Not sure how many of you saw this last night, but in light of the recent concern in various threads of the way we are destroying habitats and causing declines in numbers I thought I'd post this link. Unbelievable when we think of pristine ocean environments.
Here isi a link to the ABC 7.30 report:
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3405538.htm#
Thanks again birdie for the link, I didn't watch it. I hope everyone on BIBY will see this, the only way to change anything is each and everyone of us HAS to change their attidude towards the environment. Change the habit of throwing out ,instead recicle. Even better put pressure on manufacturers not to use plastic in the first place. What we should be using instead is "our brains", think before you act, and do the thinking NOW, tomorrow might be to late for many species, including us. M-L
M-L
Yes we watched it with amazement and consternation - who would have thought our rubbish would reach so far? We do try to be careful anyway, but will be even more so now. Hope lots of people watched and use less plastic whenever possible.
Meave
With all the information we now have about the negative impact we're having on the environment, with all the ways of communication available to us, with all the publicity, with all the understanding we STILL continue to wreck Earth. One could be forgiven for thinking there are powerful forces at work against our planet. The challenge is to combat them & defeat them. As a species are we up to it?
Hi Woko, originally I was going to say something more polemic , but after having read your comment, I changed my mind. I’m not so sure if we can actually have a discussion like this one here on a bird forum, but the only thing you said I want to respond to, is the idea of ”us as a species”, and what we could achieve? Some time ago, I belonged to a “humanist society”, that’s when it dawned on me, how far off we all were of “mainstream society”. I now am absolutely certain, what you and I think is the species that could , or might be asked to change our planet, does not exist. I realized , “thinking and the capacity to solve problems” is a luxury only very few people on this planet can have. If you look at the majority of the earth’s inhabitants, for various reasons , cannot afford to think. Most of the world population is poor and their first and most important goal is , where will my next meal come from. If you then look at the rest of us, a very high percentage of us is occupied making more money, (taking it off you and me), or are Politicians(?). Coming to the people that have the time and luxury to think, most of them do just that, very few of those will act to put there believes into practice. There you have my thoughts. That should however NOT discourage Idealists like us(?) from turning into Activists. All movements always start with individuals pointing out issues that need changing. Pointing out shortcomings every day to people makes a difference. Let’s all work on it! M-L
M-L
How complicated & fraught with competing values & views is this, Araminta?!!!!
The vast majority of our species is trying to survive which means that it will use whatever resources are necessary & available for that task.
At this stage, the economic system has brought many millions out of abject poverty to the point where they aspire to what the minority, mainly Western, has. So those millions, too, will exploit whatever resources are necessary & available.
The minority, mainly Western, will continue to hold to the value that economic growth is good so there will be more exploitation of whatever resources are necessary & available.
As these scenarios are unsustainable in a finite world there will be, at some point, environmental collapse (it's our environment that provides the resources) so that resources will no longer be available. This will lead to population collapse of Homo sapiens to match the population collapses of a huge variety of animal & plant species.
Perhaps Earth will eventually return to a much higher level of biodiversity but it will take millions of years. Such is the nature of evolutionary changes of which we are such a significant part.
Unfortunately, Homo sapiens seems able to think only short term, usually until the next election. Evolution doesn't operate short term & our species has yet to come to terms with this.
What do we do in the meantime? Each of us has to make a choice & all of our choices will become part of the great evolutionary tapestry.
I may think differently tomorrow but that's part of my evolution!
Goodness... I can't even follow most of this!!!!! LOL hopefully it means you are both concerned for our environment and will spread the word. Marie-Louise ... you will have to speak in simple words for me as my brain is still not functioning well after 6 months of pollution and toxicity! and Woko yes I think more long term too and despair.
Sunshine Coast Queensland
I don’t see any competing values in what I said, Woko. Problem here is, that it is almost impossible to explain those complexities in on short post. I agree with everything you are saying about us as the most destructive species (although equipped with brains capable to find solutions),on this planet. Sorry, but the point I was making obviously didn’t come across , but I think you are making a similar point: Thinking is a luxury only a minority on this planet can indulge in. That has all the effects you are talking about, with all the consequences resulting from it. We could talk about it for weeks and not find any solution to the problem, except maybe” education “ ?? could bring about change?
Thanks Adrienne, sometimes what I say is the result of having thought about a topic for a long time, that what I write down is more condenced than it should be to be understood.You will just have to learn to read the rest of my thoughts, the things I don't say. M-L
Confusing??
M-L
See what you have done? You made me think. I’m just taking your point Woko: each of us has to make a choice- , I have a problem with that, how many people on this earth actually have a choice to make?? To simplify what I’m thinking (again). Millions of poor people in this world cannot be worried about issues like Japanese hunting Wales, people clear felling rainforests, or throwing rubbish in the Oceans etc , WE have to find the solutions! But I’m certain there are many people in our parts of the world, thinking hard about how to sell stuff to them, that will pollute and destroy. (it used to be called exploitation, now it is called clever economy ?)….… it is as Adrienne says, WE have to think long term. M-L
M-L
I was just thinking Woko and Araminta...as deep thinkers we should find a forum to chat to eachother. I have a blog so maybe I could learn how to use it???? By forum I mean ...media method! LOL
Marie Louise I will email you and see what we can work out... after 8 months of being ill I think my brain needs an outlet when it comes back !
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Hi, Araminta. My reference to competing values was about competing values in the world at large rather than in what you posted. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.
And thanks for your thinking about those who don't have the option of thinking because they're too busy surviving. Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs explains that if people are trying to hunt down food & shelter or are trying to find a safe place in which to exist then they won't have time for Beethoven, saving whales or our planet. As you say, it's those whose basic needs are satisfied who do have choices to make about whether they'll be Earth destroyers or Earth protectors.
birdie, I'm ambivalent about a forum such as you're suggesting. While it would be great to share thoughts this way I have so many other things in which I'm immersed that I need to be careful about where I put my time & energy. I'm not saying that I won't be involved but that I'm cautious about committing to it at this stage.
But I think you're right. These sorts of postings probably belong in another place.
Sorry you haven't got the time to be part of our discussions.Now answering to what you said in your last post,
I did not need Abraham Maslow, never heard of him, what I said were my own conclusions. And yes, I do worry about the underprivileged, no need to thank me for that. But mostly, I DO MY OWN THINKING. M-L
M-L