Why not teach kids something better than recycling. That has been pounded into them with a sledge hammer. Why not teach them to hold elected officials accountable? It was Earth Day at Pinecrest Gardens so there were plenty of kids on hand touting green initiatives. I asked them all: "Who is the Governor of Florida?" Only one kid knew. Somehow we have to teach kids that who gets elected is a hell of a lot more important for the environment than if you throw your soda cans in the right bin.
I think that kids should be taught to routinely put what is important to them in an email (i.e. more funding for solar power research, stopping development bordering the Everglades) and send it out to all these lobbyists' puppet politicians. Then the kids should teach their parents a thing or two about voting for candidates that are responsive, not only reactive to their campaign contributors. And, if every politician down here got 1,000 emails about more funding for solar power research, we would have more action there. If not, there would be 1,000 kids getting a taste of what it is like to be ignored by those who should be beholden to their voters (and their families), a very good lesson to learn early.
17 comments:
Was Chicken Little also there to discuss the imminent fall of our sky?
...says Mitch the Ostrich (with head in the sand). The only way we deal with global warming, a scientific fact...sorry Glenn Beck, is via a carbon tax. Not popular or a way to get elected, but what's needed to counter it.
John
regarding your post, I couldn't agree more! I think this is a major problem
The presentation should be made before every city council meeting and those lidar maps showing the disintegration of south Florida into the sea should be displayed at city and county hall lobbies, libraries, condo lobbies.
To Mitch: As Col. Nathan R. Jessup said:
"You can't handle the truth."
Cool. I am going to use this scenario to scare my wife in to letting me get a boat.
M
Carl hiaasen should talk to the children about this at his readings promoting his new kids book, "Chomp." One way to reach that next generation who will have to contend with water and food shortages, disease and massive migrations, extreme deadly weather systems like we saw this weekend.
As Prof Wanless said at the end of his talk- it will be up to the soccer moms to save the world - if it's not good for their kids, it's just not good. Ironically as Wanless wrapped up his speech in Pinecrest, Hiaasen was starting his book reading across town. Plenty of soccer moms there to organize.
I explained to a student going to Florida State the control the tea party and the Koch brothers had gained at the University through their donations. When she returned for a visit, I became aware that she didn't even know who the governor of Florida was, much less what he was up to. A college student! Living in Tallahassee! We are doomed for sure!
At the ASPA Conference at Nova U. on Friday, we had an excellent panel on Sea Level Rise featuring Dr. Leonard Berry, Ramon Trias, a city planner, and former Speaker of the House Tom Gustafson.
The discussion was all about the responsibility of public administrators to incorporate adaptation planing into every project they build and every development function they regulate in South Florida...because the sea is going to rise.
There are things that can be done to prepare for the inevitable. Running away is not the only option. We need a 100-year plan to transform our region. The adaptation plan needs to begin implementation today.
DOT, the U.S. Navy, the Army Corps of Engineers have all incorporated sea-level rise into their project designs...local officials need to do the same.
Terry, can you explain why Natacha Seijas prohibited the release of GIS / LIDAR maps showing exactly where sea level rise is going to impact Miami-Dade?
Terry are you trying to rehabilitate yourself after years of helping Seijas terrorize just about everyone?
Publish the lidar maps now. Natasha isn't even around. Also, Terry, there is no way to prePare or fortify Against sea level rise.,all we can hope for is an orderly exit.
The DERM Director refused to order the LIDAR maps. Go figure.
So I guess the fact that the world's preeminent climactic research scientists at the Cimactic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, who were caught red handed cooking their books and data to support their foregone conclusion of global temperature rise, as well as discussing the best ways to isolate and freeze out (ha, ha....that was good comedy!) dissenting scientists from trade journals and publication makes no difference to the greenies who want global warming so bad they can taste it. The "facts" are, the very scientists (and I use the term loosely) upon whose data you are relying have been proved fraudulent purveyors of untruth, deliberately and with malice. To refuse to acknowledge this fact is really appropriate to the photo that banners this blog article. See you on Miami Beach 100 years from now!
David, see you in scuba gear IN Miami beach in 40 years!
It's easy to teach kids about recycling because it's something tangible.
You can show kids a picnic table made out of old recycled tires and bottles.
It's much harder to demonstrate political accountability.
And while certain weather events like this past weekend could be used to show Global warming, most of what I've heard is years in the future. Even if it's 20 years away. Who wants to deal with that now? And the stuff that's 40 years, or 100? We are selfish people, dealing with the here and now.
I'll be lucky to be here 40 years from now, why should I care?
(not my feeling, but those of many others)
David, David, David, (sigh)
Your arguments are so five minutes ago.
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2012/04/evaluating-a-1981-temperature-projection/
Post a Comment