FOIA Whistleblower releases another batch!

[Snowhog]

Re: FOIA Whistleblower releases another batch!

The point being that investment in alternative energy and "saving the planet" by cutting carbon emissions are not complementary goals.

The 'goal' of investment is 'profit', plain and simple. No one; no business; invests hard earned capital if there is little or no chance of making a profit. When politics is the capital being spent, there (historically) is almost no chance of profit.

[woodsmoke]

Re: FOIA Whistleblower releases another batch!

Hi guys, nice points both of you.

To restate what I've stated before, I am an "enviornmentalist" of the worst stripe. That is my degree, plant ecology, and ecology is the parent science of the environmental movement. I spent twenty years in "back to the land" movement and alternative fuels.

But, I would just like to pose a question for abstract thought and do not need a reply.

For 20 some odd of my teaching career I very "dutifully" and ENTHUSIASTICALLY taught the idea of saving the world's resources, but then one day something occurred to me.

"If we "save" the oil in the ground, for whom are we saving the oil?"

Just a question for the casual passerby reader and again, I don't need an answer.

woodsmoke

[Snowhog]

Re: FOIA Whistleblower releases another batch!

I am not an environmental zealot - not in the slightest. However, neither am I a 'develop it all at any cost' zealot. I am an "I hate all zealots" zealot (hmm, does that mean I hate myself?).

Extremists of any ilk - those that refuse to give any quarter - are dangerous, and IMO, to be fought against with all energy possible.

I believe in protecting the environment. After all, this planet of ours is the only one we have. World Wide Movers, contrary to it's name, cannot relocate us to another planet. But environmental protection doesn't/shouldn't mean no development. Responsible development is, and always should be, what we demand.

All the very extreme environmentalists, those who believe that Man is the biggest threat to the environment, should demonstrate the 'strength of their convictions' - showing all the rest of us 'the way' - and jump in the deepest oceans without life preservers. (Yes, very harsh, and almost certainly bound to get some angry retorts. Go for it.)

[Goeroeboeroe]

Re: FOIA Whistleblower releases another batch!

All the very extreme environmentalists, those who believe that Man is the biggest threat to the environment, should demonstrate the 'strength of their convictions' - showing all the rest of us 'the way' - and jump in the deepest oceans without life preservers. (Yes, very harsh, and almost certainly bound to get some angry retorts. Go for it.)

I'm sorry, I'm not angry, I had to laugh. But I can swim...
Don't you think there's a middle way?
I think mankind is the biggest threat (until one day some aliens may come along )
But if people used less energy etc, I think the threat would be gone. Even without me jumping in the ocean.
(I would prefer the North Sea, if you don't mind. I live near the North Sea, the ocean is pretty far away. And when I travel to the ocean I spill energy )

You wrote earlier the goal of investment is profit. I think you're right: that's the way it is. But saving energy etc. and making profit doesn't exclude each other. Like I wrote before: windmills and solar cells are really booming business in Germany at the moment.
In Holland the government stopped giving financial contributions (grants? don't know the exact right word) to people buying windmills, solar cells, etc. But during the last year some companies started renting solar cells etc, and that's booming business too. Everybody happy: some company earning money, good for the environment and the buyer has cheaper electricity.
That's the direction I think it should go, because about climate change etc. we'll never agree, but making profit and at the same time cheaper electricity we can easily agree.