Global Warming, Personal Health, & Finances

[carpaltunnel]

Like many people I've been doing a LOT of thinking about global warming. I keep coming back to the realization that many of the actions that are good for the environment are good for personal health and finances.

Drive less; walk or bike more = better health & lower expenses.

Consume less electricity: turn off the tv = better mental health, more personal time, less advertisement driven spending, lower electrical bill, lower personal spending.

Eat less meat = lower food bill, improved health.

I know people who may be concerned about global warming but can't talk about it because they work for an indistry that can't admit the problem exists. It seems to me those folks can still take action and explain their conservation behavior as good for their health finances.

[Python]

So-called Global Warming is the biggest con-trick ever conceived by greedy, corrupt governments. It is the biggest excuse ever to impose hefty taxes on ordinary people who are falling for the spin left, right and centre - and no, I do not work for any industry.

This planet has warmed up and cooled down again since time began and it will continue to do so until one day it goes bang. Once in the UK grape vines grew as far north as the Scottish Borders. No way would grapes vines grow there now - too cold. Look back through history and there has been periods when the earth has been hot, then cooled again - e.g. the Ice Age. What concerns me more is the use of pesticides and artificial fertilizers, and of course GM crops. I think the consequences of these will be far more damaging long-term than what we think.

Cycling definitely has many benefits. I know since I started using the bike to commute to work I've felt much healthier, not to mention the money I've saved. I also sleep better at nights and actually wake up feeling refreshed in the morning where before when I woke up I felt (and looked) like death warmed up.

I like eating meat - all kinds but also have vegetarian dishes too. We just had one tonight - Cauliflower and Brocolli Mornay. Very tasty and doesn't take long to make.

I'm not into watching a lot of TV. Most of the programmes are rubbish and an insult to my intelligence (although I do admit to being a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation and also Voyager). I prefer to read up about things on the internet or read a good book. I also make greetings cards and I do some dressmaking which keeps me busy. I play several instruments which I like for relaxation. When I'm in the house on my own I usually have the radio or a CD on.

With using my bike for commuting, what money I save by doing that is going towards the cost of my new bike.

[madscot13]

You know, I can't respond to global warming naysayers with out a sore spot in my heart. Speaking as a biologist and a chemist, there is a lot of science out there documenting the effects of increased human emissions.

The ozone layer is a protective covering that blocks the sun's UV rays and therefore the warming of the Earth. Think of this those CFC's we are producing (don't tell me we have stopped because we haven't and besides they stick around for a long time) go into the atmosphere and they start a chain reaction that for every CFC molecule destroys on average 20 billion molecules of ozone.

You may be saying that there is a lot of ozone out there. Well there is less and less and it is beginning to show in frightening ways. We have been able to see a hole in the ozone since 1985, ever since I was born. But we are not just seeing global warming we are feelin global warming. For the one degree change we have felt, the North and South Poles have increased by 8 degrees.

As a result, the Arctic ice is melting, tropical species are moving northwards, forests are migrating, and we are just sitting here.

The government isn't just saying this to make money out of us. The government is being pushed around by firms trying to make money. As a result they have actively denied and suppressed information on global warming.

I know I may just be a crazy kid. I don't do everything I can to prevent Global Warming. But I recognize that I can't do everything. I won't push or force people into the topic and make them feel like bad people for not agreeing. But I am doing my part to learn and to become engaged. Besides who is it hurting if I recycle more, turn off the lights, and ride my bike more?

[mimitabby]

Python,
in my lifetime ihave seen the changes. Maybe where you live there are no
glaciers in retreat, no mountains that used to stay covered with snow all summer that now turn brown, and no ice and tundra.
They have a dog race called Iditarod that nowadays is having trouble finding enough snow to run the race. If you want to ask about global warming, ask an eskimo. their way of life for thousands of years is coming to an end. they are drowning because the ice is too weak to sustain their weight in the winter!

Trees that used to bloom in may are blooming in april. I suppose you didnt' notice the heat in your neck of the woods in the last few years, but our nurserymen did and as a result, they are changing the planting zones in the USA because
you can now grow tropical plants ever more north every year.
And the birds as well are changing their migratory patterns because it's hotter longer and further north.
I don't expect to change your mind, but I agree with the gal that started this thread. Like it or not there is a finite amount of everything on our planet. The best thing we can do for it is to conserve. if we are conserving by not driving cars and riding bikes instead, that means we are burning less fossil fuels,
(of which there is a finite amount) we are putting less gas and filth into the air and we as a result are getting healthier.
Here in Seattle bikes are getting more popular all the time and the more people that see you out on your bike the more people are going to try it again. kind of the 100th monkey effect. If you care about the world that your children's children are going to end up with, think about it. conserve.

[mimitabby]

and another thing. what do scientists have to gain by saying there is global warming? In fact those who hoped to gain are the ones who suppressed the information from the public so they and their fat industrial partners could continue to let their factories spew toxic waste, continue to build cars and homes etc, that are not energy efficient, and they could continue to profit while the average consumer sat fat and ignorant and happy.

[kjay]

And no doubt you've all been hearing about one of the highest producers of methane gas: THE COW!

Here's an excerpt from an article I just read, and there are many articles similar to this.

Bessy’s Stomachs

Methane is the second most significant cause of greenhouse warming, behind carbon dioxide. Bessy, the science cow, and her many brothers and sisters are one of the greatest methane emitters. Bessy’s grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause her to produce methane, which she exhales with every breath. The sheer size of her herds makes a significant contribution to global warming.

Bessy the Science Cow

Bessy and her cow friends are one of the world's greatest methane emitters. Cows exhale methane, which is a byproduct of the digestion of their grassy diet.

Livestock lead rice-growing, gas-flaring, and mining in global emissions of this highly potent greenhouse gas. Options for reducing methane emissions go beyond reducing beef and dairy consumption. These mitigation strategies also include reducing methane emissions from mines, gas production facilities, and landfills. . . .

Can you believe how much this adds up to all over the world???

[Tri Girl]

I just had to respond. This is about to get long-winded, so don't read unless you're bored...
I've recently become much more of a tree-hugging granola eating earth-lover than I was before. After watching "An Inconvenient Truth" (and showing it to my middle school classes) and other documentaries on global warming (i.e. Discovery Channel's Planet Earth), I don't see how anyone cannot believe that we're having an impact on the planet in amazing proportions. Someone last month said to me "I don't believe in global warming" like it's a religion or something. Evidence is evidence and whether you believe it's happening at the rate they're predicting or not, it's still happening. Yes, the Earth goes through cyclical warmings and coolings, but the CO2 that's in the air in the amounts that it is now is not natural. Since the Industrial Revolution, humankind has quickly (in the scope of time) been destroying the planet at an alarming rate. The population explosion has just put so much pressure on the planet. I just don't know how you can deny that...
I'm not boasting, but I've made many minor changes that will make a difference (and if we all did a little it would make a HUGE impact). I've changed all the lightbulbs to cfl's, replaced my broken appliances with Energy Star rated appliances, drive 3-5 less days a week to work, planted a whole lot more greenery on my lawn, started a compost pile, recycle so much that my weekly trash pickup is hardly existent. I do what I can to make things better for future generations. To be selfish about consumption is to be totally ignorant and a pompus a**.
We put a stop to the massive depletion of the ozone layer, we can fix this if we all just give a little and stop being so self-centered.

Anywho- off my soapbox. Wow, sorry I got so carried away. I just have always felt passionately about the environment (and I'm mid-30's, I should've been a hippie).
I agree with you about driving less and consuming less carpaltunnel! You're right on the money!! :D

[Trek420]

....I keep coming back to the realization that many of the actions that are good for the environment are good for personal health and finances.

Drive less; walk or bike more = better health & lower expenses.

Consume less electricity: turn off the tv = better mental health, more personal time, less advertisement driven spending, lower electrical bill, lower personal spending....

Going back to what I think is the intent of this thread no matter which side of the debate you are on many actions we can take to reduce climate change save money, are healthier, easy to do, some are even fun.

So why not do them?

My tree huggy credential go waaaay back, let's see I was one of a group of students who started one of the first recycling centers in Sonoma county in Jr. High, fast fwd a year later the same group we won a State award for enviornment al education teaching ecology to 4th graders.

Jr high folks...and I'm 51 and climbing. This is not news.

My Mom has lived pretty much in the same Sonoma valley for unpteen 60 some odd years. An astounding gardener, very observant. Take a walk in the country with someone older sometime, they notice

"____ always blooms at this time of year right here, there's fewer now, redwing black birds nest at this time here, there are fewer of them".

Things I'm doing right now;
:D cfls's throughout, cheaper and last longer
:D gardening a bit, it's fun, adds curb appeal, cross training
:D bird feeders fore and aft same as above
:D energy star appliances, saves me money, get a tax deduction
:D I'll get dual pane windows same as all above
:D recycle of course
:D compost bin, soil is G** awful. I'd go broke buying soil amendment.
:D ride my bike of course

[KnottedYet]

Don't worry about saving the planet. Yup, the planet will be fine, it's us who're gonna be in trouble.

Comets, asteroids, ice-ages, steamy jungle periods; planet keeps on rollin' along. It's the critters who pay the price.

What's gonna hurt us (but not the planet, the planet will cope) is that this warming is far more abrupt and extreme than "normal" global change. All the niche-refilling and adaptive radiation and migrational change that would normally have plenty of time to keep up just *can't* right now.

50 years of human-initiated warming isn't as sexy or dramatic as 50 minutes of comet collision, but on a geologic scale it might be just as devastating. We've got extinction rates going thru the roof right now. Just look at what's happening to the amphibians.

I'm actually more concerned about living ethically/low impact than I am about global warming. (though I suppose they do tie together) I feel more ashamed knowing that someone in China is living substandard, breathing incredibly polluted air, and working under conditions I would never want to work under; just so I can have my Nikes for cheap. How many child slaves worked to death mining, how many murdered gem smugglers, just to get that pretty diamond necklace from The Shane Co at half it's real value?

(though now you can get "certified" blood-free and slave-labor free diamonds, but I don't really believe it. A metallurgist I know has a titanium wedding ring, because he feels the mining practices for titanium are more ethical than for gold. There are choices to be aware of everywhere.)

[madscot13]

Oh yep I am sorry to be so preachy above.

KnottedYet is right, it is hard to be aware of every decision we make and consider the millions of consequences that they may or may not have. I am just trying to do the best I can, living my life with intention.

[KnottedYet]

I didn't think you were preachy. I'm right there with you, but global warming is beyond my scope of comprehension (despite living with an atmospheric physicist for 10 years) so I look at the more local and ethical effects of my choices for my inspiration. In the long run, these same choices impact global warming, too.

It's all one big interactive piece.

Whatever focus gets a person out of their consumer-media-prescribed rut is a good focus. (Outreach is the toughest part.) One person might ride her bike because it saves her gas money, another might ride hers because it makes her healthy, another might be riding to cut down on greenhouse emissions. Well, all 3 are reaping all 3 benefits. It's just the inspirational focus that is different.

Edit: my "don't worry about the planet" comment was meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek. The planet will continue (maybe as something like Venus, maybe like Europa) but the conditions we create are going to impact life on the planet including ourselves.

[Python]

The Ozone layer is something I'm not convinced about either. Perhaps the hole in the Ozone layer has always been there we just didn't know about it until the advent of space satellites and computers.

I'm more concerned on a local level. In the centre of our town there are so many "traffic calming" schemes that cars end up crawling or sitting stationary - and it stinks. We definitely have too many cars, lorries and buses on the road. Parking space is at a premium - and it's expensive. Getting to work on my bike is so much easier too. It takes a maximum of 16 minutes to get to work as opposed to anything up to 35 minutes in the car. 35 minutes to go 2 1/2 miles:eek: Even going home is quicker by bike as in the car at peak periods you end up stuck in a bottle-neck and it can take 45 minutes for the same journey. 20 minutes maximum by bike (and I hope to knock a few minutes of that time as I get fitter). If hubby drove the car from our place of work and I took the bike, I'd have his cup of tea waiting for him by the time he got home LOL.

In my house I switched to energy saving bulbs a long time ago for two reasons. 1. They work out cheaper. 2. They last much longer than conventional bulbs. Using them does have a knock-on effect for the environment too.

It does frequently cross my mind that by using my bike I am helping the environment in a small way but I'm still not convinced about the hype on Global Warming. It is a natural phenomena that's been around since time began. I just think it's being exploited to clobber ordinary people with taxes they can not afford, certainly in this country.

[Veronica]

If you really want to do something for the planet, have fewer children.

Have one or two of your own. If you love kids and want more, adopt or become a foster parent. Volunteer in your local school. There are lots of ways to fill that need for kids w/o actually having them.

If you only have one or two kids, you won't need that huge SUV. :D

V.

[Python]

I only had two kids - one of each:D They're grown up now (27 and 20 respectively).

One of our neighbours has five kids. That many kids would drive me nuts!!!

As for 4x4s (SUVs) our government has decided to penalise owners by doubling the road tax to £440 per year. Why? There are other cars that are not 4x4s that use even more fuel. They haven't been penalised. Why not? If "gas guzzlers" are going to be penalised with extra road tax then it should be across the board, not just single out one particular type. Of course, our government ministers zoom around in "gas guzzlers" like Jaguars etc. so it wouldn't be anything to do with that now would it?

Try getting a dialysis machine and everything that goes with it plus luggage, a dog and 3 adults into an ordinary car. Won't fit. If it wasn't for the fact that we have a 4x4 my son would not have been able to visit his Uncle in Scotland or his sister and hubby who also live in Scotland. By penalising 4x4s, our government has penalised people who rely on 4x4s to get around. As it happens last year my son went down with appendicitis and due to the proverbial "c*ck up" between two hospitals ended up with two unnecessary operations and an abdomen full of adhesions so his home dialysis is no more. He now goes to the local renal unit 3 times a week for dialysis. In two weeks time my brother is coming down from Scotland to be tested to see if he might be a suitable live donor for my son. We therefore don't need to rely on the 4x4 any more so I will be selling it very soon (once I dig out the registration document - can't remember where on earth I put it). The proceeds of the sale will pay off the outstanding balance of my new bike and buy a small, economical car which, hopefully after this summer is all we will need.

Although I don't buy the global warming theory, I suppose I do try to help the environment. Another sore point over here is recycling. No doubt a good idea but as usual, our government is going the wrong way about it. We recycle wherever possible. I use a compost bin and recycle cardboard and paper. We are to have the recycling extended in our area to tins and glass later this year. However, in other areas where this is being done, people are being criminalised for putting the wrong paper in the wrong bin. Just recently people were taken to Court because their little boy (only about 3 years old) had put a piece of paper in the wrong bin. Not only were the parents fined but now have a CRIMINAL record. This is so wrong when people committing REAL crimes get off Scot Free. That is not the way to encourage people to recycle. Many people are saying they won't bother now as they fear being criminalised and who can blame them.

What I'd prefer to see would be incentives to recycle. Perhaps recycle X amount and receive a pack of energy saving bulbs or something like that. I think that would definitely encourage people to recycle. Everyone likes a freebie or two, especially useful ones.

Most importantly, though is to encourage people to get out of their cars and cycle or walk. There's no doubting the enormous benefits for both people and the environment.

As far as cycling goes, I'm now completely converted to cycling - even looking ahead to winter and winter clothing.

[northstar]

One reason SUV's are often taxed higher is due to their higher ground weight. A Hummer or a Chevy Suburban does more damage to roads than a Jaguar sports car. They're both paying more in gas taxes because they use more gas than the majority of vehicles, which I doubt most would have a problem with. Heaver vehicles cause more wear and tear on the infrastructure than smaller, lighter vehicles. So I totally support a higher registration on those vehicles. They cause more surface maintenance issues. To be honest, I doubt that most people who drive SUV's have a need to load three adults, a dialysis machine and a dog into it every single day. Many of us need to stop buying vehicles for what they "might need." (I'm not necessarily saying that is your case, Python.) Just because a person hauls the boat to the lake or river once a year and puts it in, doesn't mean they need to drive a vehicle that sucks 14 mpg all year round. Just because they live in an area where it snows, doesn't mean they need four wheel drive. I grew up in southwestern Minnesota on the snowy, wind-whipped prairie, and got by just fine with my front wheel drive Geo Prizm. I personally cannot fathom any reasonable explanation for someone who lives in a city (or really, anywhere else) to drive a Hummer. Unless they are a wilderness safari tour leader on the weekends. Hmm...don't know anyone like that.

On global warming...our honorable (? Ok, not my favorite) congresswoman, Michele Bachmann, got roaring laughter when she used dubya's line, "the jury's still out on global warming" in a debate. That might be out on Youtube somewhere.

Yay for us for getting out of our cars and onto our bikes. Now plant some trees. Spend the money to get the efficient light bulbs and appliances. Lobby your city for pedestrian and bike friendly development. Plant a community garden and get your neighbors together. Put a receiver hitch on your car and pull a small trailer on those days when you need to haul something. Heck, go in on one with some of your neighbors.

Getting off my soapbox now.

[madscot13]

I think this is a great post. 10% of people who read this post have something to say (and that doesn't count the psoters who are coming back to reread).

I think it is great to have a dialog on all of the aspects of biking and all of the other decisions we make. We might get eachother to start thinking new things or we way start thinking about what we are already doing in new ways. (if that makes sense)

[Python]

Northstar. My 4x4 does 35 mpg on the open road and about 24 mpg in town. Many smaller cars don't do that much. As for wear and tear on the roads, most 4x4s aren't much heavier than some cars. Lorries, particularly the Juggernauts absolutely murder the roads and so do buses.

Years ago most freight went by train and often canals. In the 1960s a government minister called Beeching closed down many of the railway lines. Bad mistake which has had a bad impact on the environment. Moving freight by canal was slow but environmentally friendlier than the means we use now.

Our town is considering opening up the old canal for public transport. I think it's a good idea and I would use it to get from one side of town to the other. I think it would be a nice laid-back way to travel.

To be fair to our Town Council they are alternative transport friendly, particularly for bikes. Builders are no longer allowed to build housing estates unless they include extensive cycle paths in them and haven't been for some years now. We use the cycle paths a lot in the evening when son and me go out for a ride. Some of the paths cut through some really pleasant scenery. We often see wildlife like squirrels and at the moment the scent of the blossom and wildflowers is lovely. Things you don't see and smell sitting in a car. My son tires easily so doing a round of the cycle paths isn't too strenuous for him and it's easy to get home again.

The whole thing is, over the past 30 years or so people have got very lazy. Just hop into the car to go a few hundred yards to the local shop instead of walking or cycling - and they wonder why they have health problems.

A woman in our street has two girls. Mum is obese and can hardly move because her knee joints have given out as has the rest of her joints. She was incensed recently when the school nurse sent for her and told her to put her daughters on a diet as they are fat. Not surprising. They refuse to eat healthy food and will only eat chips (French Fries), greasy pies etc. Last week when I was cycling to work I passed their father's car on the way. He'd just dropped the kids off at the local school. The local school is two minutes walk from their house - approximately 500 yards, yet he drove them to school because the lazy little madams didn't want to walk. Incidentally, it was a lovely, warm spring morning. My kids were brought up on healthy, home prepared food. I wouldn't have given into their demands for junk food or anything else either!

The mother refuses to get off her fat, lazy a*se to even make a cup of coffee. Her husband runs to her every beck and call. He can't see he's doing her no favours. I'll give her another 2 years maximum and she'll be in a wheelchair or suffer a major heart attack. She only turned 40 this year. Hers is a vicious circle. She needs to lose weight but to do that she needs to go on a strict medically supervised diet. She needs to take exercise but says she can't because it's too painful. It's also because she can't be bothered. Why should she when she is waited on hand and foot. I'm afraid I lost patience with her a long time ago. Her other vice is she drinks too much alcohol. How can anyone be so blind?

People need to be encouraged to take exercise and be more environmentally friendly, but governments wielding a big stick with draconian taxes and punishments will only succeed in putting people off.

[northstar]

The market has driven the development of more environmentally friendly SUV's in the last five years or so. Cheers to that. Those are not the type of SUV's to which I was referring in my post.

With that, I'm bowing out of this thread...off to see Spiderman 3.

[Python]

Enjoy:D

[missymaya]

I do agree with the problem of global warming. Here, the bees are a very big part of economy because they pollinate the groves for oranges, ferns, and other money making plants and the studies coming out of the universities here are showing a huge decline in bees. I just couldn't believe it, the bees are just dying off! But why? It's the same with all of the dragon flys, rhino beatles, otters, and different migratory birds. They're just not there anymore and I'm only 23!!! This I know is not a natural process from everything I've read about florida history and environment.
As for SUV's, here I don't get it. I know too many people who have them and don't use them for jack squat. They say they have to "move" big objects, but I've never seen it by anybody. In fact, in my little scion XB (which is shaped like a toaster with a 4 cylinder and gets 34 mpg in town) I've literally moved another car within in mine!! I had to take out the seats, but it did the job. I'm pretty impressed my little rubik's cube. I used to ride to work everyday because I just love to ride and all of the pros that come from riding (plus, it prolongs the life of my car:rolleyes: ) but since I got a new job, I have to find a new place to shower and keep my things and my precious bike! I think I'll be able to start next week due to the opening of the gym, woohoo!!! I miss riding to work.
OK, enough ranting. Im done.

[mimitabby]

Missy,
no DRAGON FLIES??

[missymaya]

Yeah, isn't that nuts? I remember seeing tons of dragon flies through out the spring up until a few years ago. I didn't really notice until my BF pointed out how all the insects just aren't around any more. It's just crazy and sad.

[Python]

The decline in wildlife can be put down to many other factors apart from global warming. We are invading natural habitats (especially here in the UK) and driving wildlife out. There is too much use of pesticides etc which is killing the insects and small creatures. As for our song birds, again the same is true. Also Magpies are on the increase and they have been killing our songbirds for years. They really need to be severely culled but no-one seems capable of doing that.

Another cause of the decline in wildlife is many people now are concreting or paving their gardens. My garden at the back deliberately has wild patches to attract the bees, butterflies etc.

Global warming aside, it's us human beings with our selfish attitude to other living creatures that is causing the most harm to this planet.

[Trek420]

Another cause of the decline in wildlife is many people now are concreting or paving their gardens. My garden at the back deliberately has wild patches to attract the bees, butterflies etc.

Good for you, gardening for wildlife. Inspired by a coffee shop I stopped at after a ride and their set up for birds I just bought a birdbath, now I need another bird feeder. I don't know if I'd ever be able to get my patio certified as a backyard habitat but it would be cool to try.

http://www.nwf.org/backyard

[lph]

Yeah, I read somewhere that hedgehogs like messy gardens with a pile of brush or something they can tootle around and unearth insects in.

A month or two later we had a hedgehog couple mating right next to our front door. Doesn't say much for our "front garden", but they sure were cute :D

As for the global warming thing: I'm convinced, but I'm also enough of a scientist to not rule out other explanations. My view is: global warming MAY turn out to be natural variation, but as long as most of the facts point towards mankind's influence, we can't afford to ignore it. We don't have the time to experiment.

[Tuckervill]

I've heard about the bee numbers being down, but as for other insects...not around here! We have lots and lots of bugs of every kind here. We have plenty of wildlife. A flock of goldfinches landed in the yard yesterday. We have so many birds that our 50 yards of grapevines on our south fence never get to finish a grape--the birds eat them while they're still green. Our seven pecan trees get pillaged by the squirrels before we can get enough to make a pie. The grass beneath the old giant oak is paved with acorns, but only the tops. The squirrels get those nuts, too. A nutria pair live in the neighbor's lot, and I frequently see a fox and an opossum late at night. I live in the middle of a town of 20,000 people, not in the country.

I just got back from a 5300 mile trip to the west coast and back. As far as I can tell, the Earth has a long way to go to before it's paved over. We went through thousands of miles of desert and forest and living, breathing wilderness. Still, I don't think developers should cut down all the trees and replace them with saplings when they build a neighborhood. I wouldn't buy one of those houses, either.

I believe the planet is warming up. I suspect it's part of a natural cycle, but that we should do what we can not to contribute. And sometimes I think the danger is overstated. Some of the posters who have posted need a wider perspective, too.

Karen

[Python]

Thought you'd like to see this wonderful little fellow. He's a Slow Worm and is a protected species in the UK. Athough he looks like a snake, he's actually a legless lizard. At the back of our house is a nature reserve which is home to many animals like squirrels, badgers, Slow Worms and foxes. There are also Owls, Woodpeckers and many other species of wildlife. There are also wildflowers that only grow in this area and are therefore protected. That is why building is not allowed on that land and I'm lucky to be able to open my back gate and walk straight into this beautiful place which is on the outskirts of the town.

The Slow Worm turned up under the compost heap last summer. We took pics of him then put him back into the woodland. Last week we had another one which my cat was about to pounce on. It was much younger so he was promptly put back into the woodland too. Last seen slithering off under a pile of twigs.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/fionakidd/Snakes%202006%202/PICT0071.jpg

I hope we never lose these lovely animals. Like hedgehogs they are gardeners friends as they will come into your garden and eat many of the garden pests like slugs:D

[Trek420]

Where's Nanci? She needs to see this. He's beeyooteeful.

[missymaya]

That's one purdy lizard!! We have similar lizards, we call 'em glass snakes because they break so easy. It's neat to see a similar species in another part of the world. Thanks for the pic Python!

[LBTC]

My apologies for skipping over a few posts....

CFLs scare me with their mercury content. I'm waiting for LEDs to be affordable, and turning off the lights where they don't need to be on.

No kids in our house. Best we can do to reduce the over population crisis.

Shower together. Conserve water.

Buy used clothes. Consume less.

Keep the mtb trails skinny - smaller footprint.

I don't comprehend the idea of global warming well, as others have posted. The earth has been here a long time, and we can't possibly understand her natural cycles, or how our actions actually fit into her destiny. Many of my choices just naturally reduce the same things that they say cause global warming. I'm good with my choices, are you?

Last I heard, rice paddies are a major producer of methane. There just aren't any simple answers.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Laterider21958]

Is anybody out there concerned about how much is being produced for a throw away society mindset? It just amazes and worries me. I hate waste, and our society is becoming very wasteful. I know there are recycling efforts, but is it truly, totally recycling that is happening, or re-use and then toss? It's a hard question, and I don't know if there is a solution as we have travelled so far down the consumerism path. The major countries economies revolve around us buying something they produce to make a profit. Is it too late? Somewhere there is a huge electrical appliance/car etc cemetery. Why aren't industries required to produce items that can be repaired or returned for component replacement or reuse?

On another note......I do feel that I'm trying to do my bit for the world. I try to ride and not use the car. I don't toss out perfectly good stuff just because I would like a change and I take as much as I can to the recyclers to do what they do with it, instead of chucking it in the bin without a thought.

This stuff is probably in the wrong forum - Sorry...:eek:

[kaian]

It is a throw-away society. It's really sad. My biggest pet-peeve is plastic bags. In MI I have yet to see any grocery stores put up a recycling bin for plastic bags. When I go to smaller stores, I get paper bags and re-use and recycle, but some of the bigger stores only have plastic bags.

In the city I live in, we have a decent recycling service, but with plastics, they only accept 1s and 2s. I don't understand why all plastics can't be recycled. Anyone know? And they won't take colored glass. What's up with that? I would be happy if just about everything could be recycled. I would certainly feel better about the products I purchase and use.

Recently, I saw a family of geese walking in a busy intersection where I work and live. It made me soooo sad. Here's this family of geese crossing in front of a gas station with traffic everywhere. They made it across, but it was just kind of surreal watching it. It really makes me sad about how the earth has changed. The animals are really suffering, too. They don't have anywhere to go because we (humans) have taken away their habitats and put up condos and gas stations. Very sad! How do we fix all of this? :confused:

[Python]

Like LBTC suggests check out the second-hand shops. I often do and have got some absolute bargains - like the brand new business suit. It even still had the original price tags on it.

I only had two children - a boy and a girl, both in their twenties now. My daughter and her husband have one child - a boy. They don't want any more children. I think two kids are enough nowadays. What used to annoy me was the pressure that is put on couples to have kids. I was married 5 years before my daughter was born and if I'd 1 penny for every time I heard "Well when are you going to have family?" I'd be wealthy now! If a couple choose not to have children then that is their choice and they shouldn't be made to feel guilty.

I think my pet hate as far as packaging goes is that hard plastic packaging that you need to use a pair of scissors and a lot of cuss words to get into:mad: Not only are they impossible but they're dangerous too because of the sharp jagged edges they have.

Plastic bags are a pest too. Why can't they go back to paper bags like we used to have? These could be made out of recycled material and either recycled again or go in the compost bin.

Another thing that annoys me is the cartons, either waxed cardboard or plastic that milk comes in. Years ago it was always glass bottles which you washed out and returned. If you bought the milk from the shop, you took the bottles back to the shop. The only way you can get milk in glass bottles now (at least here in the UK) is if you get your milk delivered to your door, then you put the washed empties out and the milkman collects them. The only snag with that is it is far more expensive than buying at the local supermarket and our milkman comes at 10am - no use on a hot day if you're working as the milk is sour by the time you get home (or the cats have tipped it up and helped themselves, which our cats learnt very quickly how to do:rolleyes: )

I think manufacturers need to rethink their packaging. One of the biggest problems we have this side of the pond is the EU and Health & Safety. It is mostly because of them that we have this packaging problem. Biscuits (cookies) must have at least two layers of packaging - for health reasons. Might catch a disease:rolleyes: When I was a little girl, we went to the local shop, stuck our hands among the biscuits, put them in a paper bag, got them weighed and paid for them. Oddly enough, diseases like Salmonella, E-coli etc. weren't heard of. It's only since we went all clean and hygenic that diseases like that have reared their heads. Personally, I think we're too clean nowadays.

[HappyAnika]

So-called Global Warming is the biggest con-trick ever conceived by greedy, corrupt governments.

I haven't read all the posts, but this comment really strikes a nerve with me. Our greedy, corrupt government won't admit to global warming, it isn't acknowledged by them, much less conceived by them.

I agree that the earth has warming and cooling cycles, but let's try a little thought experiment here, it's really all just thermodynamics: For millions of years the earth was inhabited by much less life than there is today (at least the kind that consumes and wastes as much as humans). The earth ran its natural courses of warming and cooling without much external influence. Then come along humans, and eventually the industrial revolution. You may remember back in junior high and high school science classes about different types of energy, potential energy and kinetic energy. For example, if you hold a ball above the ground, it has potential energy (due to its mass and gravity and such). Now if you let it go, it has kinetic energy, its now moving. Now think back to chemistry class, there are two type of chemical reactions, exothermic and endothermic. Exothermic reactions release heat as they happen, endothermic reactions consume it. So now think of the earth as a ball above the ground, it has all this potential energy. Now the humans and their industry come along and "drop" it, releasing much of that potential energy in the form of intiating a bunch of exothermic reactions. We are burning up all of the fuel stored in the planet. Every machine we run converts that fuel into heat and mechanical energy. Heat, heat, heat. Just think about all the heat created running cars and airconditioners and industrial machinery. We don't have many endothermic reactions going on to balance all the exothermic ones. We are literally tearing up the earth and releasing all of its stored energy and since no thermodynamic process is 100% efficient, a significant amount of that energy is pure heat. Even without green house gases and natural warming and cooling cycles, it is inevitable that the earth will warm if it is disturbed. As the population continues to increase and we continue to increase our consumption of "things", we warm it at a faster rate. Even if another cooling cycle comes along, the irreversible damage has been done, the earth will never be as cool as it once was.

[kelownagirl]

Thanks for posting that Happyanika! I have wanted to reply to this thread but haven't had time to do the research to back up my comments.

My main point was that it's not the governments who are "pushing" global warming, it's the scientists, thousands of them from many countries. The governments are only now being forced to listen, mainly because people are finally cluing in that this is real and since we are the voting public, the govt finally realizes they have to address it, even it it means pi$$ng off their "big business" friends. Sadly, in Canada, the govt sucks at dealing with global warming. The recent laws to reduce emissions are weak and will barely make a dent. We won't even make the Kyoto targets - I'm embarrassed by my govt on this issue.

Go watch An Inconvenient Truth to have a better understanding of why this warming trend is so different from any natural weather pattern. Most scientists in the world now agree that the warming is man-made. That part is no longer under contention. Just how fast and what effect it will have, we will have to wait and see. But go up north and ask the polar bears, and they'll tell you it's happening even faster than they originally thought.

[Python]

In the UK the government only pays lip-service to the big industries too. Our government has operated a policy of tax, tax, tax in the 10 years it has been in government. The majority of people in this country are crippled by heavy taxation but most of us don't earn enough money to pay the taxes as it is. On top of tax deducted from our wages, everything we buy is taxed at 17.5%. For every litre of fuel we buy for our cars we pay approximately 80% in tax and duty to the government. Then we have expensive Road Fund Tax (aka Road Tax). All of it goes into the Treasury coffers and very little gets spent on building new roads or even maintaining the ones we've got. Most of our roads are so full of pot-holes that you've really got to watch you don't catch a deep one and fly off your bike. Then we have Council Tax. That is a tax all householders pay supposedly to pay for rubbish disposal, lighting, the police etc. That is the tax that this government keeps on increasing. Old people have been put in prison because they can't afford to pay it.

The government we have at the moment seizes on every opportunity it can to tax the ordinary working person here and global warming is their latest tax grabbing venture and they're exploiting it to the max:mad:

The quickest and cheapest way for me to visit my daughter in Scotland is to fly up. I can get a cheap return flight for as little as £20 if I book far enough in advance. By the time airport tax is added on to that the price goes up to about £60. All in the name of Global Warming.

The ones who are suffering because of all the extra taxation are those who can least afford it. For people on high incomes, paying extra tax will hardly be missed. We have a rich/poor divide here which is getting wider all the time and given our government's track record on taxation you can understand why I'm very cynical of global warming.

[lph]

The ones who are suffering because of all the extra taxation are those who can least afford it. For people on high incomes, paying extra tax will hardly be missed. We have a rich/poor divide here which is getting wider all the time and given our government's track record on taxation you can understand why I'm very cynical of global warming.

Well, I can understand that you're unhappy about taxation, and dislike your government, but that doesn't really imply that global warming isn't real... :)

I mean - let's say for the sake of argument that your country got involved in a war. Taxes would surely go up to support the war effort, and the effect would hit people hard. You could disagree with your government whether it was right to get involved in the war or not, but that doesn't mean the war doesn't exist.

Honest, not trying to be snide here, just pedantic ;)

[carpaltunnel]

For those who want to understand global warming better, here are a few places to start:
Rent the movie An Inconvenient Truth. A good overview of the science supporting the theory that global warming is real and a threat to us all.

Read The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery

How man is changing the climate and what it means for life on earth.
Mr. Flannery is an internationally acclaimed scientist. I heard him interviewed on National Public Radio's Fresh Air Program. He was a global warming sceptic until he pieced together data he had collected from several trips to New Guniea over a period of years. The book details scientific evidence that supports the theory that global warming is real.
Listen to the show from this link
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5293273

Read Uncertain Science...Uncertain World by Henry N. Pollack
This book clearly addresses the precise language scientists use like "Theory" and "certainty", and explains what it really means. This is the language that people with an interest in business as usualy exploit when they say things like "Well, science has never proved that smoking causes cancer, (or burning fossil fuels causes global warming).
Dr. Pollack is a professor of Geology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. He does research into the historical temperature records that can be derived from core samples in the Antarctic and in rock formations. I attended a lecture he gave last week on this topic. He recommended that we all let our elected officials know that the environment is a high priority with us as voters, and we'll be voting that issue in all upcoming elections. A quote from his lecture: "We have to stop using the atmosphere like an open sewer."
He was also a presenter at the US Global Change Research Program seminar. A good summary is here:
http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/seminars/980112DD.html

Please give these careful consideration and try to separate the science from the current political responses. Thanks!