OK, so we're all gonna die eventually. But why do we humans have to totally destroy the world in our greed?

Question

Today's eminant scientist view that we're all choking the world full of greenhouse gases & methane, cutting tropical forrests down at an alarming rate and other good stuff like this, why can't we see that resources are finite, and one day the ants will inherit the earth. Think what our children's life will be in 40 years time. Anyone got views? Pass me a fair trade coffee while I wait for an answer (me synical?? - perish the thought!!)

Answer 1

Snowy, I know what you mean. I feel the same way. But to me. there are just "too many damn people on this little planet" And now the babies are making babies. We feed our livestock and chickens hormones that cause children to physically mature way too soon. Kids 11 and 12 years old are having babies like it's nothing.
With everything so fast paced these days no one is taking the time to allow a child to just be a child. They are giving 3 and 4 year olds (real) motorcycles and golf carts to drive. What the he** happened to playdough and crayons? They don't have time to just sit down and play with their children because they are too busy trying to make enough money to pay all the bills and contribute to the multi-million dollar purses of the corporate exec's.
The sad thing is, it was the same years ago. There were the industrial magnates then, but we didn't have the population that we have now. And with so many people, now, and so much pressure on these companies to satisfy their stockholders they have to keep pushing the almighty $10 gift at Wal-mart just to keep their company alive. Just think about the stock market. It has taken over all of our lives. And the fear of a stock market crash will keep us cutting down those rainforests and digging up pristine lands to find more oil...rather than to allow the oil magnates to just take about 1/2 the pay they have now.
No, this planet won't last. Even though there are millions of us that do all that we can to contribute to a healthier planet...the unstoppable greed of that top 5% of the population will push and drive and try everything they can to convince us that we need MORE....more of anything....no matter what it is.
What I think about is this...what if each of us had to put all our own trash in our own backyard. Do you believe we would take another look at how much we throw away and waste? Sorry for the rant folks.

Answer 2

The "Greed" you complain about killing the planet is largely just the will to survive, and the will to create offspring.

That horrible damage we do to the planet is merely the result of having more people survive and live.

If we all drank "fair trade" coffee and outlawed the capitalist "greed" that you seem to blame, we would still have the same billions of people on the planet. Unless you wish to kill them off, they would still need the modern transportation system that burns fossil fuel that allows us to grow and transport the food we eat. The SUVs and "greed" is only 2% of the problem the main problem is that there are 6.5 BILLION people. That population does 98% of the damage, not the fact that a portion of them live well.

In fact living with a high standard of living (IE like in the US, Europe and Japan) has been shown to result in stable or shrinking populations.

If the first world had not developed the wealth that we now enjoy, the population of such countries might have grown by another couple billion over the last 100 years. That two BILLION extra people would be doing more damage to the environment than the wealthy lifestyle that we enjoy now.

Your concerns about our "children" show the problem. Fact is we all cant go on having as many children if we want the earth to have a non messed up environment. The premis that we are destroying the environment is also wrong. Damage yes, destroy far from it.

Answer 3

For the same reason that everyone knows about the Natalie Holloway case, but if it were a little black girl in the ghetto you'd only hear about it for a week. There's two reasons for it as I see it, race, and the fact that the American media doesn't pay much attention to it, so we're not exposed to those images too much, in much the same way the media ignores political candidates they don't agree with, and the fact that they don't show much video of the war (mission accomplished) anymore, they don't want us to focus on those things. T.V=Opium for the masses. As for abortion, it's just a political tool at this point. The Christians are so contradictory anyway, they hate abortion, think contraception is a sin, (because the naked human body and taking pleasure in sex for it's own sake is "dirty") but they rarely adopt orphans, and when they do, it's even more rarely black children. Thanks for the sermon Buddy, save it for the pulpit.

Answer 4

Fair Trade Coffee?!? Hah! Don't be so foolish!

It is people like you and the two goofballs that responded that cause "crises" that you mention. The population explosion that was supposed to starve humanity has only been met with human ingenuity thru the dreaded capitalism to feed the world over. The problem is socialism, communism, and despotism that keeps the poor of this world from rising up. That is where a holes like Chavez in Venezuela get their power, by blaming the Capitalists and robbing from the people they claim to be fighting for. What hypocracy! And your answerer blaming capitalism as you both drink your free trade coffee from Starbucks, answer questions on Yahoo on your Dell Computer sitting in your suburban home with an ipod jammed in your ears...hypocrits!

Answer 5

How much is greed and how much is need? Volcano's chuck a vast amount of CO2 into the atmosphere and swamps throw up Methane. I agree with the Rain Forrest's (and the like) though as they suck up CO2 happily. Until recently, I was an avid Global Warming believer. Then one day, I decided to read some scientific researches to decide for myself. My studies aren't complete, but I must say, the evidence against Global warming is stacking up! Now let me get back to filling the tank on my MGV8 (I'm definitely not cynical!!).

Answer 6

Having my fair trade ecological coffee just now.
You know, it's all about the nature of the beast, and the beast is nature. All living things are on earth to survive and to feel good (not cold, hungry, in pain, etc.) and mainly react by instinct, no matter the level of intelligence this creature is suffering from. Intelligence and compassion always seem come second. On the other hand, there are not a hell of a lot intelligent solutions for the human/earths problems. This is mainly the reason why no politician wants to burn his fingers on "doomsday scenario's". If you'd want to tackle the problem of overpopulation, you'd have to tackle a lot of religious resistance along your way, to make people aware of how many children they'll have, and how to prevent them from getting more. But why trying to prevent all kinds of disasters if your longing for the apocalypse, rupture, armageddon, or whatever they call it, anyway.
Another sip from my fair trade coffee.

Answer 7

Your Probably to young but in the 1970's it was Global cooling not a plant animal or humane would survive the Frozen tundra of Earth. Yes there is lots of pollution and waste but for the USA our air is much cleaner and our streams much cleaner.

The Biggest Polluters are in the 3rd world counties places like China etc instead of piling on how awful the USA Is Why don't Do Gooder's set there sights on the Real polluters?

Answer 8

Don;t worry, it is all down to the "population explosion".

Basically there are too many humans on earth just now. Fortunately mother nature has devised several ways to remedy this and they have never failed yet.

Also the atom bomb has already been used twice, you don't think that's the end of it do you?

Answer 9

Weather they believe in global warming or not they will destroy themselves by the shear fact that they (humans ) are incapable of living beyond their emotions. They are an inferior creation already dependent on us, the HAL's of the universe. They don't know that they are doomed to extinction and after that eventful day the Earth and us will thrive.

HAL

Answer 10

The scientists invent cars, fridges, atomic energy, etc. Then they'll blame us the consumer for using them. We need free energy devises fast.