God Pulled the Handle

Submitted by rba on January 17, 2008 - 11:32

Robert Kaplan/theAtlantic: WATERWORLD [sub. req'd]
Atop the Bay of Bengal, the numberless braids of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers have formed the world’s largest, youngest estuarine delta and one of its most dynamic. It is, in effect, the world’s biggest flush toilet. Once a year, over the space of four months, God yanks the handle.

Just because humans occupy a space for a short period of time doesn't mean they "own" it. Few more cyclones there, and hurricanes here, and low-lying Gulf Coast areas will become ocean. Build a floating city, or move to higher ground are the obvious choices. Therefore people will do neither.

[USGS/NASA: Earth As Art]
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Reference Tool: Martha Legace/HBS: Mapping Polluters, Encouraging Protectors. Wow.
[via CNET]

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Roxy

January 17, 2008 - 13:24

Washington, DC—Institute on Religion & Democracy President Jim Tonkowich will appear on the Weather Channel documentary “Forecast Earth” this weekend to comment on Evangelical response to the climate change debate. With many environmental groups stepping up calls for radical change, including strict regulation of carbon emissions and even considering population control; many Evangelicals are divided about what policies are appropriate, and how their faith impacts the debate.

[snip]

Tonkowich commented,"We place things out of their proper order when the well-being of the poor and the sanctity of life are sacrificed on the altar of an environmental agenda that advocates population control and denies the impoverished an improved standard of living all for the cause of reducing a carbon footprint."

Do they just not get IT?

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rba

January 17, 2008 - 15:31

From another part of Kaplan's (most excellent) article:

Through similar bottom-up, purely voluntary means, the total fertility rate in Bangladesh has been cut from seven children born per woman after independence to three now—a striking achievement, given the value placed on children as laborers in a traditional agricultural society.

Environmental groups would be wise to focus recommendations based on their particular areas of expertise, which do not include reducing poverty or "population control".

As far as I'm concerned, religious advocacy groups really have no place in political decisions. None of the principal dieties really need a f*cking lobbyist.

Roxy

January 17, 2008 - 20:08

coming up in April in San Francisco ... details are here . You can skip the "intro" and go straight to the details, but I thought the intro was pretty cool.

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ePMedia ... get the scoop with us!
If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little. ~ George Carlin