DudeistBelieve said:
Also, I don't plan on having children so the survival of this planet beyond my lifetime really isn't a concern for me.
Ditto here.
OT: Do I believe in "Global Warming", no, because the concept is completely at odds with science fact... That said I believe in
Global Climate Change, which is a verifiable and observable phenomenon, as the climate of the planet is constantly in flux. I can't say I believe that the process is caused by human activity, for one rapid climate shifts have been happening longer than humanity has existed. Also human output of "green house gases" is dwarfed by geological and biological factors, such as insect biomasses and volcanic activity. Besides the fact that geologically we're supposed to be in a warming period and global climate change is a mass enviromental process, that happens on the geological time scale, and which we don't fully understand. That's beside the fact that single causes for scientifically observed phenomenon generally prove to be wrong, especially in complex systems like the Earth's environment. So the shouting over man-made global climate change always strikes me as purely short sighted political fear mongering and nothing more, especially when it gets shelved when it's convenient politically.
All that said I do care about the environment, for reasons both of human survival and stability, as well as the long term stability of the planet. We pollute far too much, dumping horrifying amounts of toxic materials into land fills, the oceans, and our water tables. We so poorly manage the resources we have access too, for example there is no sustaining the population of the Los Angeles area with the water accumulation the area receives yearly. We also rely far too heavily on very limited resources, like fossil fuels, metal, and mineral supplies. We absolutely need to recycle far more than we currently do, we need to develop cost effective and efficient renewable power sources. The unfortunate problem is that such solutions aren't being pursued as seriously as necessary and they won't be, at least until we're on the verge of a cataclysmic crisis and it's too late.
As for my carbon footprint? I don't really have much of one, considering that I currently don't own a car, I live in a fairly small apartment, I conserve energy by unplugging things not currently in use and turning out lights, and I recycle where ever possible. That said, I'm not that worried about my carbon footprint as I am about the amount of resources used and contribution to toxic pollution I contribute to. Which is why I take the steps I can afford to be as environmentally friendly as possible. This planet isn't going anywhere and the way we're abusing it is going to adversely affect us in both the short and long term. If we're not careful, our carelessness could lead to the collapse of both society and our population, potentially even causing us to go extinct.
In all honesty though, what I do to help preserve the environment is outweighed by a majority of people who just don't give a single toss. The people who just drop trash where ever, burn through fuels with gleeful abandon, leave all their lights on all the time, and so on. There are more than enough wasteful people in the world to make up for what little I'm able to contribute against their trend, this is why I say things aren't going to change until we're facing a crisis. That's because people are notoriously short sighted and self concerned, humans tend to care more about personal convenience, than their effects on the environment, animals, and other people. We'll eventually be to a place where these things aren't nearly as much an issue, but in the mean time, those of us who do our part to reduce strain on the environment are out numbered by those who seem to focus all their energy stressing the environment harder.
