July 2016 was the hottest month ever recorded in human history -- and August is tied with it

Alessandra Kelley · Sep 14, 2016

On the other hand, there is actual hope, in organic farming methods, of all things. Converting the Earth's farmland to organic and sustainable methods has the useful side effect of producing a powerful carbon sink to remove our CO2 from the atmosphere.

AW thread about it: http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?322196-Carbon-sequestering-Hope-in-dirt

Zoombie · Sep 14, 2016

There's also hope that we could reduce our population the reasonable way: By having less babies.

Don · Sep 14, 2016

Zoombie said:
There's also hope that we could reduce our population the reasonable way: By having less babies.

Isn't that already happening to a large degree now? The population growth rate's half what it was in 1963. Some countries are below replacement rate now.

Zoombie · Sep 14, 2016

If so, good.

But I admit, I find something bizarre in the religious dictates of various faiths to have lots of babies. Like, it just strikes me as fundamentally odd.

Shadow Dragon · Sep 14, 2016

Zoombie said:
If so, good.

But I admit, I find something bizarre in the religious dictates of various faiths to have lots of babies. Like, it just strikes me as fundamentally odd.

There is a logical reason for it. Back when that was introduced, the mortality rate for babies and children was much higher and parents often needed kids to work on the family business/farm to keep it running. Not to mention having enough soldiers to not get overwhelmed by neighbors. It made sense to have a bunch of babies one or two thousand years ago. It's not needed anymore, but religious doctrine isn't easy to change.

Once! · Sep 14, 2016

Zoombie said:
There's also hope that we could reduce our population the reasonable way: By having less babies.

That might be a viable solution if the problem was that we are having too many babies. Unfortunately, that's only part of the equation. The other factor is longevity. Average global birth rates are falling quickly - the main problem at the moment is that we are living much longer than we used to.

Once! · Sep 15, 2016

Roxxsmom said:
None of it will happen on its own, though. It will take laws and trade deals where many will be acting against their own short-term best interests.

Well, true, but we've learned a hard lesson from the Brexit vote. When people get emotionally attached to a point of view, it can be very hard to get them to shift. No amount of fact or expert opinion will help. Getting angry or ridiculing them usually makes things worse. Basket of deplorables, anyone?

Yes, we do need to get more people to see the realities of climate change. But we need to do that with empathy and kindness - not by beating them over the head with our point of view. No matter how right we are (or we think we are) it simply doesn't work when points of view are this deeply entrenched.

Helix · Sep 15, 2016

Once! said:
Well, true, but we've learned a hard lesson from the Brexit vote. When people get emotionally attached to a point of view, it can be very hard to get them to shift. No amount of fact or expert opinion will help. Getting angry or ridiculing them usually makes things worse. Basket of deplorables, anyone?

Yes, we do need to get more people to see the realities of climate change. But we need to do that with empathy and kindness - not by beating them over the head with our point of view. No matter how right we are (or we think we are) it simply doesn't work when points of view are this deeply entrenched.

Nah. Stuff 'em. If they won't accept the mountains of evidence and expert analysis then just cut 'em out of the conversation.

Once! · Sep 15, 2016

Until those evidence ignorers elect the next President of the US of A on a ticket of doing nothing about climate change because it's all a Chinese hoax?

There are too many of 'em to ignore just now. Maybe in a few years' time.

WriterDude · Sep 15, 2016

Helix said:
Nah. Stuff 'em. If they won't accept the mountains of evidence and expert analysis then just cut 'em out of the conversation.

I imagine the they would really appreciate it if they were left out of this conversation.

July 2016 was the hottest month ever recorded in human history -- and August is tied with it

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

Don

All Living is Local

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

Shadow Dragon

Once!

Still confused by shoelaces

Once!

Still confused by shoelaces

Helix

socially distancing

Once!

Still confused by shoelaces

WriterDude

Writer?