global warming

[superyang]

OMG..

1. 5,000 blackbirds mysteriously dropped dead from the sky in Arkansas shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve. (Source: CNN)

2. 100,000+ fish reportedly washed ashore dead in Arkansas today. No one knows why. (Source: CNN)

3. Parts of Australia are experiencing "record flooding" right now; CNBC claims it is so severe that coal exports and wheat production in the region are being devastated right now. Military aircraft are being used to fly in supplies to the locals. (Source: CNBC)

[archonemis]

Though I wouldn't attribute any of those to Global Warming they are certainly portentious.

[puppy fields]

posted this in another thread.

[puppy fields]

is 'portentious' a word? you just made that up, didn't you?

[archonemis]

Originally Posted by puppy fields

is 'portentious' a word? you just made that up, didn't you?

I believe it's the best word for summing up the situation.

The environment is in a bad state. I may not believe in Global Warming, but can see with some clarity that we're destroying the thing that keeps us alive. Not because of carbon. Because of pollution. Go to a landfill and test for heavy metals. Go to the ocean and note the sewage run-off. Go to any corner and note that grass is grown by water pumped from diminishing aquifers by oil-powered machines that dirty up the air that we breathe.

Some shit will be going down. The planet will be fine. But our environment might take a shit. And then life will continue. Without us.

[puppy fields]

doh, my mistake, you misspelled portentious, and google missed it as well. it made me wonder if it was slang or something.

[premium]

google 'portent'

i thought you were kidding when you said you didn't know what it meant

[puppy fields]

well, i did know, but i got curious if i really knew the definition, so i googled, and...i can be retarded sometimes.

nm

[archonemis]

Originally Posted by puppy fields

doh, my mistake, you misspelled portentious, and google missed it as well. it made me wonder if it was slang or something.

No, I just suck at spelling.

I can use words, but I'll be damned if I can make them work in text without seven proof-reads.

[archonemis]

But no, really - our ecosystems are approaching capacity. The oceans will be devoid of fish by 2048-ish. Think about that.

[puppy fields]

^ dead zones are scary.

[archonemis]

And getting bigger.

Now couple that with the fishing industry which is supposed to feed a growing population.

[puppy fields]

they are reversible as well. at least that's what wiki says.

[archonemis]

They are.

However.

The thing that makes them is not going away. My favorite dead zone just happens to be the one right about the mouth of the mississippi delta. Letting nature do its thing is the most difficult action of all to take. It involves sitting on your hands and having faith. Which is in very short supply these days.

But sitting on your hands doesn't put food on the table. What to do.

Growing your own food so that you don't encourage industrial pollution is a great action. You don't change all of society, but you stop participating in some of the destructive aspects. If society is made up of people then you're in a very good position to be doing something. You'll be shaping society by your own actions. I can't tell you how much I want a house with a big back yard. They're well out of my price range so it's a total pipe dream, but man, it'd be cool to eat without depending on petroleum-based agriculture.

[archonemis]

He's cereal you guys.