Science, ecology. --- .This section is about ecology. Topics include: ( ) Nature. ( ) Philosophy and ecology. ( ) Pollution. ( ) Population. ( ) Psychology and ecology. ( ) Resources. ( ) Vegetarianism. --- 1/24/2006
Science, ecology. --- (1) Ecological levels. Individuals, populations, communities, ecosystems, the biosphere (gaia). (2) The environment. Elements, mechanisms. Problem approach, ideal state approach. (3) Mans effect on environment, and thus on himself. Help vs. hurt. Ability to recover, time it takes. Damage takes to destroy completely. Manmade extinctions. Pollution/poisoning. Destroying ecosystems: rainforests. Overcrowding by humans. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- (1) How much green plants (trees, shrubs, grass) do we need per person for oxygen production? How much fresh water does a person need (drinking one gallon a day)? How much arable land does a person need (four acres per year)? Fruits and vegies: 1/2 lb. per day. Grain: 1 lb. per day. Protein: 1/2 lb. per day. (2) How much pollution can you put in the air, water and land without it changing the environment for the worse? One person's garbage per year (and also garbage from pets, livestock and industry). Paper, plastic, metal, and human waste. Biodegradable vs. recycled vs. landfill. --- 4/4/1999
Science, ecology. --- (1) How to save the top soil? (2) Get rid of clothes dyes and wood varnishes. Recycle plastics into clothing. (3) How many tin cans, paper, and plastics do I create in waste per year? (4) My car used approximately 500 gallons of gas per year, which produced how much co2 when burned? And took how much energy and pollution to refine, and transport from refinery to local gas station? (5) If I eat 8 oz. Spaghetti, 15 oz. Kidney beans, 1 qt. Milk, 2 eggs, 6 oz. Tuna, 1 banana, apple, orange, 4 oz. Oatmeal per day, how much per year in money, weight, and land does it take to grow? --- 02/24/1994
Science, ecology. --- (1) Needs: everyone should have food, clothing, shelter, and a library of words, music, and images. We don't need shit that breaks quick, can't be recycled, useless junk. (2) Strategies. Reduce amount and toxicity of stuff used and wastes produced. Reduce excess: things too big or too many made. Public outcry must force corporate change and development. Government must make better ecological laws. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- (1) Organic: reproducing plant and animal population management, too few vs. too many. (2) Inorganic: air, water and earth, too much vs. not enough. (3) Monitor everything everywhere. (4) Resources: what do we have, and what can we use it for. --- 09/08/1993
Science, ecology. --- (1) Renewable vs. non-renewable resources. Renewable is better. (2) Biodegradable vs. non-biodegradable resources. Biodegradable is better. --- 11/15/2001
Science, ecology. --- (1) Save yourself: physical, psychological, financial health. Save your neighbor: charity of $ and time. Help poor and third world. Do not screw your neighbor. Save the earth: We do not own the earth, we just borrow it from our kids. (2) Buy organic food. Buy local. Support farmers who do not use pesticide, herbicide, or petroleum fertilizer. Do not waste water or paper, etc. Do not buy tons of junk, material possessions. Recycle paper metal glass plastic, make little garbage. Take mass transit, save gas and decrease pollution. Preach it. Pressure legislators to enact pro-environmental legislation. We all need the environment. Do not let one person fu*k it up for the others. Individuals are not free to screw others. Organic clothes. $ to environmental organizations. Support researchers of environment. Wear forest green as a political statement, and promote green awareness. Electric cars. Zero population growth = no new houses. Join a green organization and get a newsletter. The seventies were a back to nature decade. One good effect was the environmental awareness it raised. Ozone hole. Global warming. Deforestation. Biodiversity. Endangered species. Eat low on the food chain, it has less impact, avoid fished out seas, meat wastes grain. Public safety, the speed limit, car safety standards. --- 03/16/1997
Science, ecology. --- (1) Toilet. Toilet flush uses 2 gallons? 4 flushes per person per day uses up 8 gallons per person per day. Two people 16 gallons. Urinals use less? (2) Lighting. Fluorescent bulbs cost 10 times as much and last 10 times as long (same cost), but they give the same lighting using 1/3 the energy (25 vs. 75 watts). (3) Combine the television, computer, and stereo. Give this new device a flat screen (like a laptop). (3) No hair dryers (wear short hair). No clothes dryers (set up lines inside). (4) Smaller homes for new smaller families. No homes and yards as status symbols. (5) No cars (use mass transit). (6) Organic food, and organic clothes and shoes. (7) Donate unneeded stuff to goodwill. (8) The green lawn, american symbol of success, is an environmental disaster area. It requires large quantities of fresh water. It requires herbicides and pesticides. It uses oil based fertilizers. It often requires a small engine lawn mower which is highly polluting. Don't grow lawns. (9) Get rid of bleach (chlorine) and other household chemicals, especially aerosols. (10) No air conditioning. Use ceiling fans and spray bottles. (11) Take quick showers. (12) Voluntary simplicity. Less stuff. Less clothes. Little furniture (bed, desk, chair, couch, all ecologically friendly). (13) Books on cd-rom to save paper of books and wood of bookcases. (14) Energy efficient windows and frames. (15) Ecological cellulose based insulation. --- 07/02/1997
Science, ecology. --- Alternatives for a sustainable society. (1) Make all non-renewable resources illegal. (2) Make all non-biodegradable resources illegal. (3) Ration meat, or heavily tax meat. (4) Heavily tax cars. Reward mass transit use. (5) No plastics. No gasoline. (6) Reduce coal produced electricity use by making it illegal. Promote solar, wind and water power sources. (7) Reduce pollution by electricity generating plants. Reduce pollution by automobiles. (8) Penalty for bad things (tax). Reward for good things (tax breaks). (9) Sustainable society mandatory. --- 1/14/1999
Science, ecology. --- An alternative. We should set up a mandatory sustainable society. Use of non-renewable resources should be illegal. Use of non-biodegradable products should be illegal. --- 1/20/1999
Science, ecology. --- Biomass. Types of species, number of each species. Changes in population size. Relationships to other life forms (effects of and on). Relationships to the inorganic environment. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Buy organic, not so much for your personal health, but to make the environment healthier. Less nitrate fertilizers, pesticides, and loss of topsoil. --- 01/06/1997
Science, ecology. --- By individual, by country, and total, how measure mans control over his actions? Tech questions. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Clothing. Help the environment by wearing locally grown, organic clothing. --- 5/22/2007
Science, ecology. --- CO2. A breathing human puts out how much greenhouse carbon dioxide? How many plants (algae, grass, shrubs, trees) are needed to transform that carbon dioxide into oxygen? In addition, how much carbon dioxide per person is created by automobiles, industry and the animals we eat? How many more plants are need to transform that additional carbon dioxide into oxygen. Carbon dioxide is only one small part of the pollution issue. Many other compounds are involved. --- 8/8/2000
Science, ecology. --- CO2. How much Co2 does one tree use up per day and how much 02 does it produce? How much O2 does one person breathe per day and how much c02 do they expel? How much c02 do cars and industries produce per day? --- 09/06/1993
Science, ecology. --- Coffee and tea. If one drinks two cups of coffee or tea per day, how much land is required to grow the plants that produce that coffee or tea? That is, what is the environmental impact of drinking two cups of coffee or tea per day? --- 12/16/2004
Science, ecology. --- Coffee and tea. They cut down rain forests to grow it. --- 3/30/1998
Science, ecology. --- Computers and ecology. PART ONE. Objections to computers. Computers are not ecological. Computers will never be ecological. Putting computer chips in everything (ex. toasters, etc.) only messes up the environment more. (2) Computers are not cheap. Computers will never be cheap. PART TWO. Hope for computers. (1) Make PC's smaller, so that they are cheaper and have less environmental impact. (2) Network computers connected to webservices and application service providers will require only a screen and a keyboard. --- 6/20/2001
Science, ecology. --- Coral reefs occur in coastal areas and hold most of the ocean's biodiversity. They are being destroyed by warm water and run off of fertilizer and manure. --- 9/18/1998
Science, ecology. --- Endgames: global, societal, and individual. --- 01/01/1993
Science, ecology. --- Energy. Wood, oil, gas, coal. Amount we have, amount we use. Energy they yield, pollution they make. --- 08/24/1994
Science, ecology. --- Environment factors: animate and inanimate. Role they play in health/unhealth. Move from big to small. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Environment. The degradation of the environment by humans continues to be a big problem worldwide. Some conservative pundits would have you believe that the environment is not an important issue, but those conservative pundits are wrong. Some conservative pundits would have you believe that its either not a problem or that nothing can be done about it, but those conservative pundits are wrong. --- 6/26/2005
Science, ecology. --- Environmental science (ecology) = biology + earth science. --- 09/20/1993
Science, ecology. --- Food. Every day I eat how much? Every year I eat how much? How much does it take to produce this food? --- 01/01/1993
Science, ecology. --- Food. Help the environment by eating locally grown, organic foods. --- 5/22/2007
Science, ecology. --- Food. Pesticide free farming, fertilizer free farming, how much land, work, time does it take to feed one person for one year if they grow their own vs. modern agribusiness is used. --- 04/01/1994
Science, ecology. --- For any level of ecological sustainability, the question, "What is the maximum carrying capacity?", is a different question from, "What is the optimal carrying capacity?". By levels of ecological sustainability I mean, for example, if only renewable resources are used, or if only biodegradable wastes are produced. --- 3/29/2002
Science, ecology. --- Genetic engineering. I do not think we should genetically alter plants, animals and humans. Let us lower world population rather than alter plant genes to feed us. Have less kids. --- 1/14/1999
Science, ecology. --- How much does one person, a nation, and the world; in one day, a year, and a life; need optimally vs. actually use, produce, or drink, eat, piss, shit, or breath in O2, breath out CO2? How can we conserve resources and reduce waste? --- 01/01/1993
Science, ecology. --- How much stuff does a person need? How much junk does a person produce? --- 04/01/1994
Science, ecology. --- Human ecology is most important. What is an ecology system like when it is working right? What are the causes and effects when it starts whacking out? How can we tell when this is happening? --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Humans are the kudzu of the animal world. Unfortunately, humans seem to be in the same category as roaches, rats, kudzu and other encroaching species. --- 7/1/2006
Science, ecology. --- Humans: getting them up to speed takes a lot of work, they fu*k up easily, and they are tough to control. --- 08/25/1994
Science, ecology. --- I do not believe in shaping tofu into hot dogs. I do not believe in knitting synthetic fibers to resemble fur. Tofu hot dogs and faux fur are an homage to hot dogs and fur. Why bother doing a homage to something that is bad to begin with? Why shape tofu to resemble hot dogs? Why knit synthetics to resemble fur? If you say that meat is murder and fur is murder then why shape good materials to resemble bad materials? --- 10/29/2005
Science, ecology. --- I knew society was in trouble when society voiced a desire to get synthetic chemicals out of the drinking water and then at the same time society started putting its drinking water in synthetic plastic containers. --- 9/19/2001
Science, ecology. --- If everyone in the world consumed as many resources as Americans consume then the world could not support it. If Americans lived as sustainably as most of the rest of the world then Americans would have to curtail many of their activities. --- 10/8/2005
Science, ecology. --- Information, media, education. Help the environment by recycling newspapers. Help the environment by purchasing green computers. Help the environment by recycling your computer. Help the environment by buying rechargeable batteries. --- 5/22/2007
Science, ecology. --- Lawns and pools. It is well known in ecological circles that the average American lawn and pool are chemical dumps. Start living green. --- 6/22/2001
Science, ecology. --- Light and heat. (1) Instead of lighting the entire room, light what's in front of you by wearing a headlamp. (2) Instead of heating the entire room, heat what's around you by wearing self-heating clothes. --- 2/21/2004
Science, ecology. --- Low technology attitudes hamper the environmental movement. --- 11/30/1997
Science, ecology. --- Man controlling his environment: what is the best mix (quantity and quality, number and type) of living things vs. man vs. manmade things (tech). Once you determine this, how do you maintain control over the mix, against natural and manmade changes (technological and legal)? I.e., which, where, how much, how to, why? --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Method. (1) Acquire scientific proof of how earth is being polluted. (2) Proof of harm the pollution is causing to humans and environment. (3) Pressure government to pass pro-environment laws. Higher standards, and stiffer penalties. (4) Educate people to change their behavior. People are lazy, dumb, self centered, and apolitical. --- 08/17/1997
Science, ecology. --- Methods. Monitor everything, everywhere. Resources: what do we have, what can we make from it? Inorganic environment: air, earth, water, chemicals. Organic environment: population management of living things (plants, animals, humans) too few vs. too many. --- 01/01/1993
Science, ecology. --- Methods. Monitor. Know every living and nonliving thing in environment. Know optimal levels of each. Know when explosions or extinctions occur. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Methods. Save the environment. (1) Monitor to prove pollution. (2) Communicate to spread the word. (3) Regulate: the only way to save the environment. (4) Discover and invent new green technologies. --- 12/20/1998
Science, ecology. --- Methods. Steps to take: (1) Prove that an ecological problem exists. (2) Prove its cause. (3) Prove the solution. (4) Sell solution to policymakers. (5) Educate the masses. --- 3/30/1998
Science, ecology. --- Miniaturization. If we were 10 times smaller, all our resources would last 10 times longer. --- 12/15/1994
Science, ecology. --- Mobile, non-polluting unit. Put all books and notes on laptop computer. Walkman for stereo. Solar electric heated, Goretex spacesuit acts as personal tent. Tents and bicycles are the future. Where to shower and shit? Public facilities. Security: Video cam? Living out of lockers like at train station? --- 08/24/1994
Science, ecology. --- Nature and wilderness are not just subjects of leisure. Nor are they simply subjects of ecology. There are also ethical, legal, psychological, aesthetic, etc., aspects to nature and wilderness. --- 1/1/2002
Science, ecology. --- Nature as familiar vs. nature as unfamiliar. At one time all humans lived in nature and were familiar with nature. As technology developed, humans separated themselves from nature, spending more time indoors in featureless cubicles and less time outdoors. The inhabitants of the developed countries have become unfamiliar with nature. Nature has become strange, scary and mysterious to many modern humans. (2) Paradoxically, today's scientists know more and more about nature. Today we understand nature scientifically but we are unfamiliar with nature at a first hand level. The inhabitants of primitive and ancient cultures were familiar with nature but did not understand nature on a scientific level. The ideal would be to both be familiar with nature and to understand nature scientifically. --- 10/5/2002
Science, ecology. --- Nature is interesting for its complex sensations of sight, sound, touch (wind, ground, etc.), smell, taste, etc. --- 12/30/1995
Science, ecology. --- Nature is like a supermodel: beautiful yet boring. --- 9/5/2002
Science, ecology. --- Nature is neither our friend or enemy. Just a bitchy neighbor we have to get along with. --- 06/20/1994
Science, ecology. --- Nature is the supreme dominatrix; she is beautiful and she does not care if you live or die. --- 8/8/2001
Science, ecology. --- Nature survivalists: violent nature freaks, law of jungle. Versus. Hippies: peaceful nature freaks. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Nature views. (1) Nature is the enemy vs. nature is neutral vs. nature is our friend. (2) Nature overpowers us vs. we overpower nature. (3) Spending time outdoors is fun vs. indoors is fun. (4) Be independent, live off the land. (5) The city, and man, degrade you. (6) Simplicity is good. Freedom is good. (7) Adventure (exploration + danger) is good. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Nature, philosophy of. Views of nature. (1) Nature as provider. (2) Nature as obstacle. (3) Nature as destroyer. Everything decays and dies. (4) Nature as chaos. Wilderness vs. civilization. (5) Nature as ordered. (6) Nature as ruthless. (7) Nature as indifferent. (8) Nature as fecund. Everything is reproducing and growing. (9) Nature as cyclical and rhythmic. (10) Nature as on a scale much bigger and longer than human lives. (11) Nature as everywhere. We are surrounded by nature. (12) Nature as difficult to find. Places untouched by man are increasingly rare and difficult to find. (13) A lot if it depends if you are familiar or unfamiliar with nature. If you have knowledge of how nature behaves (nature lore). If you have skills for survival in nature. (14) A lot of it depends on the natural environment you are faced with (ex. Desert, arctic, Caribbean, etc). --- 6/26/2002
Science, ecology. --- Nature: Thoreau, Zen, hippies. Nature looks good, peaceful, harmony with natural world, simplicity, unpressured. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Nature. (1) Horror movies about animals. Jaws (shark). Anaconda (snake). Wilbur (rats). The Edge (bear). Moby Dick (whale). Swarm (bees). Alligator (alligator). Squirm (worms). Arachniphobia (spiders). The Birds (birds). Cujo (dogs). (2) Perhaps one of the reasons that people do not care much about the environment is because they fear the natural environment. People fear the natural environment because Hollywood has conditioned people to view the wilds as teeming with horrifying, viscous animals that are out to get them. Hollywood has conditioned people to have this view by producing a succession of animal horror movies. --- 9/5/1999
Science, ecology. --- Nature. (1) Nature as indifferent. Nature does not care what happens to you. (2) Nature as empty. There is nothing out there. The void. --- 11/15/2000
Science, ecology. --- Nature. Attitudes toward nature. (1) Nature is my friend. Nature will provide for me. (2) Nature is oblivious and apathetic towards me. (3) Nature is malevolent and out to destroy me. --- 1/22/2002
Science, ecology. --- Nature. Attitudes toward nature. (1) Nature needs me to protect it. (2) Nature can take care of itself. --- 1/22/2002
Science, ecology. --- Nature. Black and white thinking about nature and civilization. (1)(A) Nature: good, healthy, organic. (B) Civilization: bad, polluted, stinky, sickly. (2)(A) Nature: malevolent, merciless, dangerous, amoral. (B) Civilization: benevolent, comforting, safe. (3) (A) Nature: indifferent to our plight. (B) Civilization: Indifferent to our plight. (Technology is neither good nor evil. Technology can be used for good or evil). --- 7/25/2000
Science, ecology. --- Nature. I used to think nature was pure and good, and humans were bastards. Then I realized that nature can be a bastard too. --- 12/29/1997
Science, ecology. --- Nature. Philosophy of Nature. Indoor lifestyle vs. outdoor lifestyle. (1) Outdoors has more space, and is closer to Nature. Inside, one tends to lose the connection to Earth and Nature. You tend to think that you do not need Earth and Nature. One becomes disconnected, remote, uncaring and unthinking. (2) Yet paradoxically, I used to spend much time outdoors and yet I did not join the Green Movement at that time. Now I spend a lot of time indoor with high technology, trying to save the environment. --- 4/20/1999
Science, ecology. --- Nature. Philosophy of nature. People think they like Nature because nature is simple. They actually unconsciously like nature because it is complex. They like to feel breezes. They like to feel the changing temperature. They like to smell the various scents. They like to see the various scenery. They like to see the varied sunlight, clouds and shade. They like to see the 3-D landscape of hill and dale. They like to move around in the environment. All of the above make nature much more varied and complex than being in a cubicle in a 70 degree office. People enjoy complexity if it is healthy and sustainable. --- 4/20/1999
Science, ecology. --- Oil and water. PART ONE. Oil. (1) Those who say there is plenty of oil in the ground yet to be discovered are mistaken. (2) Those who say that oil combustion has no effect on global warming are mistaken. (3) People who say that global warming does not matter are mistaken. PART TWO. Water. (1) People who say there is plenty of fresh water available are mistaken. (2) People who say the corporations should own the water are mistaken. --- 5/22/2007
Science, ecology. --- Paper or plastic? A rough estimate. Worried about taking a plastic bag instead of a paper bag? Perhaps you should instead be worried about your gasoline consumption habits. If you burn 3 gallons of gas a day, that's 1000 gallons a year, and that's twenty 50 gallon drums of oil. Each drum weighs 300 pounds (at six pounds per gallon). That's 6000 pounds of oil a year. Look at it as 6000 pounds of plastic a year, that's 18 pounds of plastic a day. You may need that plastic bag to carry around your 18 pounds of plastic. --- 9/1/2004
Science, ecology. --- Paper or plastic? The correct answer is to skip the bag or have a reusable cloth sack. If you cannot, choose paper. (1) Trees are a renewable resource. The oil to make plastic is not a renewable resource. (2) Paper production makes less pollution then plastic production. (3) Paper decomposes in landfills more quickly than plastic, and pollutes less than plastic garbage. --- 12/26/1997
Science, ecology. --- People complain about plastic and silicon computers. But can we live without all plastic, metal and glass? No, not even Shakers did that. Just reduce, reuse and recycle. --- 10/30/1998
Science, ecology. --- People eat 1000 meals a year (plus tax), 80,000 meals in a 80 year life. If, for each meal, they get a bag (paper or plastic), plate or container (paper or plastic), utensils (plastic), beverage container (glass, aluminum or plastic), napkins (paper), then that is a lot of garbage. (2) Another source of waste is newspaper and magazine subscriptions for each person. Use the Web or the library. (3) Another source of waste is junk mail. --- 6/15/1998
Science, ecology. --- People should live in warmer areas to save oil, to reduce pollution. People should commute less. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Philosophy and ecology. (1) The state of affairs we need to reach is 100% sustainability. All materials recycled. No pollution in manufacturing. No garbage after use. This is almost impossible to reach. If the population is too huge, we will eventually use up all the earth's resources quickly and live on a trash heap. Keep the population down. (2) The question has been put forth whether environmental rights have gotten out of hand, or whether it is the other side (free market and no environment regulation) that has become too powerful. I say, until the ideal of 100% sustainability is reached, we ought to give more money and power to the environmental cause. (3) We ought to police the environment like we police people, and treat environmental crimes as severely as we treat human assaults. This is because when we fu*k up the environment we are really fu*king up people who have yet to be born. --- 11/30/1996
Science, ecology. --- Philosophy and ecology. Ethical questions and choices. (1) Make no manmade materials. The wood and straw people, living like Indians. (2) Make no non-biodegradeable materials. (3) Limit who can use what resources. (4) Limit who can make what. (5) Control waste amounts and what's done with it. (6) Control areas you move into. (7) Control how much you develop them. (8) Problems: other countries abuse. (9) Solutions: develop better ways to live. Cleaner energy, cleaner manufacturing processes. Better waste management. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Philosophy and ecology. Future. If we were the last generation on earth we could trash the place. But we are not. (1) With a carrying capacity of 10 billion, and zero population growth, and an average life span of 100 years, 100 billion people live in 1000 years, if everyone in each generation is born at once and dies at once (for simplification of calculation). Civilization has already been in existence for 10,000 years. One trillion people will live in the next 10,000 years. We must live sustainably so that these future generations have resources to use, and so that they are not covered in garbage and pollution. (2) What is the intrinsic value of one trillion human lives? And what is the value of all the knowledge one trillion humans could discover? And what is the value of all the work that one trillion human lives could accomplish physically. It is immense. A great deal is on the line when we decide whether to live sustainably or not. (3) Most people do not think about this, nor do the calculation, nor realize the sheer number of people who will come after them. Thus they care less about the environment than they would if they realized what was at stake. --- 12/29/1997
Science, ecology. --- Philosophy and ecology. Land. (1) We used to use the phrase "I own land" to mean "I can do whatever I want with the land. The land is mine." (2) Today we use the phrase "I own land" to mean "The land is mine but I can not dump toxic chemicals on it against the law". (3) Really, no one owns the land. We merely borrow the land from future inhabitants of the earth. We should leave the land better than we found it. (4) We should not even use the phrase "I own land". (5) All things come from the earth. When you look at an object you should think of it as coming from the earth and closely connected to the earth. We should call things by their first and last name. Examples, cup earth, book earth, phone earth. (6) All things from the land. Nothing exists apart from the land. So no one owns anything. We borrow everything from our descendants. (7) Three definitions of the word "own". (A) Own as in "to be ethically responsible for." (B) Own as in "To make it all mine." However nothing and no one is separate from all. (C) Own as is the legal sense. Legal ownership. (8) We don't even own ourselves, because we are from the land. --- 1/14/1999
Science, ecology. --- Philosophy and ecology. Land. In the 1700's the wife was the property of the husband. The husband owned the wife. The husband was legally responsible for caring for and controlling the wife. It was ownership as ethical responsibility to care for. It was ownership as legal responsibility to control. And it was often construed as ownership in the sense of complete ownership. And thus the husband felt he could rape and beat the wife. (Like to own a toy is to be free to destroy the toy.) Nowadays we see this view of woman as wrong. And in the same way these views of the land are wrong. --- 1/14/1999
Science, ecology. --- Philosophy and ecology. Modern ecology, American Indian views about nature, and Buddhist views about nature all share similar metaphysical, epistemological and ethical attitudes. (1) If all things are connected, via the earth, how can there be any personal freedom? (2) We all come from the earth. We all subsist on the earth. We all go back to the earth. So why does not anyone care about the earth? Because the earth does not have a loud and active voice. And everyone cares only about themselves. It will boomerang. --- 1/14/1999
Science, ecology. --- Philosophy of ecology. The resources of earth are owned by everyone on earth, and future generations. Any individual or nation that uses those resources, and makes money off them, must give back to everyone. Individual nations have no right to resources, because national boundaries are arbitrary. Communist countries should re-distribute their goods to the world, not just themselves. --- 09/26/1997
Science, ecology. --- Pollution. How much garbage does one person create in a lifetime? How much of that garbage is biodegradable? How much of that garbage is recycled? How much of that garbage is natural vs. manmade toxic plastics? --- 9/8/1998
Science, ecology. --- Pollution. How polluted are we? (1) Past pollution. (2) Current pollution being produced. What are the best methods to measure pollution (1 and 2)? How harmful (to man directly, or to ecosystem and then man) is pollution (1 and 2)? What are the best methods to reduce pollution (1 and 2)? Technological methods and political methods to reduce pollution. What kind of political pressure does it take to make what kind of laws? What is the strongest, worst pollution? What is the most (quantity) pollution? Who are the biggest polluters? Land, air and water pollution. Oil spills, pesticides, food poisoning, heavy metals, nuclear waste. --- 11/10/1993
Science, ecology. --- Pollution. I produce how much garbage in one year? How much is recycled? How much of it is metal, paper, plastic, glass? --- 04/16/1994
Science, ecology. --- Pollution. One-third of all air pollution is caused by generation of electricity. One-third is caused by tail pipe emissions. One-third is caused by all other. --- 3/30/1998
Science, ecology. --- Pollution. People do not like to think about pollution, garbage, and recycling for the same reasons they do not like to think about their shit. The shit taboo. They do not like to think about or talk about shit or garbage. They think it is dirty and disgusting. Some people try to avoid it. --- 04/24/1997
Science, ecology. --- Population. (1) The question is not how many people the earth can hold, because if we are not living sustainably then we could put a greater number of people on earth for a shorter time before critical resources are used up. (2) The question is not how many people the earth can hold if we live sustainably because even if we live 100% sustainably, humans could still fill the entire planet, much like a kudzu vine, and crowd out other species. (3) So the question becomes how many people can the earth hold if we live sustainably and give all other species the right to live also. --- 3/25/2002
Science, ecology. --- Population. Can we create a large population (10-20 billion) of intelligent, peaceful, justice seeking, people living in balance with nature? So we don't destroy each other or the earth? --- 08/25/1994
Science, ecology. --- Population. Given any way of living (tech), what's highest human population earth can support? --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Population. Greater population means more potential Einsteins, as well as more potential Hitlers. The trick is to increase the number of Einsteins while decreasing the number of Hitlers. --- 08/15/1994
Science, ecology. --- Population. Questions of population. (1) What number of people will the population stabilize at and when? (2) How many people can the world hold, given any degree of ecological living? (3) How many people should the world hold? As many people as can live with good quality of life, sustainably. (4) What causes birth rates to stabilize? Education. Empowering women. Industrialization. --- 9/12/1999
Science, ecology. --- Population. Some misguided individuals write books about how terrible it will be if we have a decrease in human population levels. These pundits predict a collapse of civilization if fewer people populate the earth. Guess what? The earth can use fewer people. Civilization will not collapse with fewer people. Fewer people will result in a healthier, more livable earth. People who say that civilization can only progress if we produce higher population levels are wrong, much like people who say the economy will only develop if we produce a greater number of things. These people mistake growth for development. Growth in size or number in not the same thing as development in terms of in health, justice and sustainability. --- 11/12/2004
Science, ecology. --- Population. Speed of population growth vs. speed of technological development vs. use of resources. --- 01/01/1993
Science, ecology. --- Population. We are keeping the evil nuts in check, while waiting for the Einsteins to arrive. --- 08/24/1994
Science, ecology. --- Power. Help the environment by using renewable energy. Get off oil. Use solar power and wind power. --- 5/22/2007
Science, ecology. --- Problems: ozone depletion, over-population, resource depletion, pollution, green house warming. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Psychology and ecology. (See also: Psychology > ecopsychology). --- 12/30/2003
Science, ecology. --- Psychology and ecology. People put up with a certain amount of dirtiness in the environment. It is analogous to cleaning your house. As long as they are not dropping dead from disease, they do not clean up. But, on the other hand, humans have become cleaner over thousands of years, all in the name of health. --- 8/26/1999
Science, ecology. --- Psychology and ecology. People who feel disconnected from the earth. They know nothing of the earth. They think not of the earth. They do not feel for the earth. They screw the earth. How do these people live? --- 1/14/1999
Science, ecology. --- Psychology and ecology. Trying to get people to change to ecological products is difficult. (1) One part of it is that it is difficult to get people to change their behavioral habits and their mental habits (thoughts). There is a tendency to repeat behaviors because it is easier than thinking of why one should change one's behavior. There is societal inertia that exists (due to human nature?) which makes implanting a new idea difficult. Societal inertia is something that conservatives play upon. (2) Another part of it is that when you tell someone that their ways are not the best, or are actually wrong and harmful, there is a certain resentment from them in response. When you ask someone to admit that they are not the best, or even ok, they are reluctant to. Their ego needs demand them to think that they, and their ways, are the best. This superior attitude is common, and is a second factor that acts to prevent useful change from occurring. --- 07/04/1997
Science, ecology. --- Psychology and ecology. Why is it so difficult to get humans to care about the earth? Perhaps it is because we have trouble thinking in ecological terms. Why do humans have trouble thinking in ecological terms? Perhaps it is because there is no evolutionary precedent for thinking in ecological terms. Is there any animal species that exhibits ecological behavior and cares for its environment? No. Why? Because no animal species was capable of impacting the earth on a global scale. Animals develop the ability to discern predators and prey, but they did not develop the ability to judge their environmental impact. Humans inherited much of their cognitive tool kit from animals. For example, humans excel at things like face recognition but they do poorly at judging their environmental impact. --- 7/7/2000
Science, ecology. --- Rainforests. 5% of land mass. 50% of biodiversity. 2% of the rainforest disappears each year. 40% of our drugs come from plants and animals. We have only discovered x% of existing species in the world. We have only totally worked out x% of the species we have discovered. --- 10/05/1994
Science, ecology. --- Rechargeable batteries. (1) Run everything on rechargeable AA batteries. (2) Get a solar powered AA battery charger. --- 2/21/2004
Science, ecology. --- Rechargeable batteries. Solar battery charger. (1) What can you run off of rechargeable AA batteries? PDA. Cellphone. CD player. MP3 player. Radio. Flashlight or headlamp. Personal heater. (2) What necessary items can't run off rechargeable AA batteries? House heat, so use solar. Electric bicycle, so use solar. Water pump and water heater, so use solar. --- 2/28/2004
Science, ecology. --- Reducing physical possessions yet increasing mental richness. All your books, records, paintings and movies digitized will fit in your pocket. (2) Do people want stuff (ex. airplanes) or do people merely want the experience of owning stuff (ex. flight simulators)? How far can virtual reality take us in this way? --- 2/20/2002
Science, ecology. --- Replace the chemical dump of shampoo, shaving cream and soap with organic, plant-based cleansers. --- 6/26/2002
Science, ecology. --- Resource using. (1) A technology that uses 10 units of resources to produce 1 unit of pollution, vs. a technology that uses 8 units of resources and produces 2 units of pollution. Which is worse, using resources or producing pollution? (2) How rare is stuff? How costly is stuff? What is the biggest waste in modern american life (amount of stuff wasted, times number of people wasting it)? Wasted water does not pollute? Who are the biggest polluters in US and world? Air, water, and land pollution. Oil spills, pesticides, food poisoning by chemicals. (3) Other environmental issues. Overpopulation. Extinction. Ozone. Rainforest. Oil spills. Mexico City. East Europe. (4) Alternate energy: fusion, solar, wind. --- 11/10/1993
Science, ecology. --- Resources and waste. (1) How much resources does each person use? Air breathed. Food eaten. Energy used. Materials like paper, plastic, metal, glass. How much does the typical American use? How much does the typical world citizen use? (2) How much waste does a person produce? How much human waste? How much garbage? How much pollution? How much does the typical American produce? How much does the typical world citizen produce? --- 12/13/2005
Science, ecology. --- Resources and waste. PART ONE. Resources. (1) How much water, electricity and heating oil does a person use per year? Drink about one gallon water per day. Shower and wash uses how much water? Electricity, how many watts use per day? Heating oil? Gasoline? PART TWO. Waste. (1) Human waste. How much crap does one person produce per day and per year? 1 pound per day? 365 pounds per year? (2) How much urine does one person produce per day and per year? 1 gallon a day? 365 gallons per year? Outhouse puts it into the earth. Sewer puts it into the ocean. (2) Garbage. How much garbage does a person produce a day? How much pollution does a person produce per day? --- 9/1/2004
Science, ecology. --- Resources. A world with limited resources is like a hike with limited water. Do you walk faster and risk getting thirstier, or walk slower and risk never reaching water? Is there an optimal pace of technological development? Population growth: the more people the more Einsteins we produce, also the more Hitlers. The trick is to increase the number of Einsteins we produce, and decrease the number of Hitlers. Is there an optimal level of population growth? --- 09/01/1994
Science, ecology. --- Resources. How rare is the resource, how costly is the resource? Use vs. waste. What do we use a lot of, what do we waste a lot of? What is the biggest resource waste in U.S. as far as amount stuff wasted, and number of people wasting it? Big problems: loss of top soil, loss of ozone, loss of rain forests. --- 01/01/1993
Science, ecology. --- Resources. If I wanted to conserve all of my resources I would lie down on the floor in a dark room doing nothing. --- 12/26/1997
Science, ecology. --- Resources. We do not own the earth's resources, we merely borrow them from our children. Wasting the earth's resources is as easy as taking candy from a baby. --- 04/24/1997
Science, ecology. --- Shelter. Help the environment by living in environmentally sustainable housing. --- 5/22/2007
Science, ecology. --- Social justice and ecology. Ecological techniques promote social justice because ecological practices leave the world in good condition, habitable for humans and other living things. --- 10/1/2005
Science, ecology. --- Solar power. In the year 2004, one square foot of solar cell costs how much and produces how much electricity? --- 2/28/2004
Science, ecology. --- Sustainable culture. Physical, psychological, and social needs must be met. Individuals must not be deprived. Society must advance toward sustainability. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Testing of chemicals. Don't just test new chemicals for five years and say its safe. They should really test for 100 years on humans. That is, they should test for the lifespan of humans. In fact, they should test chemicals against the lifespan of every species in the ecosystem. --- 1/24/2002
Science, ecology. --- The American dream is turning out to be the American nightmare, because if everyone in the world lived like Americans, with big cars, big houses, etcetera, then the world will end up depleted, polluted, and lifeless. --- 5/29/2007
Science, ecology. --- The anti-fur campaign is cool. The basis of it is animal rights, animal misery and sensitivity to same. Leather is baloney also. Too many cows, too much methane. Switch to cloth clothes and vegetarian diets. --- 12/26/1997
Science, ecology. --- The more members and dollars an environmental organization has, the stronger they are, and the more they can get done. --- 10/05/1997
Science, ecology. --- The science and technology of environmental sustainability needs a lot more people and money. And it has a long way to go. --- 1/7/2000
Science, ecology. --- There may come a day when no part of the natural world is untouched by man. Then all of life will cease to be "natural" and will be completely "artificial" and "man-made". --- 10/9/2005
Science, ecology. --- Transportation. Help the environment by using environmentally sustainable transportation that does not rely on the internal combustion engine. --- 5/22/2007
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. (1) Contra. (A) Boring, as far as taste, smell, and texture. No fats, no sweets, no aromas, no creamy smooth, no meat vices. (B) You get gas a hell of a lot. (C) Protein deficit mental retardation and physical deterioration. (D) Pain to prepare. Expensive and hard to find. Monotonous, few ingredients. (2) Pro. (A) Meat is murder. (B) Vegetarianism is healthy. Meat causes heart attacks and strokes. (C) Meat uses up too much grain. (3) Types of vegetarianism: (A) No meat, no fish, no dairy and no eggs or any other animal product. (B) Organic vs. not. (C) Fresh vs. canned or frozen. (D) Macrobiotic. --- 01/08/1994
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. (1) Pro: takes less resources to make plants. Animal rights argument, arguments against hunting. Health argument, fewer heart attacks. Hormones in meat. (2) Contra: Gas. Lack of taste, epicurianism. Protein deprivation: physical and psychological affects. Pro-hunting arguments. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. How many people are vegetarians because they consider eating animal meat to be a slippery slope to cannibalism? --- 4/23/2002
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. If everyone eats half a pound of meat a day, or 150 pounds meat per year, it is like eating your weight in meat a year, it is like doubling the earth's population, twice as many o2 and h2o consuming, and co2 and shit and piss producing, animals. --- 04/01/1994
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. More arguments for vegetarianism. (1) Health argument. Longer life, less cancer and heart attacks. (2) Animal ethics argument. Meat is murder. (3) Ecology argument. It is easier on the environment. (4) Change cultural values. Get a built, medal winning athlete, who is a vegetarian, to pitch it to people. --- 02/20/1994
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. Most Americans eat 1/4 pound of meat for lunch and dinner each day. This equals three pounds per week, or 150 pounds per year. (2) I eat 1/2 pound meat per week, or 25 pounds per year. --- 1/6/1998
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. People who want to eat meat should be forced to kill their own meat. --- 2/18/1999
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. See: Science, ecology>Vegetarianism. --- 12/15/2004
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. The traditional meat eating diet: bacon/sausage for breakfast, luncheon meat sandwich or hero lunch, and meat for dinner. Half a pound of meat per day. 175 lbs. per year. Call it 200 lbs/year = 1/5 cow, or 2 pigs, or 40 5 lb chickens. How much air (o2 use, co2 make) do these animals use up? How much grain and water do they use up? How much shit and urine do they produce? Could you survive on the feed they need? --- 02/20/1994
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. Things to think when you are eating meat, poultry and fish. By eating this animal food I am causing emotional pain and physical pain. By eating this animal food I am engaged in needless killing, i.e., murder. --- 12/16/2004
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. Types: (1) No dairy, no eggs, or fish. (2) Macrobiotic: believe specific food can cure specific ills. (3) Health food store. (4) Fruitarians, breatharians. --- 12/30/1992
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. Why be a vegetarian? Mad cow disease is one reason. --- 05/18/1997
Science, ecology. --- Vegetarianism. Why I am only 90% vegetarian. Because 100% vegetarian is an extremist view. And extremists are rigid and tend to have more mental breakdowns than adaptable moderates. Extremists often kill themselves or others --- 12/28/1998
Science, ecology. --- Waste. Human waste. How much urine, feces and carbon dioxide does the average person produce in 24 hours, or in 365 days? If the human population on earth levels at 10 billion people then how much human waste will 10 billion people produce each day, or each year? How to handle that amount of human waste in an environmentally sustainable way? If each person produces a pound of feces and a gallon of urine a day then, well, you do the math. --- 12/12/2005
Science, ecology. --- Water. (1) How much water does a person drink per day? One gallon. Six billion people require six billion gallons of fresh clean water per day. (2) How much water does a person use each day for other reasons? --- 4/4/2005
Science, ecology. --- Water. NYC has 10 million people. 20 gallons of water used per shower (3 gal per minute for 7 minutes). If people shower every other day we can save 200 million gallons of fresh water each day. Enough water each year to fill a square cube the height of the world trade center. --- 12/29/1997
Science, ecology. --- Water. Shower heads. Do the math. The old one ran at 6 gallons per minute. The new one at 2.5 gal/min. 10 min shower per day is 60 vs. 25 gallons. Two people (me and audrey) is 120 vs. 50 gal/day. 18,000 vs. 43,000 gal/year, a difference of 25,000 gallons. Cutting showers to from 10 to 5 minutes would double that saving to 50,000 gallons of fresh drinking water (and the energy used to make it hot) saved a year. We drink about a gallon of water a day, or 365 gallons a year. 150 people could be kept alive with the 50,000 gallons saved each year from switching to a low flow shower head. --- 07/02/1997
Science, ecology. --- We can make individual efforts to help the environment. Conserving water, for example. But even better is to influence the political system. To do that you can write letters, but better yet is to become as rich and powerful as you can and then change the system, hoping that not everyone trying to help the environment gets corrupted by the money and power, losing their ideals and dreams, selling out to the other side. --- 12/26/1997
Science, ecology. --- What country uses the most non-renewable resources per capita? USA. What country creates the most pollution and garbage per capita? USA. --- 12/1/2001
Science, ecology. --- What should the future be like? How should we live? We should live by the principles of environmental sustainability and social justice. (1) Should we live technologically like the Amish? Driving horse and buggy? No internal combustion engines? No Internet? Yet, with no mandatory beards and no weird religious practices. --- 5/22/2007
Science, ecology. --- What. Ecology is about (1) Balance, and (2) Endgames (non-renewable resources). --- 02/24/1994
Science, ecology. --- When you buy overseas goods (coffee, tea, etc.) instead of local goods, you pay for the resources used and the pollution created to make and use trucks, boats and planes that transport. --- 02/28/1998
Science, ecology. --- Why invest in "green" environmental stock market funds? That is, why should I invest in a green fund that returns 10% on an investment instead of an anti-green fund that returns 15% on an investment? Because if we all stop investing in anti-green companies then their stock prices will fall. We can thus pressure anti-green companies to change their ways. --- 11/4/1999