copenhagen

[Strangelet]

the world leaders descend on copenhagen. meanwhile the problem is solved in some schmo's backyard

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122522.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily% 3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122522.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily% 3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher)

i'm not being glib. I'm a firm believer that the world's course of history hangs on a single question: will we develop an ecologically sound renewable energy economy.

[Sean]

I absolutely agree. If we don't start implementing ways to live in a balanced way with our environment right now, we're just going to snuff ourselves out and take countless other species along with us. Unfortunately, we're already making over 100 species go extinct daily, and a huge portion of the planet's population seems almost willfully unaware of the intricacies of basic ecosystems. We saw it in the recent case of farmers suffering through drought-induced water shortages, when only limited relief water was made available to them due to policies put in place to protect an endangered smelt population. One quote I found about it was "We're looking after fish, and yet we're losing crops," says almond farmer Cort Blackburn. "You cannot put the fish in front of all the people." But protecting endangered species IS helpful to people. Smelt may not seem important in and of themselves from a human perspective, but they're a food source to bass, which people eat. Kill off the smelt, and lose the bass. It's such simple logic that seems to be out of the reach of so many people's understanding...

[Strangelet]

pictures showing the extent of industrial pollution in china

http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/