Watch this video, and the other videos linked on the right side of the page…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF_anaVcCXg
… I’d love to see if anyone can come up with a logical counter to this guy’s arguments that he hasn’t already covered in his videos.
The only logical counter i can come with is:
Take action, not against global climate distress but just enjoy life while you can.
Each minute spend on disaster prevention is a minute that probably was not about joy.
And the problem with these climate changes is that eventually it will pop up anyway. We humans will really remain humble if this kind of huge events bestows upon us.
What could folks do against the tsunami in Asia? Nothing.
Though some people fled in time because the animals responded strangely the day before it happened and some folks recognized that behavior.
If such a moment comes up and you were not capable of taking measures to avoid or flee from it, scrap yourself, ride it out and hope you’ll survive.
How does one enjoy life? By living perhaps? Survival, procreation… yeah, enjoy live by using your physical and mental abilities to the max, and unless you’re artificially restricting those you will definately come to the point where things like global warming or militarized space will show up on your radar. If they don’t that either means you’re being protected by others (or put less nicely: “kept in infancy”) or that you’re cheating. IMHO.
So is every minute spent comforting someone or fixing a bug in Renoise…
Joy as an goal in itself is overrated. If you chase joy you will never quite catch it and run into the arms of despair instead (that’s my experience and I have never heard anyone say otherwise, except a few people that made the hair on my neck stand up). Do what’s necessary, do all the boring, mundane, obligatory stuff and do it well, then joy will come around, just like dew… and then go on holidays or have a candlelight dinner, and you’ll be ecstatic. I’m simplifying and ranting, and I’m also a hypocrite, but you still get the idea I hope.
Do they think dulling down matter horns is going to level out the magnetic field, or are they accelerating the movement of the poles?
Anything is possible, whatever happens at that moment i will then decide what to do. I can say “i will do this”, but may react different on the very moment. At least i’m not gonna waste my time on thinking out what type of disaster will likely happen because some sort of answer i can pull from the past regarding the Netherlands (flooding). I could station a boat in my backyard but that is the most i will do if i really feel that urge. (and then we get struck by huge tornado’s instead 
)
For some this might be joy as well. If it wasn’t, Taktik would possibly have quit spending time on Renoise.
I do get your idea, but i don’t advise people to chase joy, but just to have joy and you can always make joy if you want to.
If you want to make dispair, that’s a thing you can make too. it’s just a choice, nothing more. And it is a very easy choice, at least if you have no fear. I don’t fear disaster nor death. We all gonna end one day or later.
The only hope about your death you can have is that it overcomes you peacefully unnoticed.
I really dislike the thought of some people, their selfish view of things saying: “fukkit, it won’t happen in my time.”
and what about your children? you’re gonna give them a rotten and raped planet?
if life was only about joy, we would’ve gone extinct a long time ago.
It’s not about living in fear Vv… it’s about making a few small, responsible decisions that will help this planet stay alive. It’s about being conscious enough of the issue to actually think “How will this affect my carbon footprint?” when you do daily things. For example: as soon as I have a chance to purchase a new car, it’s gonna be either a hybrid or a biodiesel. I’ve switched to all compact fluorescent lights because standard incandescent waste 80% of their energy generating minuscule amounts of heat, and I’ve started putting my work computer into sleep mode instead of leaving it on when I go home.
These are the kinds of decisions you can make that won’t affect your life in a negative manner, in fact, they’ll save you money and hassle in the long run. The fact is, if everyone could just be conscious that it was a real threat, and not something made up to “sell stuff”, then the world would probably start reaping the benefits immediately.
It’s not a matter of “we can’t do anything” because we most definitely can… it’s a matter of “we don’t want to put out the effort… existence just isn’t’ worth our time” and “it’s too hard!!!” or “I’m too bloody ignorant to realize this is a real problem that scientists have been working to solve for ages” … keep in mind, the kyoto agreement was signed in '97… that’s 10 years ago. The world recognized this as a REAL PROBLEM 10 YEARS AGO. We’re not dealing with crackpots and conspiracy theories, we’re dealing with a very real sword hanging over all of our heads, and we’ve no idea how stable that string is holding it. So why aren’t we moving out of the way of that sword?
yeah let’s hope USA will actually agree to the new global environmental agreement as they didn’t sign the kyoto one ! (usa is one of the biggest polluters on the world as you might know)
edit
ps…
the world isn’t doomed… there will just be less humans … 
EDIT: I talked shit
well. i wasn’t a “sceptic” of global warming before. i just didn’t rly wanna make up my mind about it, because of the problem that’s faced in those videos as well: credibility of sources. whom to believe?
i never tried to research myself and expect to come to a solution, because i only have the internet to rely on. and that’s not a relyable source. wikipedia articles can be edited by EVERYONE and so can everyone participate in discussions on the internet, pretty much everywhere. and google is “censored”, so there’s always room for paranoia/distrust for any piece of information you find. so my standpoint was/is: i don’t know whether global warming is “real” or a hoax, but as taking action is pretty easy and in a long term inevitable (e.g. fossil fuels will just vanish some day anyway), i always thought: why NOT do it?
i totally agree on his (== wonderingmind43) ideas about riskmanagement. i’m not driving a car, my mother doesn’t drive either. we use energy saving lamps since i can remember etc. but i can’t expect everyone else to make those decisions, so i kinda resignated in the issue.
well, i’m from germany and don’t even am informed about our debate on this issue going on (or if it is a big issue at all), but america it seems to be a big thing atm. and i have to say a few things about that.
first of all: meh, i don’t like your (american) way of talking about things. there are always “things to overcome/conquer” and a “threat” of some kind. these are somehow recurring main themes of american topic approaching and it’s spilling over to europe/germany. just wanted to say that i don’t like this way of talking, in fact i kinda hate it. it always has the distaste of sensationalism for me. like this one for instance:
imagery is nice, but it always has the taste of not really being an appropriate way of talking about “real” things, “real” dangers. actually i always think it has some misleading/manipulative fluffy simplifying texture to it. because the time you offer the reader an image, ur not really open for discussion on the “real” face of the topic anymore. the sword of Damocles isn’t up for discussion, it has a certain meaning which concludes to a certain viewpoint/interpretation on the global warming issue. plz don’t take it personally, but i just don’t like this way of discussion. it reminds me of “infotaiment” television and some bbc docus aswell as a certain german show called “galileo” (or even worse: galileo mystery, or “welt der wunder”), which has nothing more to do with science.
and: as i didn’t really know of the discussion before i just got confronted with some of the “sceptix” arguments, which really astonished me (one argument in particular). fear of government control? ur kiddin, right? are you aware of what is happening in ur country tis of thee? your civil rights are gradually being dismantled under the coat of “fighting terrorism/drux/$scapegoat” and not just since yesterday. and these interactions of the government are reality and much “deeper” than any global warming law could ever be. so i find this “argument” a little paradox (as i don’t want to say “stupid” and/or ignorant…).
but anyway, back to topic:
wonderingmind43 actually has a very persuasive argument and i do believe him. but then again he’s just a guy from teh internetz. so i’m off where i started. i just accept his “trust system”, which puts certain organisations at the top. the reason i’m accepting this is easy: i don’t have the slightest clue who really is a reliable source in this discussion. so i just take over his viewpoints in this area. which is actually pretty dum, because he could be very well manipulative/dishonest or even just wrong without knowing it. well, but as i said: why NOT take action? it’s really little effort to avoid a (possible) big f*cking mess afterwards.
well, sry for teh long post, but after all these videos i had to say SOMETHING 
btw: @bytesmasher: /me is hihi from irc (i think we talked? i’m not sure anymore, but “o/” anyways) o/
The guy talks about a switch that has been pushed to the tumblepoint for over the last decades.
When that point is reached, there is no return.
Because nature contributes the biggest part to this event, there is not much room to slow down the process by toning down our own contribution.
Our oil and gas supply will be gone within 25 years, before that, consumers will probably be the first to switch over to hybrid cars etc, because the fossil fuels are much more required for military purposes and space flight purposes.
I personally already do things to live cheaper. I use ledlights that even use less energy. My central heating system is programmed to run only when it is colder than a certain temperature and only turns on when i’m home.
But this is just likely a thing a lot of people would do to save money.
It just does not really slow down what the Sea and wildlife fumes in the air when we talking about Co2.
Suppose we contribute 10% of the total amount. If we would all do things to prevent Co2 from emerging into the air, how much more time will that give us exactly? 10% of 20 years?
that’s 2 more years
The western part of the world (And Asia) are likely the biggest poluters.
A lot of poorer countries hardly produce any airpolution.
Fossil fuels ruin things vastly on a short term, but on the long term nature seems to recover itself in a way where you might not expect it could do that.
The consequences of the first Iraq war showed evidence:a lot of Kuwait oil fields had been blown up and leaked gallons of oil into the sea and on the beaches.
Hardly one year later not a trace of the environmental disaster that it caused a year ago.
I’m sure humans helped cleaning it up as well but cleaning everything is pretty impossible to do.
I contribute what i can, but i don’t do this with the idea in the back of my mind that it would expand my lifespan or that of my children.
One more thing… there are over 6 billion people in this world.
Sure 6 billion seems little too much and not enough mouth to feed in a healthy way.
If we have to go back to basics, then so it shall be.
but if you stop pushing on the switch, it will go back to it’s off state completely! 
… as for energy alternatives… I’m hedging on cellulosic ethanol personally. That, and I hope they find a way to make carbon nanotubes safe somewhat soon 
[rant]
All you selfish it’s-already-lost-so-let’s-turn-into-selfish-idiotic-arrogant-bastards assholes should just shoot yourself. Your life has been lost at the moment of birth, you are just excusing you inability for responsibility towards global problems and self-centered lifestyle. I f****ing hate you cynical bastards.
It’s the society that’s destroying the planet and the society is formed by people, including YOU, so start thinking about your position in this world and your country. Nothing will change before people will change. It’s an illusion that people has no power, that it’s in the hands of the leaders. Leaders are given power by people! Even in extreme cases. And this is kinda extreme case which needs action today, right now.
So go fight for better tomorrow, nobody is going to do it for you. No-one knows how far this is going to go, but global warming is a fact for sure, come here in “cold” Finland to check it if you don’t believe! It ain’t that cold anymore here. The more people shut their eyes the more true it becomes to not be able to fight it. Don’t fall into that comforting mental trap, open your eyes. Getting real will set you free.
About money and wealth: Don’t you see people want more and more just to be able to ignore the sides of reality that would put them responsible. Everyone wants to be brainwashed! Go recycle your TV and don’t buy anything you don’t need. All this entertainment junk is here to prevent people from thinking. Because that’s what people want, stay ignorant. There’s enough wealth here to feed all the world, it’s just not evenly distributed. If the road we are taking continues all the world wants to live in America and that’s when we run out of resources in a blink of an eye. Go for extremes, don’t support that brainless consuming that you are expected to support! Aim for mental property, not material! Don’t do what you are expected, do the right thing!
[/rant]
i know how you help fix this.
once a month.
go plant a tree! preferably in some area where the tree is clearly not supposed to be.
maybe in the middle of an office.
or inside a corporate art structure.
then the governments will make planting trees a terrorist act.
all the kids will love it!
GO TERROR!!!
I’ve thought of planting trees in odd spots… but chances are they’d get destroyed before they have a chance to grow
the destruction is point.
after enough people see that, it will provoke change.
I err on the side of thinking the comparison this guy makes to delayed effect from cause to steering a massive ocean liner is a good one. Who’s to say we’re not just waiting for the effects of it already? The speed of ice melting in the Arctic is kind of daunting; something tells me trees arent going to grow quick enough to stop the cycle. That’s not to say I’m not conscious of it all; I’ve always been a pro-green-living person, I’m just really starting to doubt we have any time left to react, other than setting up damage control measures.
But then again, after reading Kim Stanley Robinson’s 40 signs of rain (and subsequently 50 degrees below zero) I’m kind of looking forward to it
(all jokes aside I thought they were a fantastic read, and - though fictional - addressed some other valid points in the greater argument)
PS: how cool would it have been to have a science teacher like this guy 
COME!!! SEE AS THIS LONE MAINTENANCE MAN OPPRESSES THIS HELPLESS FLEDGLING TREE!!! THE SYSTEM IS DOING THIS!!! HE’S A TOOL OF THE SYSTEM!!!
Well with all honesty alexstrain, I’m a firm believer that it’s not too late to prevent the complete destruction of life-bearing climates… we just need to act now. The apathy coming from both sides of this issue is absolutely ridiculous… I’ve seen more fight come out of a half-dead housefly. The fact is, we’ve solved so many problems in the past 200 years, this shouldn’t be approached any differently… it’s a problem… plain and simple. If we put enough effort into it, we can solve it too.
I’m a big supporter of the global warming “debate”, meaning I happen to think it’s a real issue that requires a real response from every single human being on this planet within our means. I am very tired of that general lazy response of “oh well, not in my time.” It’s called taking preventative action for the beauty and health of your future offspring. Even if you don’t plan on having children, you can rest assure that children will be born going into the future and how self centered do you look not caring about anything but you and yours? That’s an incredibly unconscious outlook on life and this mindset is the same mindset that allows governments to steal our freedoms and civil liberties. Don’t think there’s a correlation? Think again. Everything is connected.
I could be totally off my rocker, but I’ve made some general observations. In raising this kind of topic up at TiS I noticed the same lack of concern for real issues (such as global warming) that require a deep self involvement and observation as part of a solution. In some responses there was blatant denial that global warming has anything to do with man. Hello? Anyone home? How can you project billions of toxic waste in the atmosphere and logically (as in common sense) think that carries no ramifications?
Coming from trackers, who consider themselves “artists” really, deeply and truly concerns me. Because it’s artists that truly shape this world and remind everyone of their own sense of creativity. Creativity is the ultimate expression of love.
I truly say this with all due respect, but seriously, wake the f*ck up people. The planet is our home. Global warming or not, do the right thing (and you know what that is) and take care of your home so that others may enjoy a healthy and HAPPY existence.
It’s sickening that this is even a debate. We’re going to disagree ourselves right into a disaster.
Healthy planet=Happy planet.
It all starts with this saying; “You are what you think” -Buddha
the last ten seconds pissed me off so much i say - BURN PLANET, BURN