Been reading.....

alot. The books hitting my dome are as follows:

Apocalypse Code by Hank Hannegraaf
Privelaged Planet by Jay W. Richards and Guillermo Gonzalez
Bible

These books are awesome, thats an understatement. It leads me to this rant.

I was watching 'Project Earth' on Discovery HD yesterday. It is a show about these scientists and environmental engineers who go around trying elaborate ideas to combat global warming. They do things from trying to re-populate mangroves to already eroding islands off the coast of Louisiana to creating clouds to reflect the sun to combat this terrible global warming we are going through. Terrible and dastardly, I ooze with sarcasm. Mind you, back in the 1970's(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_cooling) we were as a human race destined for an ice age. I guess we humans are resilient, now we not only reversed that trend but are spiraling out of control into overheating this planet. *sigh*

So, what is your carbon footprint? This is the ironic thing about the show. These scientists and environmental engineers are going to these rough terrained spots to start to strategize a re-populating of a mangrove, mind you the island is eroding NATURALLY from a NATURAL DISASTER in hurricane Catrina. But, hey according to this team of esteemed professionals, the re-planting (being successful) will counteract the equivalent of 1.14 million carbon tons(if I remember correctly). Hmmm, and you calculate that how? But I digress, this team of Global Warming combatants roll up in their vehicle of choice: A HUMMER H3. WOW!!! Way to fight this global warming by mashing in a Hummer H3. Not a Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV, no not that. That SUV is too weak? How about the new Chevy Tahoe SUV Hybrid? Wait, that gets 21 mpg, but not as much Carbon Dioxide(monoxide, wtf ever). Sweet, so we can be rest assured that our Carbon Footprint is low now that we are driving a massive Hybrid boat.

And now folks, the point of the show.....I don't know yet. I was expecting in this show to really educate me on 'global warming' and what you can do to combat it, by watching highly educated environmental engineers utilize our worlds finest University educations. For the re-population of the mangrove, the solution was to get various tree seeds that grew indigenous to that area, and put them in pods and drop them from helicopters, have them scatter no more than 4 feet from each other and in ten years, they will grow and combat global warming, if we are alive of course. (fear, you will feel it!) Now, mind you this solution came after doing a lot of trial and error, which is always a good thing. But in the start of the show, the team lead mentioned that it would take 1 person all day planting to accomplish about 500 trees planted. While, his method will accomplish 30 times that, or thereabouts. That to me sounds awesome!! Mind you the helicopters spewing the wretched carbon, and using mad fuel to drop these trees, is minor details. So I was thinking, mind you I am no degree holding citizen: "Hmmm, while you are doing all this trial and error, maybe just maybe you could have 10 people planting the seeds in the meantime so you don't have to do as much, if your method even works. And, if it doesn't work, then you know, you will have half a island planted by hand, and at least that will flourish for sure." Heck, maybe people will volunteer to plant? Long story short, the team finally feels confident. They go for it with the helicopters, and it seems very successful. The seeds in their 'pods' all drop 4 feet apart, and they get about 13,000 seeds planted, or at least in the ground. The next step now is to wait about three months to see the beautiful trees starting to sprout! I couldn't wait at this point, because I figured in my small mind that in that time frame, it could have been planted for free, for a fraction of the cost, by hand. But, the good team of environmental advocates did do this in one sweep of the copters. No time at all!! Then, 3 months later, the moment of truth. The team lead goes back out to the island, in his Hummer H3 and inspects the planted seeds. Hmmm, they didn't take root. Why? How could this be? He inspects the pods, they worked properly. He looks at the seeds and sees the root coming out, but it just didn't take. Oh my? The team lead explains: "I don't get it, the ground is moist, the seeds are for this area, I don't understand why..." Did you ever think that the island is eroding, DUDE? While that one is eroding, a new island is popping up around Hawaii. (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE0DD1139F933A2575BC0A964948260) Maybe it is just the cycles of the earth. Life dies, life forms. Ebb and flow. Ice Age in the seventies, Glabal Warming in the 2000's. I can sense global resources shortage in 2010. Start conserving now.

What is your carbon footprint? What size shoe do you wear? Buy hybrid or die. Feel the fear. Mind you in midst of the hybrid commercials, of cars getting roughly the same gas mileage, but reducing carbon monoxide. There was luxury, and I mean Infiniti SUV commercials, with no mpg posted in small print. SMAALLLL PRINT. Its the money baby. Greenpeace is really that, peace through payment. Not love, unfortunately.

So what is really going on? Polar Bears population declining heavily, really? (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508132549.htm) Is the ice really melting? (http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/) Or is this maybe an ebb and a flow. Does recycling really work? Or at least the programs we have set up.(http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/benefit_vs_cost.htm , http://www.passaiccountynj.org/Departments/naturalresources/recproco.htm)

Fear, a wealthy mans best friend.