I know that my writing often strays off topic during it's course to finish line, but ultimately I hope at least that it gets there.
Might I point out the category of this posting. I know the postings I have under that banner are typically a bit numbing, I hope that this posting will enliven you all to the point of frantic scandal.
As quickly as I can.. the anecdote:
I was coming home from a busted bachelor party and had on NPR in a rare state of podlessness when I caught the headlines to what will describe this next image. Please allow your mind to wonder what this image could be of weather it exists, and what it means to you even if it does
What is that thang?
I'll tell you shortly, but first, answer this question in your head before proceeding. No, really answer it. Write it down in a notepad window or on paper (if you're feeling like a Flintstone, PS. The quickest way to boot notepad without touching the mouse is to hit window key + r, then type notepad and hit enter).
Think of the top 5 problems the world faces today. I'll give you some space so that my answers to this question don't spoil what you're coming up with...
Ok here are my answers to that.
1. Overpopulation : I know, I know. Until recently you all have been only ever greeted by the mug of my drooler since she popped out seven months ago since last week, so I'm guilty of the worst crime, but the absolute worse thing you can do for the planet is make a new human for the world to have to support. It's hard fact to face as a human, but it's true. I won't get into why I decided to reproduce, maybe we can talk about that in a different post or in a response, but do some research. Nothing costs the world more resources than it's smartest creature reproducing. All this creature really has to offer is it's thoughts and those have just as much of a habit of screwing things up as the do for fixing things. In a nut shell, more humans means the world needs to produce more food, shelter (not much of a problem there's tons of space.. for now) water for it's life forms. Not just any water, but clean water that we can drink (try drinking salt water when you're thirsty young Skywalker... you will die). Which brings me to the next problem.
2. Clean Water: We've heard about this for along assed time too, and though most of our planet is covered in it, there's not enough of it to satisfy the needs of humanities needs. We don't just use it to drink, we use it for every thing. None the least is growing crops to eat (and I know I'm speeding along here, but) that brings us to the next one.
3. Food: How do we currently feed 6 billion peoples every friggin day? The answer is that we don't. This is why chubby assed Sally Struthers can cry in between shots of a kid that would be much better off it the camera man would just share a bite of the sandwich you know he had that day, but food is really hard to come by for most of the worlds population. This and most of these problems really don't effect us as humans since we're Americans, and we don't have to deal with the very poor class of person who cannot even afford homes and live in the streets to be squished by the reckless rich in their sleep (thanks (e:tinypliny) for that story, which btw ends with that rich dude never even being prosecuted, but I digress), though this next issue is one that no on on the planet is free from or can disagree with (I hope, at this point) and that is ...
4. The energy crisis : Ok, fossil fuel is expensive, finite, and corrosive to the limited amount of space that we have to live in (limited in comparison to the amount of reality there is, space, infinity etc, and how much of it we can occupy without dying or bringing something that can sustain us, a space ship for instance... don't let that last bit scare you off yet though, it's going to get really good soon). However, it's uses out strip the possibility of omitting it from our lives out right. We desperately need a new way of collecting/controlling energy that's not finite or destructive and one should exist since we understand that energy and matter cannot be created or destroyed it can only change forms. We just need a form that's not worsening the next issue.
5. The Carbon debt : I know you've heard it all before, but I'll explain it quickly and shortly. A byproduct of energy is carbon which traps the suns rays and is raising the temperature of world overall by a few degrees, which to the common man means nothing until you watch this youtube video that will probably be the subject of summer blockbusters after we run out of superheros and Saturday morning cartoons. Just check out the video I've babbled enough here:
[b]Part One of Five[b/
Ok, we're finally here. Every phase of humanities existence is marked by some technological age that pushes the capiblites of humanity to change in ways that makes all other way until that point pale in comparison, we mark them in ages(Stone Age, Bronze Age, ...Industrial Age, Information Age ). Currently we are in the information age and it's coming swiftly to a close, but not without leaving behind a world in many ways better, and quite a few more worse...
Ok go read this and come back amazed. I won't pretend I can do as good a job reporting as an NPR writer:
Spain Runs Europe's First Commercial Solar Plant
Yeah, It is a solar power plant, and it's real and capable of not only producing enough energy from solar power, but a byproduct of the energy's production is clean water, which can bring water to areas of the world that were until now to expensive to aerate, which could stem world hunger or at least this corn/rice/wheat crisis that's coming from the ethanol semi solution.
II think that as this technology spreads we'll be entering the Solar Age, and possibly a second Renaissance, but I'm getting all romantic. I really want to know what you peeps think...
Well, at any rate... happy grand theft auto 4 day, and may this uncontrollable source of free energy make fighting for finite resources I mean crime, I mean a war on terror a thing of the past...
first of all, i would like to thank you for the windows + r + notepad thingie. awesome.
secondly - humans suck and we are ruining everything, but go spain!
Humans are the worst thing that ever happened to this planet. The thing that I find interesting is that as us humans pump all the bad stuff into the air, I think that it enhances the global warming that would happen on its own. It is very possible that Fl, LA, TX, and some of CA get flooded off the map and the ocean moves to Buffalo as an example will kill off a lot of people. If some farms turn into desserts more mass deaths. But see all these people dying is good for the earth cause there will be less poultion. At some time the earth will become healthy it is just a matter of if there will be humans left I think there will be. There is a balance in nature. It gets hotter so when a huricaine happens it gets stronger and it can kill more people. Off course there is a randomness to it all and maybe the places that are overcrowed won't get wipped out. The thing that is stupid is that we sell cars to china. That was a bad idea they all rode bikes if they all drive a car I can't imagine what it would do to the earth, I really can't. I'm not sure when I first heard of solar power but it was a long time ago and it is so underused. When I first heard about it there where panels that could collect ultravilot light meaning that when it was overcast and cloudy you still got the light that we can't see and gain power. I heard someone on the radio suggest why not set up pannels in the the desert, that is a good idea. Oh by the way great post by the way.
Sorry, no controversy: I agree with you. I even knew what the tower was before I scrolled down. My only disagreement is with your "second renaossamce" line. I think at best, this technology will only keep things from getting worse.
For a interesting take on these big problems and how Christians are called to respond to them, read Everything Must Change.
:::link:::