What the hell....???

[Water Warrior 2]

Back in the 80's Edmonton Alberta was hit by a tornado. The path of destruction was beyond belief. At the time Edmonton had no emergency response plan for a tornado but that soon changed. Citizens from all over the city helped out to comfort the homeless, feed them, cloth them and provide other needed items of life. Acts of heroism were common and just seemed the right thing to do. I toured the aftermath of destruction and can't say I want to see it again ever.

[dhgeyer]

Originally Posted by ArizonaKev

For me, it is more about developing the consciousness that what we do, as a race, has greater impacts than just those we can see on a day to day basis. And if we don't start understanding that, collectively, we are going to run into some real trouble in the future - trouble that may have have nothing to do with this topic.

I'm still not convinced that anyone knows whether or not greenhouse gasses have caused or are causing climate change. I'm not sure I agree with the 98% agreement among climate scientists figure either. That could be hard to measure, since, in the current scientific world, if one does not go along with certain establishment dogmas, one can lose credit, jobs, funding, tenure, and etc. Where did that figure come from anyway? Did someone do an unbiased survey?

However, I do agree with the above quoted statement. We in North America should be changing our lifestyle. We consume too much, and it's too much a part of our sense of self worth.

There is only so much we can do, as individuals, to help curb pollution (short of all moving back to caves and eating grass). I think we at our house are doing what we reasonably can. We don't have a huge house. We don't go crazy with heat in the Winter or AC in the Summer. The only cars we drive are Toyota Priuses. Not only does the Prius use very little fuel, it is also one of few cars designated "Partial Zero Emission Vehicles" by the EPA. One of my motorcycles, the one I ride the most, has a catalytic converter and a closed loop EFI system, and produces about as little pollution as a modern car. That's one of the many reasons I bought it. Most motorcycles are environmentally filthy compared to modern cars. We recycle everything we can.

So, despite my agnosticism with respect to the new religion of the right (or left) reverend Gore, we are doing what we can. Have you altered your lifestyle as much as we have for this reason? If not, don't preach.

[mrlmd1]

Just for the hell of it, I have to throw this out for consideration - I was at a lecture with a very well respected astronomer and he offered up this fact:
If the earth were represented by a sphere the size of a basketball, our atmosphere would be the thickness of a layer of Saran Wrap around it.
Sort of puts it into a new perspective.

[ArizonaKev]

You make some good points dh, and it sounds like you are definitely doing a lot as far as altering your lifestyle is concerned.

As far as the 'preaching' comment goes, not really sure that what I was doing was preaching. But, if so, even you agreed with the one statement I made. And in reality, that's the only one I wanted to make. So to that, I say

HALLELUJAH BROTHER! Can I get an amen from the congregation?!?!? SHAZAAMMMM!!!

:crackup

AZ Kev

[Water Warrior 2]

That gives a whole new meaning to Saran Wrap. Oh yeah, it can also be used as an emergency condom when things are hot an heavy. :whistle:

[dentheman]

Speaking of tornados, let me tell you a little story.

In May of 2008 I decided to ride my bicycle around a 5 mile loop just to get out and get a little exercise. Thunderstorms were forecast and I could see them in the distance, but I thought I could beat them. So, off I went.

At about the 4 mile mark it began to rain, then hail started pinging off my bike and clacking off my helmet. I was about 1/8 mile from an intersection when I stopped. There was a funnel cloud ahead and to my left. As I watched, it dropped into a tornado and went right through the intersection, just missing a liquor store. It continued through a plowed field and headed toward the psychiatric prison where I used to work, but dissipated before it hit.

While all this was going on I was on my phone to my daughter, she went to the back yard and got a couple cell photos of the tornado, then went to take shelter in the bathroom with our dog. I didn't think to get any pictures from my phone.

My daughter was scared to death I wouldn't be coming back home, and I promised to never go out in stormy weather again.

As to global warming, I agree with burkbuilds. ---By the way, this was my second close call with a tornado. The first was May 11, 1970, when two tornados hit Lubbock, killing 26 and injuring 1500.