June 22nd, 2011
Down with Green, Up with Responsibility
I walk to work, sometimes ride one of my bikes more than I drive, and Yes, I recycle. And yes, my house uses low flow toilets. And, finally, yes, I take cans and bottles back to the always full, incredibly annoying recycling bins. So…… with that said, America needs to wake up and see “Going Green” for what it is, the biggest scam perpetrated in modern times. I mean, really. The arrogance of the language being thrown around is astounding! “We’re saving the planet!” Are you, now? Can we suspend time for a sec and contemplate just that thought, that simple statement, and just consider how absurd it really is?
I hear and read this statement all the time. I have a couple of questions; are you talking about the same planet that has a slight “hiccup” and erases half a country? Are we talking about the same planet that when viewed from space, a devastating hurricane seems to be nothing more than a dot on a play ground ball? Are we talking about the same planet that moves just a bit, in the grand scheme of things - an earthquake, and tens of thousands of people simply disappear? Is this the planet we are “saving one toilet flush at a time”? A causal look around the NASA site Hubble.org would suggest that our arrogance on this topic is even more grand than what I just stated. The Earth, as plants go, isn’t even big enough to be noticed. As was demonstrated in a “Talk” by Louie Giglio, compared to Canis Majoris, the earth can’t even be seen on its surface, it’s so big in comparison. Is this the planet we are saving “one flush at a time”?
I wonder, who are we kidding with the “Carbon off-set credits”? What does that actually mean, anyway? Are we not buying these from a human being - a person? Who appointed him/her (Al Gore as far as I can figure) the supreme arbiter of who expels, uses, or produces carbon? How is that production “off set” because I pay someone some money? How come nobody with any real power or authority to do anything is asking any questions? Let me be clear, I am all for responsible stewardship of the use of all of our natural resources and being responsible by driving less, walking more, and being healthier, planting trees, gardening, and using cell phones less. But I’m also in favor of things making sense, definitions begin given, and reasonable action being taken.
Consider the recycling demands of my city (Portland, Oregon). Shortly after moving into our house, the city came by giving every house a big (50-ish gallon) green yard debris bin, and a big (same size) blue recycling bin; I wonder how much of a “Carbon Footprint” it took to make these solid molded huge plastic bins? Then they come with the absurd instructions to “rinse out empty Peanut Butter containers.” Who are these people kidding? It takes the atomic saliva of my dog to get peanut butter off a spoon! And they want me to rinse it with water….hum, thought we were supposed to be saving that because the Salmon didn’t have enough? Dare I mention the angry over-weight guy that honked and yelled at me from within his hybrid because I can’t walk or ride my bike fast enough for his convenience? Speaking of Hybrid, why have none of the “Green People” given even one solution that acknowledges all the batteries that we will have to deal with? Or the dangerous Mercury that is in the energy saving light bulbs? Then, there is the audacity of people to yell at you when you ask for a comprehensive definition of what “Gong Green” actually means, as they drive cars to school and work, while I walk and ride my bike. If the “Green Movement” is anything - it is hypocrisy at its finest. It is one more example that human beings do not learn from our own arrogant mistakes. Saving the planet? I think not.
If you are interested in what comes from my brain (good luck), you can find it here. I think I have "enabled" the ability for people to respond or give an opinion. Please be nice and respectful to everyone that posts. I hope everyone contributes, and please be patient as I learn how this works.
