Karl: I saw this conversation on Parenting Little Heathens, but I didn't want to join the group to make comments, so I thought I'd comment on your page. Plus, that discussion seems to be raising a lot of hackles, so I'm not sure I want to get in the middle of that. :) However, did want to comment on your comments.

There is nothing wrong with us most normal people refuse to take the blame for something which isnt their doing... I think that there is mounting evidence that this is our doing. Without the greenhouse effect, life would not exist on earth, so it is a good thing. However, I think the concern is the speed at which the climate is changing, and how it seems to be driven by man-made activities. Just consider that there are about 1 billion cars in China alone now, and goods and services are transported all over the world, round the clock. All those emissions have to have a cumulative effect. BTW, there is a good documentary that examines the history of climate change, and how we know when and what it was like, called A Global Warning?. It is well worth seeing to help understand the history of earth's climate.

...bullied by enviromental activists isn't going to help. Bullying never helps. Education and understanding does. I knew nothing about this stuff 5 years ago.

...the world is quite capable of looking after itself... True, and I don't think anyone believes that all life on earth would come to an end. Life would adapt. I think the biggest concern, and a very legitimate one, is that our way of life might drastically change for the worse, unless we find sustainable and earth-friendly ways to live. There are twice as many people on earth now as there was when Kennedy was innaugerated, a whopping 6.7 billion I believe. It is estimated that it will be 9 billion by 2050, barring major catastrophe, war, etc. A good documentary on that is World in the Balance: The Population Paradox.

Personally, I like having electricity and clean running water coming out of the tap. Just look at how many people in the world don't have those things. But at issue is the fact that they do want and need those things. The West wanted to export its lifestyle to China, and we have succeeded in doing that. The Chinese are now more affluent than they've ever been (in spite of their huge poverty rate). Yet that puts increased burden's on the world's resources. They deserve them as much as the next person, nation, etc., but we must use common sense planning and conservation measures to assure that life is as equitable and that resources are excessible for everyone. Thanks.