Global problems - do we care?

[jbrown329]

It's very common in Canada. A lot of cities even have recycling bylaws. In Peterborough, it's mandatory to recycle. You can be fined for not recycling.

highlight mine.

Oh boy, that wouldn't float in the US. Recycling here is voluntary.

 

[gsdx]

highlight mine.

Oh boy, that wouldn't float in the US. Recycling here is voluntary.

Virtually everyone here recycles. The entire neighbourhood knows when you don't.

 

[Benvolio]

It's very common in Canada. A lot of cities even have recycling bylaws. In Peterborough, it's mandatory to recycle. You can be fined for not recycling.

what are you doing to limit population growth?

 

[gsdx]

what are you doing to limit population growth?

Everything I can to avoid adding to it.

 

[Natello4]

Everything I can to avoid adding to it.

Great point. Canada is a great example the US in many terms.

 

[gsdx]

Great point. Canada is a great example the US in many terms.

When Canada became a Dominion in July 1867, the population was about 3 million. Currently, it is just over 35 million. There was a sizeable increase in the few years following WW II. (I'm a 'Boomer'.)

 

[jbrown329]

what are you doing to limit population growth?

Not fathering any.

 

[jbrown329]

What's really alarming is what is happening to the Great Barrier Reef and reefs all over the world.

 

[gsdx]

^ Haven't you heard? It's aliens doing that. There's no such thing as global warming.

 

[Natello4]

When Canada became a Dominion in July 1867, the population was about 3 million. Currently, it is just over 35 million. There was a sizeable increase in the few years following WW II. (I'm a 'Boomer'.)

Just for fun: even if the populations of Canada and the US were switched, life in the former may not be very different anyway. More people researching the arctic Nunavut would may even have some positive impact.

 

[gsdx]

Just for fun: even if the populations of Canada and the US were switched, life in the former may not be very different anyway. More people researching the arctic Nunavut would may even have some positive impact.

I don't know how much you know of our history, but during the American Revolution (War of Independence), there were Patriots and Loyalists (those loyal to the Crown). Following the war, the surviving Loyalists were ousted out of the new United States. Some went back to England, but most moved up into Canada and settled there. That's how my ancestors got here.

Now, the interesting bit. My 7th great grandfather was a Loyalist. His brother was a Patriot. That happened in many families back then. That way, there would always be someone on the winning side (as long as he survived). In my case, both brothers survived. So, my ancestor moved to Canada and settled on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, founding a small town named after Brighton, England. I actually have thousands of blood relatives living in the United States. On the other hand, they have thousands of blood relatives living in Canada.

 

[Alistair]

Maybe 3 times a year I buy bottled water. At home I have a PUR filter attached to the kitchen faucet. So, I drink tap. I recycle.

When my ex and I moved into his dad's house (1993), the fridge was a 1949 Kelvinator. His folks bought it brand new. It still works. Try buying a brand new fridge today and see if it lasts that long.

Do you know how much you are spending to power it? In a year your savings on electricity would probably pay for a new one.

 

[gsdx]

Do you know how much you are spending to power it? In a year your savings on electricity would probably pay for a new one.

Hey, I'm old, too, and it takes a lot of money to power me. But I'll be damned if I'm going to pull the damned plug!!

 

[Natello4]

I don't know how much you know of our history, but during the American Revolution (War of Independence), there were Patriots and Loyalists (those loyal to the Crown). Following the war, the surviving Loyalists were ousted out of the new United States. Some went back to England, but most moved up into Canada and settled there. That's how my ancestors got here.

Now, the interesting bit. My 7th great grandfather was a Loyalist. His brother was a Patriot. That happened in many families back then. That way, there would always be someone on the winning side (as long as he survived). In my case, both brothers survived. So, my ancestor moved to Canada and settled on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, founding a small town named after Brighton, England. I actually have thousands of blood relatives living in the United States. On the other hand, they have thousands of blood relatives living in Canada.

Well, that is very interesting, yet a little off topic. There is a reason, why I chose to be a Geographer and develop further as a nature scientist. I value history, but am mostly interested in how we can progress further from the stage which we already reached. Also, love expanding the scale.

 

[USEDCAR]

I take all my old electronics to get recycled or this computer store would recycle them for me or refurbish and resale them. A lot of big box stores are doing electronic and plastic bag recycle. Just hearing the stuff that might happen to this earth in the next 100 or plus years is down right scary and no one really cares. Sadly people doesn't care or they aren't educated.

I live in South Jersey we used to have so much farmland as fast you can say foreskin they are cutting down trees and building stores and housing developments. We have so many empty buildings that could be rehabbed or tore down and they rather waste valuable land to build a new store and god forbids if it fails.


I was surprised that some people still use Tube Tv's. When mines bit the dust i brought a flat screen. Goodwill looks like a tube tv heaven.

 

[Rickrock]

No, many people don't care and even the ones who care are only marginally interested in changing their lives to save the earth. It is a too far off goal for many to see the benefit in their lives. Our city does recycle some things. We do have reusable shopping bags at home. I don't use them but my brother does. I have seen a few wind turbines pop up here and there. Solar hasn't caught on very much in this area. Our city has planted a few trees, probably more for aesthetics but they do take in carbon monoxide and produce oxygen and help clean the air. Our county has started a major sewer project. I think that it is mostly to collect run-off water and stop it from flooding the sanitary sewers and believe that it was instigated partially because of government EPA rules.

 

[zoltanspawn]

Having in mind that the humanity already is some decades behind the solution of some problems, do you believe there is still a chance for a massive change that may postpone the more serious threats to our exostence?

It sounds to me so far like you think this is likely. Is that so?

I don't.

But my opinions are obviously statistically unimportant, as we foster our hopes and dreams .

Recycling is nice.

 

[rareboy]

I think you could change people's habits, but the entire world economy is based on exploitation of resources and over-consumption.

We recycle 99% of everything we discard in our own household and business and have planted almost 50,000 trees on our farm....we use geo-thermal heating and cooling and try to avoid over-consumption....but we are still first world energy pigs and occupy too large a footprint.

As others have pointed out, for better or worse, we haven't bred.

Sadly, humans are like any other species that runs out of control. We eventually destroy our own habitat and will be replaced with something else. It is possible to postpone the eventual outcome....but there is no way to stop it.

When Canada's leading environmentalist, David Suzuki himself has fathered five children....you realize how disconnected people are from how they are responsible for the problem.

The biggest change that we could see is the destruction of the Catholic Church's position on birth control and the elevation of third world countries out of poverty.

We need a population contraction of several billion people on earth to really have any chance at all...but this can no longer happen naturally.

 

[Natello4]

It sounds to me so far like you think this is likely. Is that so?

I don't.

But my opinions are obviously statistically unimportant, as we foster our hopes and dreams .

Recycling is nice.

As a huge optimist deep inside, I do believe that there is an opportunity to postpone some more destructive events with catastrophic consequences. However, we already are losing the fight in some terms and it will take a lot of effort and time for our actions to have any more significant effect. Still, every positive innitiative and idea counts, because good things do inspire.

On the other hand, we still know too little about the world that surrounds us.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

As a huge optimist deep inside, I do believe that there is an opportunity to postpone some more destructive events with catastrophic consequences. However, we already are losing the fight in some terms and it will take a lot of effort and time for our actions to have any more significant effect. Still, every positive innitiative and idea counts, because good things do inspire.

On the other hand, we still know too little about the world that surrounds us.

WOT?????????
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