JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum A word about my absence...

Whatever your side in the abortion debate, no, it could never be enough to curb population growth. The figures, particularly in Africa are staggering. Those people are going to want to go somewhere as many parts of their continent become less hospitable.

Totally agree that the wealthy should play their part. I don't begrudge them living well, but nobody needs those huge houses However a large part of the efforts to combat climate change involves finding ways to continue doing many of the things we do now in a less impactful way - more efficient cars and planes with reduced emissions, cutting back on air travel, green power sources, maybe even cutting back a bit on beef consumption.

Your comments regarding politicians are not entirely fair. Though perhaps less so in the US, where the need to raise money to buy election is stronger than elsewhere, there are many who sincerely believe in the need to take action, and that action often comes in the form of regulation. Without it, we are left to hope people and corporations act on their own out of a feeling of collective responsibility. That is not going to happen when so many people just point at others and say, "Well, if he's not doing anything, I don't see why I should either." Old bitter men (mostly) pointing fingers and ranting about hypocrisy might be the biggest obstacle in this struggle. Let's hope the younger generations are able to get things done in time.

Couch, with respect, why can't you accept the idea that these children have not been "drafted." It's a variation of the old trope about George Soros handing out $20 bills to people to join in Black Lives Matter demonstrations. These kids couldn't be drafted unless they sincerely believed in the dangers of climate change. Calling them "drafted" is just a way of dismissing them and their arguments without affording them the respect they deserve. These arguments are soundly based, not just on predictions but on observations. Among those best placed to judge (better than you or me), climate change and the part man plays in it are no longer a theory. They are part of the world we live in.