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Save the Planet, Eat Your Dog
R3d M3rcury writes "New Zealand's Dominion Post reports on a new book just released, Time to Eat the Dog: The real guide to sustainable living. In this book, they compare the environmental footprint of our housepets to other things that we own. Like that German Shepherd? It consumes more resources than two Toyota SUVs. Cats are a little less than a Volkswagen Golf. Two hamsters are about the same as a plasma TV. Their suggestions? Chickens, rabbits, and pigs. But only if you eat them."
And many far-right free-market wackos seem more interested in preventing all government regulation of industry, even if that regulation would stop corporations from destroying the environment for short term profits.
I suggest meeting somewhere in the middle. I have two cats. :)
Lets break down your "mentalism". I'm not going to argue global warming as I'm sure you think its an evil hoax, so lets just do basic science and economics
Well then you're a complete fuckwit for assuming you know my mind. I have no doubt that if you push a system it'll react therefore I have no doubt we're fucking the environment and not just through global warming.
So yes LED technology might be better but the point is that the old technology was certainly worse. Thus by making people use energy efficient devices (including lightbulbs) you actually stop things like rolling brown outs etc.
THAT is your idea of basic science? You're an idiot. Basic science does not mean forcing people to use new and unproven technology every few years when you have something clearly better under development. Basic science means you don't introduce new problems (mercury!) in order to solve old ones. Fuck it it's not basic science - it's basic common sense. Get some.
What you are given a choice between is a poor product for free (socialism) or paying a market price for something that lasts longer and has more value (capitalism). So its not enviromental nutters its just plain old capitalism at work.
Well if it's capitalism you favour, why are you suggesting that there should be controls on the market? That's now how capitalism works, and if you knew what you were talking about you'd know that. Capitalism is what got us into this fucking mess in the first place. This is the misuse of capitalist principles and the use of false advertising - ie that these are better for the environment when in fact they take longer to degrade and will eventually do more harm. These products aren't better for people. The old plastic bags were much better and cheaper. They're not better for the environment either. They are better for the bastard selling it to you. Which I suppose is what you mean by capitalism. These same pricks were happy to give away free plastic bags for decades to entice shoppers but now that they've got the environmental boogie man on their side it's time to make a huge profit out of people's stupidity.
If you aren't forced to use these however what is your problem?
My problem is that they're being sold on the basis they'll do fantastic things for the environment. If you don't understand why owning and maintaining 2 hot water systems might go against that I can't help you. They're not free in terms of money or the environment to produce. I'd love to see some long term statistics including costs of installation, maintenance and replacement that aren't skewed by advertising bullshit from people who stand to make a fortune installing them. Until then I'm skeptical. I happen to object with most forms of false advertising that prey on stupidity and a lack of balanced view. Captalism is clearly your religion. Stick it where the sun don't shine.
Now here is where you move firmly into a mental category of your own. Australia is a massive problem with water shortages due to a long term drought.
Thanks for lecturing me on the country I live on. More fucking assumptions completely unbacked by any kind of reasoning.
Fresh water isn't a scarce resource if you can produce it easily. You're such a proponent of solar hot water systems. Heat sea water with a piece of clear plastic over it and you have fresh water. It's cheaper to manufacture a plastic sheet than it is all the pipework for a solar hot water system. Yet you have no problem with people installing the hot water system and are happy to rant about fresh water. Typical inconsistent thoughtless bullshit from someone who worships capitalism and will believe anything he's told by a megacorp or greased up politician.
The water problem in Australia is in fact one of water transportation - we've populated places too far from the coast. We're trying to fucking grow crops in places that are essentially arid desert and scrub. THAT is the mistake, not the fact that we let kids play with fucking garden hos
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
So your argument is that by exhausting a single supply and not looking for alternative supplies that water is scarce? Come on. Ever heard of rain water tanks? Fresh water falls from the fucking sky for fuck sake.
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
My suggestion is they can fuck off. I care more about my dogs (and cats, cockatiel, and tank of fish) than I do the rest of humanity. And no, this isn't sarcasm.
No, of course it isn't. You're just a sociopath who was probably abused (emotionally or physically) as a child, and never learned to associate with other humans due to fear. Of course, this is a good description for much of the world's population, and it explains why we are so poorly off as a species, around the world, and why we need to have dogs and/or cats for companionship: because so many of us cannot relate to humans. You might possibly term it as "don't see it as worth while" but that is, of course, the very same thing.
It's obvious that most of us don't care about other humans. Just take a look around.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Not to mention, who are you to force anyone to do anything? They're supposedly free men who own fishing boats and catch fish. If you don't like it don't buy their fish or pay more for pet food so it doesn't *cost them* money to bring in junk fish just so you can feed your dog. Truly I hate to sound like a libertarian but you throwing around like phrases like "force them to turn their "bycatch" to dogfood," makes you look like an mini fascist. Just because they own a boat and supply something that you rely on doesn't suddenly make them your personal slaves. Tell us what industry you're in so we can start discussing "forcing" you to do various things that cost you huge sums of money just to satisfy our own personal attitudes.
Their right to make a profit at fishing ends when they destroy the econsystem upon which we all depend.
Wow, the GP comment gets +5 for "green peace tree hugging idiot" and I get -1 for "Getting a dog instead of a human friend is pathetic." I don't mind being modded down, but clearly the comment I replied to was the flamebait, and my comment was the flame. I guess there's a lot of lonely dog owners with mod points out there... This is why I've marked myself unwilling to moderate, I don't even want to be a part of it. I guess I should eliminate all karma bonuses for moderation, and just count on my friends and friends of friends bonuses.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
You mean the NIMBY and BANANA types who mindlessly preach "green! Renewable!" chants but when some conservative comes along and wants to build a greener refinery, a greener natural gas depot, a solar farm, or even a wind farm, they cry foul and complain about the unsightliness of a facility, or the negative environmental impact it will have on the habitat of black mold or some lichen or algae or mice, or that some less-stupid birds might actually substantiate survival of the fitness by actually avoiding flying into windmills, resulting in the breeding of more intelligent birds than the ones who were not smart enough to avoid the moving objects?
I hate treehuggers. I'm into conservation; that is, using resources wisely. It is a self-serving mentality. If I use CFLs, I offset some energy use so I can turn the thermostat up a bit more without raising my utility bill. I like fuel-efficient cars with turbochargers so I can drive economically when I want so I can drive more miles without spending more $$$, but still have performance on demand when I do feel like having fun. I like having a dog because as someone else mentioned, happiness IS a warm puppy. Conserving benefits ME because I save money, letting me spend it where I want.
The whole "green" thing is nothing more than a humanist religion. I don't force messianic judaism/christianity on others. I don't try to force you to do what I believe is right. I don't try to force bills through that would infringe on others' rights (in fact, I think government should have NO say in marriage whatsoever). Why should treehuggers try to force me to live in an Islamist-ideal society, that is. give up creature comforts like heat and electricity. give up eating meat (actually I literally can't survive without cholesterol sources, so I can't do a vegan diet - and in addition, I LIKE eating meat. It's natural to eat meat. I'll stop eating meat when treehuggers teach lions and tigers and polar bears and such to not eat other animals. Amimals are made of meat, therefore I eat them since I'm at the top of the food chain.).
Why should treehuggers like John Kerry or Al Gore criticize me for driving sportscars when they own SUVs they don't need. live in sprawling, wasteful mansions, and waste a lot of fuel in private jets? Where do they get off on trying to tell me I should change MY way of life? All those hypocrites do is purchase "carbon offsets" to be "green" and they sacrifice nothing. And here is the kicker: it's all about money. The whole "global warming" (now "global climate change") crap is purely propoganda to get carbon offset-trading markets into effect, where Al Gore & Co. will make a cut on every trade that goes through those markets. That is why they are pushing for strict regulation, and having businesses track their carbon usage and buy and sell carbon surpluses or deficits. It's all about the almighty dollar. I've been saying this from the beginning. Greed craves power, and money is power.
Unfortunately, brainless pot-smoking college students swallow it all hook, line, and sinker, not thinking for themselves, and not thinking logically. All you need to tell those morons is that it's "for the children" and they'll buy into it. Did you catch Obama's speech last week, basically saying that people who don't follow him are sheep and just do what they're told, but his disciples think for themselves? That was an extreme case of Orwellian doublespeak and doublethink. It's the mindless who cow down to him and obey and worship his every word. I think for myself and I saw through all of his bullshit from day 1.
Think for yourselves. Look at the facts, and don't mindlessly swallow the whole "green" bit. Be a conservationist because it suits your bottom l
The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50