today's pollution vs yesterdays

[Mystic]

My eleven year old son brought up a good question yesterday and i thought it would make a good discussion on here.

Environmentalists and scientists all had something to say about pollution and its effects on the environment. they had statistics and all kinds of studies showing us limitless reports on air pollutants and all kinds of other things, prior to the economic down turn when we were all at a high boom and pumping it out by the second.....so, do you think they will come out with another study showing how the closing of a lot of plants has proven their theories or will this blow their theories out of the water and they will remain silent on the global effects?

 

[canidae]

There are conflicting studies over the effects humans have on the environment as it is. I think the debate is important to the future of the planet - it's too bad a portion of the 'experts' have to be so closed minded in their positions one way or another.

I think whatever information comes out one way or another will depend on who has control of said info and whether or not they want it known, or how they want it known.

 

[Mystic]

that is a very good point. i should imagine a lot of what we should know vs what we need to know vs what we are allowed to know all conflict with one another.

my family and i got into the conversation about it all when my dad was over. he said this years sail across the ocean was very different...he said the ocean seemed dead. He said usually they would see whales, tuna, turtles and many flying fish and several sharks, but this year only a few flying fish and a very small pod of dolphins. he then went on to say he could see that in less than 20 years there will be no life left in the seas. He had sailed from Liverpool(uk) to and around spain down the african coast and across to the americas. Its real life events such as this that open peoples eyes to what we are doing to our planet.....but how many people get to travel enough to see this sort of life and death changes in our environment to see the benefits of all these plants and large corporations that create a lot of the pollutions. I hope science is taking note of this down time in the economics when people are driving less, throwing away less and etc, to see how even just a bit can help or perhaps its too late....perhaps the extinction level is just too close now and we can't and won't turn around because large corporation says no to life and yes to money and death.

 

[ssl]

that is a very good point. i should imagine a lot of what we should know vs what we need to know vs what we are allowed to know all conflict with one another.

my family and i got into the conversation about it all when my dad was over. he said this years sail across the ocean was very different...he said the ocean seemed dead. He said usually they would see whales, tuna, turtles and many flying fish and several sharks, but this year only a few flying fish and a very small pod of dolphins. he then went on to say he could see that in less than 20 years there will be no life left in the seas. He had sailed from Liverpool(uk) to and around spain down the african coast and across to the americas. Its real life events such as this that open peoples eyes to what we are doing to our planet.....but how many people get to travel enough to see this sort of life and death changes in our environment to see the benefits of all these plants and large corporations that create a lot of the pollutions. I hope science is taking note of this down time in the economics when people are driving less, throwing away less and etc, to see how even just a bit can help or perhaps its too late....perhaps the extinction level is just too close now and we can't and won't turn around because large corporation says no to life and yes to money and death.

while I do not say his observations are flawed/wrong, they may be able to be amended for other options besides they all died.

they could be reserving their energy, as the upper levels of the ocean have warmed up, therefore they may be seeking the colder locations, which will be farther down, reducing the number of times they may be seen at the surface, messing around.

we can definitely agree :thumbup that all is not well with the oceans...

 

[KpAtch3s]

My experience with the ocean is a lot different from what you explain. Here in Florida I see dolphins all the time and a few times they have taken aerial photos of the shoreline where you could see hundreds of sharks swimming just behind the first sand bar . Then I spent some time in AK last summer and the sea life there is amazing and abundant.

My experience is pretty limited to what your dad's seen, but I've seen quite a bit of stuff as well.

 

[JanieDough]

all i know is when i was growing up in the 90's we were told not to use disposable things like razors, plates, diapers, etc. and to recycle

now EVERYTHING is disposable - thanks swiffer

and not much has been added to list of materials we can recycle

 

[Peter Parka]

The rivers in London are a hell of a lot less poluted than they were 50, 40, 30, 20, even 10 years ago. Lots of species have returned to them, you even get otters in some parts of London now.

 

[Dana]

all i know is when i was growing up in the 90's we were told not to use disposable things like razors, plates, diapers, etc. and to recycle

now EVERYTHING is disposable - thanks swiffer

and not much has been added to list of materials we can recycle

because more and more products are becoming biodegradable.

 

[JanieDough]

because more and more products are becoming biodegradable.

like clorox wipes and swiffer products??

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I COMPLETELY say recyclable over biodegradable, because then you dont have to go back out and get more materials, but with biodegradable, we just have less garbage to deal--still doesn't help our limited resources a bit.