NOT Whipped By Water

I did a tiny bit of activism today, other than my usual culture jamming on Facebook. I wrote a letter to Georgia Trend magazine. It is in response to a column by the publisher, in regards to Georgia's water problems. The column beats on some very tired and antiquated clichés:

1) Growth is good, and is needed to revive the economy.

2) A plentiful supply of fresh water is necessary for an ever-growing economy.

3) No mention of water conservation (such a typical little corporate attitude).

4) A mythical technological fix is proposed, such as desalination plants and miles of piping. But this columnist goes into outer space by suggesting we can FREEZE the water and transport it on trucks from the coast to north Georgia. (So funny!).

And here is the freakin' article: "Whipped by Water?" by Neely Young.

You know, every time I fire off a letter like this it makes me feel better. It makes me feel like I've got a good swing in at the Earth Destroyers. Yeah, I know, violence is bad, but I am trying to defend a big rock floating through space that can't defend itself. Yes, maybe I'm flipping.

Here is my letter:

Dear Editor,

A recent column by Neely Young on Georgia’s water issues had an interesting title — “Whipped by Water?” I can think of better titles like, “Whipped By Government Incompetence,” “Whipped By Greed,” and “Whipped By Unchecked and Unplanned Growth.”

In his article, once again a member of the business press is singing the old hymn about more growth. Do we really want to turn Georgia into a people-packed nation like Bangladesh? In our quest for eternal growth, won’t we hit diminishing returns at some point? What we should focus on instead is quality of life and a sustainable economy, not reckless overshoot for the benefit of Georgia’s elite.

It is tiring to see Mr. Young and his ilk always reaching for the magic technological fix. The idea of hundreds of ice trucks traversing around Georgia is so preposterous that it staggers the imagination. Wouldn’t it take a tremendous amount of energy to freeze all that water?

Allow me to propose a less dramatic fix: How about if Georgia businesses retrofitted their buildings with water-saving devices? Wouldn’t that be cheaper than desalination plants and hundreds of miles of piping? If we are “whipped” by anything, it’s the stubborn building owners and developers who fight most water conservation efforts, including low-flow toilets.

What we do need in Georgia is a new paradigm that recognizes that there are limits to growth and limits to nature. What we also need is serious sacrifice and commitment, and not more techno fantasies.

Sincerely,

The Goose

Religious Hatred & Graft

What a treat. Two new videos on religion. The first is on religious hatred, and the second is on how public religion is all political, and only benefits the clergy. Oh, and I loved this quote that was in one of the video comments:

Superstitious and magical thinking is a fast and frugal way to handle a complex world.

Enjoy the videos.

The Finest Mammal, Next To Rats

I would say that males, at least, think about sex far more than they would ever admit. And when not thinking about lovemaking, they are thinking about beer and their favorite sport of hobby. And thus, millions of men, and women, drag through the work days, come home tired, and live their little lives. While they may feel a passing concern for others who are less fortunate — such as flood victims — most are too tired and/or drained to care much. So, for the most part it's just beer, sex, and football, and there's not enough time or energy left for saving the planet.

Welcome to the modern world, where people do a lot of drugs, drink a lot, or substitute religion for the former. We humans have spent a lot of effort making our lives comfortable, so how come we are not very happy? And with the comfort only comes the laziness and obesity. No offense to anyone, but when I look around I see SO MANY overweight people. I'm sitting in the parking lot, and I'm just watching these fat people lumber into the store like wharf rats.

Sure, some people are religious, but having gone to church all my life, I can confidently say that most people go to church for the social experience, or out of habit, or to make themselves feel good. Like with any group, there are a few fanatics — these are the ding dongs who pass out Bible tracks in parking lots and stick them on gas pumps.

So, what I'm saying is that in general, humans are a sorry lot, and if most don't even take care of themselves, how can they be expected to care for the Earth? A good portion of them smoke, which is barbaric, and they blow their shit in the air, and flick their butts on the ground. I call this the 1-2-3 — smokers harm themselves, pollute the air, and litter the ground, all in a few moments. There is no such thing as a smoker who is not an idiot (sorry to hurt your feelings).

This is the landscape, man. This is the human animal that we have to work with. Ain't much is it? And I'm not saying I'm any better than any other fart out there. But at least I'm aware (sentient), and at least I've spent the last 12 years trying to make a positive difference. What I've accomplished, I don't know, but maybe I've created a few sparks that will one day grow into a fire.

From a friend:

Governments and the media absolutely avoid the topics of overpopulation and species extinction. Do they not see the signs of ecological devastation? Colony Collapse Disorder is wiping out honey bee hives and at the current rate of loss honey bees will be extinct in the US by 2030. Sadly, natural pollinator populations have been beaten down due to pollution and habitat loss so now farmers rely on the transport of honey bees to their fields in order to pollinate the crops. Unless we wish to subsist on a gruel of corn and wheat people better start caring soon. Now a similar syndrome is destroying bat colonies. This has been termed White Nose Syndrome and hibernating bats by the tens of thousands have died. This plague began in the NorthEast and is spreading South and West. Why care? Bats are Mother nature's most important insectivore in that a bat will consume its body weight in insects during the course of a single night.

— Frank