Ironworks Gaming Forum - View Single Post - Government & Corporate Power versus Environment poll

Fljotsdale · 05-07-2001, 05:57 AM

OK. Here are a few of my thought on the issue. Not profound, not clever, not by any means all my thoughts about it:

I’m another fence-sitter in some ways. Yes, I truly believe we are destroying our environment – but I also believe that ‘going back to nature’ is not an option. If we all went back to nature we would destroy the environment even more than we are now (can you see the effect on nature if the present world population became hunter-gatherer’s?).

I have lived long enough to observe, just in my own city, the effect we are having on wildlife, and I will tell you just one example of it.
When I was growing up in the late 30’s, 40’s and early 50’s, I lived on the outskirts this city, and frequently went into the city centre. Wherever I went in the city there were great flocks of sparrows (drab little brown seedeater) and starlings (a larger, speckled, black bird with a blue/green gloss). You couldn’t walk along a pavement (sidewalk!) anywhere without having a flock of ‘em fly from under your feet. OK. Too many. Gradually the numbers decreased. Natural balance, no doubt.
BUT. I still live in the same city, also on the outskirts, though different area, and I have not seen a sparrow or a starling for years and YEARS. Why? It ain’t just ‘natural balance’. There are clearly a number of reasons, but the two principle ones seem to be the spraying of chemicals on crops, and the phenomenal increase in the number of domestic cats.
I never thought much about environmental issues. After all, life goes on, doesn’t it, and you can’t stop progress, and who wants to anyway – I love my creature comforts as much as the next man/woman and don’t want to lose them. I also know that fighting big Corporates and Governments is doomed to failure. I’m not a starry-eyed utopian (but I’d LOVE a real Utopia!)
So. I started to think about what I COULD do. I could be careful about keeping my garden chemical free (yeah, I know it’s in the atmosphere, but no need to add to it), and grow stuff birds & butterflies like to eat, and encourage slugs (bird food!) by letting the leaves lie. I could use public transport instead of my motor-bike (less convenient, but hey, minor sacrifice, and anyway my family worried about me!). I could be careful about the food I bought (it’s a bore to read labels at first, but you get to know what’s ok pretty fast). I could make sure I never dropped litter. I could re-cycle… etc, etc, etc.
After all, the ONLY effective way of dealing with policies you don’t like is to resist quietly by refusing to buy/buy into stuff you object to.
That way, if enough of us do it, the Corporates and the Governments will get the message. After all, they are in it to make a profit, and if they find that the only way they can make a profit is to produce in such a way as to preserve the environment, THEY’LL DO IT!
Demo’s are all very well, but it is YOUR PURCHASING POWER that will affect their methods, not the demos alone.
Heck, I haven’t said anything like as much as I’d like, but you don’t want to read an essay!

Anyway, just look for ways YOU can help, even in very small ways. IT COUNTS!

------------------
Smile! Life is too short for bitching!

Fljotsdale

[This message has been edited by Fljotsdale (edited 05-07-2001).]

05-07-2001, 05:57 AM	#16
Fljotsdale Thoth - Egyptian God of Wisdom Join Date: March 12, 2001 Location: Birmingham, West Mid\'s, England Age: 88 Posts: 2,859	OK. Here are a few of my thought on the issue. Not profound, not clever, not by any means all my thoughts about it: I’m another fence-sitter in some ways. Yes, I truly believe we are destroying our environment – but I also believe that ‘going back to nature’ is not an option. If we all went back to nature we would destroy the environment even more than we are now (can you see the effect on nature if the present world population became hunter-gatherer’s?). I have lived long enough to observe, just in my own city, the effect we are having on wildlife, and I will tell you just one example of it. When I was growing up in the late 30’s, 40’s and early 50’s, I lived on the outskirts this city, and frequently went into the city centre. Wherever I went in the city there were great flocks of sparrows (drab little brown seedeater) and starlings (a larger, speckled, black bird with a blue/green gloss). You couldn’t walk along a pavement (sidewalk!) anywhere without having a flock of ‘em fly from under your feet. OK. Too many. Gradually the numbers decreased. Natural balance, no doubt. BUT. I still live in the same city, also on the outskirts, though different area, and I have not seen a sparrow or a starling for years and YEARS. Why? It ain’t just ‘natural balance’. There are clearly a number of reasons, but the two principle ones seem to be the spraying of chemicals on crops, and the phenomenal increase in the number of domestic cats. I never thought much about environmental issues. After all, life goes on, doesn’t it, and you can’t stop progress, and who wants to anyway – I love my creature comforts as much as the next man/woman and don’t want to lose them. I also know that fighting big Corporates and Governments is doomed to failure. I’m not a starry-eyed utopian (but I’d LOVE a real Utopia!) So. I started to think about what I COULD do. I could be careful about keeping my garden chemical free (yeah, I know it’s in the atmosphere, but no need to add to it), and grow stuff birds & butterflies like to eat, and encourage slugs (bird food!) by letting the leaves lie. I could use public transport instead of my motor-bike (less convenient, but hey, minor sacrifice, and anyway my family worried about me!). I could be careful about the food I bought (it’s a bore to read labels at first, but you get to know what’s ok pretty fast). I could make sure I never dropped litter. I could re-cycle… etc, etc, etc. After all, the ONLY effective way of dealing with policies you don’t like is to resist quietly by refusing to buy/buy into stuff you object to. That way, if enough of us do it, the Corporates and the Governments will get the message. After all, they are in it to make a profit, and if they find that the only way they can make a profit is to produce in such a way as to preserve the environment, THEY’LL DO IT! Demo’s are all very well, but it is YOUR PURCHASING POWER that will affect their methods, not the demos alone. Heck, I haven’t said anything like as much as I’d like, but you don’t want to read an essay! Anyway, just look for ways YOU can help, even in very small ways. IT COUNTS! ------------------ Smile! Life is too short for bitching! Fljotsdale [This message has been edited by Fljotsdale (edited 05-07-2001).]