tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5137957.post115268210072457836..comments2023-10-23T11:27:07.686-04:00Comments on the little voice: The Cost of Thingshirakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13092831514643850562noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5137957.post-1152764167321307362006-07-13T00:16:00.000-04:002006-07-13T00:16:00.000-04:00A lucid post.What can we do to 'shock' the world i...A lucid post.<BR/>What can we do to 'shock' the world into waking up?Sumedhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026953163033309212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5137957.post-1152732213710480622006-07-12T15:23:00.000-04:002006-07-12T15:23:00.000-04:00Great post. You are absolutely right in saying "Cr...Great post. You are absolutely right in saying "Cracking ice-shelves will never beat bomb blasts in terms of outrage.". I think that's an excellent point, and also precisely the reason why global warming could finally mean our doom, because it happens so slowly that it doesn't cause enough outrage until it's too late. But of course the slowest things like cancer are also the most destructive and insidious. <BR/><BR/>Mihir also raises an important question about whether unconventional development can raise the standard of living to the kind we aspire to. I think it can, <I>but only if it is pursued early enough</I>. And early enough not from a national, but global perspective. If we continue to raise our standard of living through conventional development, then a time will come when again, it will be too late to revert. But why look far? I always look at Japan and France. 50% and 70% energy from nuclear power? The example's right in front of our eyes. We just need to stop making excuses and implement a similar one.<BR/>And yes, responsible as the US is for emissions, what really worries me more are India and China. One important reason is that enviromental laws are still quite strict in the US. How many years will pass before public and political concern makes us pass laws comparable to these US laws? Again, it just may be too late until then.<BR/><BR/>The more important point is that we have to give the common man on the street some incentives to keep him from polluting, otherwise why would he care about what's going to happen to our planet in twenty years?<BR/><BR/>Also, we sometimes rightly react with indignation when the US tells us to start using unconventional sources. But this issue should not have anything to do with the US in the first place in my opinion. Let us assume that the US does not exist, but that the current enviromental scenario which is disturbing does. It is our own duty, quite independently of the US, to develop our own sources, especially when we are geared towards so much development. However, whether this can be done on time in a practical way is a different matter, and since I am one of those who believes that "with great power comes great responsibility", I think the Western world should do its part and let us in on its own unconventional sources R & D.Wavefunctionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14993805391653267639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5137957.post-1152725940571284482006-07-12T13:39:00.000-04:002006-07-12T13:39:00.000-04:00@Mihir- Gore's presentation is very accessible and...@Mihir<BR/><BR/>- Gore's presentation is very accessible and well-explained. It IS backed with the latest data. I could tell that he quoted almost directly from papers that were published in Science/Nature a few months ago. Though it is hard to catch, the slides do show the references to the papers at the bottom.<BR/><BR/>- Percolation and drip-down effects will make things relatively better but will that be the required difference? This is one of my points - will it be too little, and more importantly too late?<BR/><BR/>- Right now, it seems more likely that the West will correct itself before we do. Forests in the Brazil and Indonesia are being destroyed, but American forests are being conserved.hirakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13092831514643850562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5137957.post-1152722093163904732006-07-12T12:34:00.000-04:002006-07-12T12:34:00.000-04:00An excellent post Hirak.A few caveats apply - envi...An excellent post Hirak.<BR/><BR/>A few caveats apply <BR/>- environmental fearmongers have been around for decades, predicting doom and gloom for all. any views on how Gore's presentation is different from the rest? In particular, it appeared from the previews at least, that he has a lot of scientific data to back it up. True? Somewhat?<BR/>- The assumption that conventional economic development is necessary for the upliftment of poor. May be it doesn't percolate to the masses? In that case, environmental damage will have already occurred, without remedying the economic situation.<BR/>- the morality of the whole thing is troubling. the west got its riches from exploiting the environment; without giving up their standards of living, how are westerners going to convince india, china and the rest of the world of the true ecological danger?Mihirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15562005381126639327noreply@blogger.com