Is the Environmental Improving Overall?

[Later]

Facts would be more helpful than opinion. (broken link removed to http://www.epa.gov/ogc/china/initiative_home.htm)

China has been enacting very aggressive environmental reforms in the past few years. Actually China and India enforce these regs quite strictly and directly. When you have populations their size they don't mess around. For example, they declared in Delhi that kerosene and diesel could no longer be used for tuk tuks (ubiquitous 3 wheelers in much of SW Asia). A few years later we were there (2004) and they were all running on compressed natural gas. All of them.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014122054.htm

 

[begreen]

No doubt they have problems, it comes with rapid growth. However, to say they are not acting on these issues is incorrect.

Interesting example though. For acid rain, China is number 3, behind Europe and the US. But they are working on it http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/13/us-china-pollution-idUSTRE70C3G420110113

As for political will, I would say that the US is in a glass house on that score. Industry needs and political favoritism often trump social good regarding the environment.

 

[btuser]

My friends wear slippers when they come to my house because they're worried about how cold its going to be. I keep my house at 70f and that's too cold for most. For every one of us there are 10 others that don't care in the least. Aluminium cans and plastic bags are not going to save the world. Maybe a pandemic or social purge, but of course anything under 4% unemployment just leads to encouraging the population to breed.

Nothing is going to stop us from burning through everything. We would have to start eating rich people before things change.

 

[Jags]

We would have to start eating rich people before things change.

I hear they taste like sea food dipped in butter. :vampire:

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Amen, Btuser. I do think that we should look at our consumption of plastics etc, but ultimately population will be our downfall.

I'm getting the snip. Putting my money where my scrotum is.

 

[Jags]

I'm getting the snip. Putting my money where my scrotum is.

I have never spawned a child - just taking care of someone elses.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I'm getting the snip. Putting my money where my scrotum is.

I have never spawned a child - just taking care of someone elses.

Good on ya bro. I got nothing against breeders (hell, I suspect that my folks were), but if I feel the need to raise kids eventually- there's plenty out there that need a fambly. We're too damn happy being DINKs and trying to plan early retirement.

 

[semipro]

I'm getting the snip. Putting my money where my scrotum is.

I have never spawned a child - just taking care of someone elses.

Good on ya bro. I got nothing against breeders (hell, I suspect that my folks were), but if I feel the need to raise kids eventually- there's plenty out there that need a fambly. We're too damn happy being DINKs and trying to plan early retirement.

I watched as my wife's tube were tied after our 2nd was born. I figure if everyone that wanted kids could just constrain themselves to 2 then we'd have a net population decrease. That doesn't seem like that big of a sacrifice to make. Apparently it is.

 

[Delta-T]

its too bad cannibalism is.....taboo. lots of problems could be solved relatively easily...like the ridiculous number of TV channels with nothing worth watching...eat them people...problem solved.
I hear people are like tofu, basically taste like whatever you cook them with...I like gravy. I'm stickin with the 1 kid....someones gotta do the dishes, right? Besides, he's kinda funny.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Once they invented the remote control, I decided that I didn't need kids.

 

[Delta-T]

Once they invented the remote control, I decided that I didn't need kids.

I could loan you mine if you're ever in a pinch....or if your batteries in your remote die.

 

[WhitePine]

Amen, Btuser. I do think that we should look at our consumption of plastics etc, but ultimately population will be our downfall.

I'm getting the snip. Putting my money where my scrotum is.

Well, I've never heard them called pantalones before, but it's your screen name. :lol:

 

[btuser]

My wife and I had (it BETTER be past tense!) one child and are seen as failures by our friends. Granted, I laugh at single men who think they understand women, and completely resent married couples who are "waiting for the right moment) for kids. So I guess I can understand the lack of relating to our one child by someone who's chosen to pump out 1/2 dozen units.

I like the one child thing. If women had a choice around the world I bet we could solve the population problem. I think education of women is the key to solving this. Literacy coupled with a big push towards female gun ownership!

 

[Jags]

Well, I've never heard them called pantalones before, but it's your screen name. :lol:

I finally freakin' got it. Took me awhile.

 

[Delta-T]

My wife and I had (it BETTER be past tense!) one child and are seen as failures by our friends. Granted, I laugh at single men who think they understand women, and completely resent married couples who are "waiting for the right moment) for kids. So I guess I can understand the lack of relating to our one child by someone who's chosen to pump out 1/2 dozen units.

I like the one child thing. If women had a choice around the world I bet we could solve the population problem. I think education of women is the key to solving this. Literacy coupled with a big push towards female gun ownership!

thats funny, most of my multi-child friends comment that they should have stopped at 1 like we (my wife and i) did.

I'm still viewed as a failure, but having nothing to do with reproduction

 

[semipro]

If women had a choice around the world I bet we could solve the population problem. I think education of women is the key to solving this. Literacy coupled with a big push towards female gun ownership!

Education of women has been shown to be one key to population issues. Worldwide, in general, the more educated a women is the less likely she is to have a greater no. of children. Of course there are numerous exceptions, especially where religion is an big influence.