MUST STOP but they offered no solutions. Remember when the Vice Principal was the “authority” in the hallways? I don’t think kids should be armed, but making a school a gun free zone simply means school cops cannot defend against someone shooting up a school.    

May the force be with you.

[william.scherk]

Inserting Sealevel Rise Jpegs (or Gifs or Pngs) in OL comments

1 hour ago, Ed Hudgins said:

If I can figure out how to post jpgs, I will put some up showing this info.

Edited May 8, 2018 by william.scherk
Reduced footprint of video lesson

[Peter]

On ‎5‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 2:35 PM, william.scherk said:

Inserting Sealevel Rise Jpegs (or Gifs or Pngs) in OL comments

I still rely on my own sight. If I go east I see the same houses on the beach in Fenwick Island or Bethany that I saw a half century ago. I have lived in my house for about 40 years and the bay is still where it was back then, about a mile away. The boat ramp is where it has always been. My in-laws live in West Ocean City on the bay and their house is at least 60 years old. Their dock still exists. A shed that holds their water pump is about 15 feet from the bay and the shed is still functional. so if there has been a rise, it is tiny.       

[Peter]

On ‎4‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 12:06 PM, Ed Hudgins said:

What on Earth are you talking about? ( ) This really Mars the conversation! ( ) Did you Planet this way? (  )

Headline on the Web today. US ambassador gives first glimpse of new embassy in Jerusalem by Toi Staff and Agencies: Trump hails “big week” for historic move; “Congratulation to all,” he tweets ahead of May 14 opening. end quote

Egad! Only two days away! Would moving our embassy in Israel be like colonizing Mars? In a way Israel has been terraforming their desert regions since who knows when.   

So here is a Mars update (in case Elon Musk, Ba’al, or Space Sabras are listening.) Care to go back to the days of subsistence farming? If we colonize Mars we will need to generate electricity, breathable air and drinkable water because we could not “send” enough from earth. It would be too heavy, bulky, and expensive to transport.

However, there have been scenarios where we “bomb” Mars first, over generations, around its equator with heavily liquid asteroids and rockets from earth with biotic earth containing organism that could withstand terraforming and later help humans get the vitamins and minerals they need to survive. Vitamin supplements would not be that hard to transport. But for whatever reason, what if the “Earth to Mars” or the “United States to Israel” link is lost, due to unforeseen circumstances?

Here is some of the slide show narration about the Mars habitability test site from years ago.

Peter

From Business Insider: “8 men and women once sealed themselves inside this enormous fake Mars colony for 2 years — here's what it's like today,” by Dave Mosher.

The first crew (there were two) walked through a modified submarine bulkhead on September 26, 1991, and sealed the airlock behind them. They wouldn't leave for two years. That entryway is where tours begin today. When the first crew of "biospherians" settled inside the complex, it trapped 7.2 million cubic feet of air — yet leaked only the equivalent of a thumb-size hole.

Though the facility was once a privately funded experiment in human survival, the University of Arizona bought it in 2011. It's now a scientific research facility, conference center, and tourist attraction. Admission is $20 for an adult, with discounts for students, seniors, and military personnel. Biosphere 2 has seen about 3 million tourists and 500,000 students since 1991. The site also contains a village where visiting researchers can stay. It's quiet out there in the desert, save for the wailing of coyotes at dusk.

Inside Biosphere 2, five "wilderness" zones — rainforest, ocean, savanna, marsh, and desert — emulated Earth's ecosystems. They helped scrub carbon dioxide from the air and generated oxygen. The crew lived in a connected habitat and farmed crops in an agriculture zone that's now called the hill slope. In that intensive agriculture zone, shown here in 1993, crew members spent most of their 12-hour days toiling in the fields and animal pens to harvest enough calories.

The kitchen was hallowed ground. Biospherians ate only what they could grow — mostly sweet potatoes and beans. It took four months to harvest enough ingredients to cook a pizza. Animals had to be raised and slaughtered to get meat. Coffee was a twice-monthly luxury.

Biospherians kept detailed records of seeds, plants, food, and animals. About 20% of species inside — mostly insects that were out-competed by cockroaches and crazy ants — went extinct during the first two-year experiment. Today, a small fraction of the original species survives.

The "ocean" holds about 660,000 gallons of saltwater and undulates with the help of a large wave generator. end quotes 

[Peter]

Ready to hitch a ride? Or is it time to abandon earth?

Provided by Fox News. An asteroid the size of New York City's Statue of Liberty is expected to buzz by Earth Tuesday, and this time, scientists are ready and waiting.

At its closest point, the asteroid – called 2010 WC9 – will be roughly 126,000 miles from earth, about half the distance between Earth and the moon at approximately 6:05 ET, according to NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). The estimated diameter of the asteroid ranges from 197 to 427 feet, making this "pass one of the closest approaches ever observed of an asteroid of this size," EarthSky reports.