| Sunday, August 13, 2006 |
| Global Warming - pros/cons/solution |
Everyone in the modern world has heard about global warming. You can hardly turn the TV on without it coming up, especially during this extremely hot summer. Almost everybody has an opinion about it. Well, I want to discuss with you some of the pros and cons and a solution that you heard first, right here. ("A" solution - not "THE" solution. There will be many, many solutions along the way. But it is time to stop talking and start working.)
I want to give my opinion before I go into the pros/cons/solution section. I will say that when I first heard about global warming I didn't put much weight into it. I mean, after all, meteorologists are more wrong than right about the weather. Which brings up a sore point from my childhood that I would like to share with you.
There I was a poor red-headed step-child in grade school and our local weather man said, "Kids don't worry about going to school in the morning. When you wake up the ground will be covered in snow." I was so excited that I stayed up that night looking out the window waiting for the precious, white flakes to fall so freely from the sky. After many hours I eventually gave into the enemy of sleep. When I was awakened the next morning to get ready for school - I was shocked (and forever scarred) to see that not only was there no snow, but the temperature was in the 60's. So the ability to predict the weather 300 years from now seems to be a little out of their league.
PROS
There are hundreds of scientists that have dedicated their wakening hours to prove that global warming exists. According to their research, the carbon dioxide levels are higher now than they were 100 years ago. They have pictures that show the snow capped mountains in 1920, but today's picture shows that the snow has melted away. They have measured the ocean level and concluded that the ocean is deeper now than it was 100 years ago. They have heat sensors that show the city's temperature can be 10 to 15 degrees higher than the suburbs. (There are many other discoveries that if I mentioned them all - this blog would never end)
CONS
There are hundreds of scientists that have dedicated their wakening hours to prove that global warming does NOT exist. One of the arguments is that the ability to measure carbon dioxide levels 100 years ago is not as accurate as the measurement of today. Therefore, we don't know the exact level of carbon dioxide then versus now. The picture of the snow capped mountains that was taken in 1920 raises the question, "Was that picture taken in the summer or winter?" The same argument exists about the measurement of the ocean. The question is, "Was the ocean level really measured 100 years ago?" Now you can't argue with the increase of temperature in the city - but is that really causing the world's temperature to increase? One of the big arguments against global warming is that we have not been tracking the cycle of temperature long enough to know what the cycle even is.
The Starting Point of the Solution
We all know that politics in the United States are driven strongly by the media (sad, but true). Since global warming is such a hot topic (pardon the pun), the United States Government is going to respond by writing a blank check to "fix" the problem. The only problem with this is that the United States Government can't cross the street without costing the American tax payers billions of dollars, delaying the process, creating a new committee, discussing it for years and then after all of this - they end up on the same side in which they started, widening the street and thus making the process to cross even more difficult. The facts are the FACTS - our government is NOT the best at "fixing" problems (they do seem to be pretty good at creating them).
I am a factual, realistic person. I know that our government is going to spend billions and billions of tax dollars on a solution that won't work. I know that the media is not going to stop on the subject until something is done. Therefore, this creates an atrocious cycle of bad media and senseless wasting of tax dollars. While the theory of global warming is still being debated (whether it exists or not), our country is becoming more and more polluted. I don't want to wait for three or four decades before we start to see a change. I want my children to grow up with cleaner air - don't you?
SOLUTION
We need more trees. Think back to when you were in seventh grade science class learning that trees "inhale" carbon dioxide and "exhale" oxygen. We also learned that trees are the earth's natural air filters. The more trees you have the less pollution there is. We all know that trees provide shade and thus decreases the temperature of the ground around it (thus possibly decreasing the earth's temperature).
So, how can we get more trees? The solution is easy. However, when I send this solution to my congressmen and senators they will want to put their two cents in and thus cause the plan to fail. For some reason, they always want to put a little coin (gold coin) in their pocket before they take care of the people. But that is different topic all together.
Our government needs to pass the law that will allow 100% tax deductions for all plants and trees that are purchased. You simply turn in your receipts and deduct it from your taxes. With trees that cost more than $250, you get an additional $100 deduction (for labor). For trees that cost more than $100, you get an additional $50 deducted.
To increase the beauty of cities (and decrease the temperature), have a "green weekend" in which mayors will mark off locations in the city that trees can be planted by the people. The people will register for certain locations to plant his/her tree on the city's property (at NO cost to the people – except for the tree). This should be done in the "tree hugging" cities first to work out the kinks.
For this solution to work, it is kind of like learning how to swim. If you just keep talking and asking questions, you will never learn. The only way to learn is to JUMP IN!
So, when you hear about this plan in the near future just remember that you saw it here first! Now, for the skeptical people out there saying that this will never work, my response to you is - if it doesn't (which it will) imagine how much more beautiful our country will be with more trees. Also, for all of you out there saying, "We must do more than that! We must get better technology, spend more money, create cars that float, etc." We have this saying in anesthesia, "Keep it simple, stupid!" Sometimes the best solution is the easiest and cheapest. If we do this, maybe other countries will follow our example and together we can make a change that will have a positive effect on my children. |
posted by Capt. C @ 2:48 AM  |
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| Thursday, August 10, 2006 |
| Can there be World Peace?? |
I must apologize for not blogging in some time, but I have been extremely busy. We have been three anesthesia providers short for the last month. Plus, the violence has increased considerably so we have been going non-stop.
Nearly all my life I have been hearing that we must strive for world peace. You can't turn the TV on without hearing something about world peace. After all, this is the goal for every Miss America contestant, "To have World Peace!" For as long as I can remember we have been going to war killing people to have peace. Think about that just for a moment.
Have you ever wondered what "world peace" is and if there really can be world peace? Just imagine what kind of place this world would be if there was peace?
One of our greatest historical documents is the Bible. According to Genesis it can be argued that Adam and Eve may have experienced world peace (at least before eating of the forbidden fruit). Without a doubt, once they had children - world peace ended. To refresh some of your memories, Adam and Eve had two sons named Cain and Able. Cain became jealous of Able, so he murdered him. In one small move one-quarter of the earth's population had just been murdered. (Yes, I know that Adam and Eve had other children)
Therefore, since the second generation of mankind on this earth until present day - there has never been world peace. So, why do people continue to protest and scream for world peace? (Have you ever noticed that the protesters that protest to have world peace are not very peaceful- just an observation?)
Maybe we are trying to cross the finish line before we start the race. What I mean by this is that people want world peace, but they are not willing to be peaceful. (Please read the next few sentences carefully) Before you can have world peace, you must have a peaceful country. Before you can have a peaceful country, you must have a peaceful state. Before you can have a peaceful state, you must have peaceful county. Before you can have a peaceful county, you must have a peaceful HOME. That's right, world peace starts with YOU!
Do you have a peaceful home? Are you behaving in a way that you would want your children to behave? Or is there yelling and disenchantment? Unfortunately, not everybody has the same definition of a "peaceful home." My idea of a peaceful home will be different from others. I know people (as you do) that think that they are nice and pleasant, but in reality they are so confrontational and malicious that people don't want to be around them.
So, until we are willing to take that extra step and promote a peaceful home (with a global definition), then we will never have world peace. Since, that will never happen - can we just stop with this "world peace" stuff and focus on just being nice to each other? |
| posted by Capt. C @ 7:10 AM |
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