ENVIRONMENT
The "Red, White & Blue Papers" Scott Keller in a Series, on The Issues
This paper discusses the Environment.
Approach:
Common sense (or uncommon?) must prevail when speaking of the environment. Of course, pollution of the environment is bad. What good could there be in polluting? But we still do pollute, although we know better, continuing to produce dirty air, dirty water, contaminated and unhealthy foods, and destroy the Earth for humanity, all covered up with a wink and nod by corporations and elected officials letting businesses pollute, despite our "environmental" laws. Why can't the United States of America stop polluting and ensure clean air and clean water, the two basics that governments must provide for its peoples? Where did we go so wrong?
There are hundreds of individual issues that fall under the broad category of the environment, and they all need to be addressed. At least a partial list can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_environmental_issues - and every issue listed can be addressed and SOLVED. And, it may not be wholly necessary to address each issue individually as an overall approach to being efficient, effective, and non-polluting will lead to solving most of the environmental issues on this list.
Our approach to the environment should be basically the same as other issues. Let's decide on what's ideal, and then come up with the best plans that can get us there.
We know we want clean air, water, food, and a thriving planet. We want sustainability for everyone. We want to preserve nature and wildnerness as much as possible, and even restore much of the damage we have already created.
We know that we currently have a runaway profit-chasing economic model which has us digging up, destroying, hoarding, and otherwise ruining the Earth not only for nature but for ourselves and future generations. We must take the upmost care of our environment, for our very survival and for our children's children's children.
Energy:
We have been manipulated into believing that we are dependent upon fossil fuels for our survival, but the opposite is true. Our survival depends upon us freeing ourselves from these sources of fuel, which cause massive pollution. From extraction to usage, the entire fossil fuel world we live in is corrupted by pollution. We also have been led to believe that we cannot free ourselves from fossil fuel dependency, but we can. Through innovative approaches to energy and transportation, we could in the period of 4-10 years almost be completely free from the use of fossil fuels.
Geothermal and solar power, along with wind and hydroelectric power, could supply all of our energy needs around the world without oil or nuclear power. Use of nuclear power, coal, and oil should be abandoned completely as fast as possible.
The only valid form of nuclear energy should be fusion, and until we are able to master that, we must stay clear of it, as shown by the recent earthquakes which has exposed a fatal flaw in nuclear energy - safety.
Transportation systems that operate on air, or magnetics, or solar power should be mastered and replace the existing rubber tire & combustion engine based systems. It could be done easily with the cooperation of local towns and cities around the country and would provide meaningful work to many people. If we at the same time remove the profit motive, we'll ensure everyone, including ourselves, and future generations a clean future.
Pollution:
Pollution is unacceptable, and should always be unacceptable. Many of the factories that are polluting are unnecessary to begin with. But the profit-factor should never be one that is respected and should never be a reason for influencing laws and practices. With this in mind, I'd be absolutely in favor of eliminating cap & trade and replacing it with just cap.
Burning anything to generate power generates pollution and should be stopped in favor of clean, renewable energy sources as listed above.
Economic Tie-In:
We have been on a runaway train to nowhere in this world, chasing profits rather than advancement, running on a hamster wheel pretending to be productive so we can chase a GDP, when in fact we're going nowhere fast.
We work 40-80+ hours per week (by those who HAVE a job) and many can say at the end of the week is that all they got a paycheck for it, as these jobs support the pollution machine and the greed/money for profit policy at the expense of the environment, and people grit their teeth and keep showing up for these jobs.
While we're partaking in this madness, we are exploiting the natural resources of the planet at an extremely exponential, unsustainable rate and polluting without concern for even our own health, including the elected officials and CEOs who order these polluting practices. Insanity.
If we shift away from trying to chase profits and focus on just being our best and advancing as a species through improving our intelligence and our technology and our health, then we'll see that we don't really need a "growing economy" but rather to provide for the needs of everyone on the planet and plan for the future.
Humanity:
We obviously need to look out for the best interests of humanity, but this can be done while at the same time taking into account the best interests of the planet and the life on it.
In fact, the interest of humanity is the well-being of our environment. It is for our future generations that we need to take care of our planet NOW and we must ensure that we sustainably use its resources.
Nature and Remaining Wildnerness:
Nature is beautiful and abundant and it should stay that way. It ultimately benefits all of us to make that a part of our plan for advancement. Undeveloped wildnerness must be preserved NOW before there is no more wilderness to worry about protecting.
Earth:
The Earth is our home, but I believe it's also our launching pad for our next stage of advancement. We must take care of it; because at this moment we have no where else to call home. Soiling our own space for living, creating disease and illness, does not sustain healthy life as shown through the centuries, except for the rich, of course.
Space:
We feel like we're overpopulating the Earth at times and while this may not be 100% accurate, we are in fact growing in population and the Earth can only comfortably accommodate a certain amount of humanity. We MUST reach into space. We must colonize it. We must explore the galaxies. It's our duty for future generations, and who knows what we'll be able to accomplish in the process.
STK 08.30.2011
Credit:
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