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Showing posts from May, 2008

Our New Paradigm

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In the May 12, 2008, UK paper The Guardian , David Adam reported that “carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a record high…[and] climate change could begin to slide out of control.” He went on to write that scientific models assumed half of our future CO2 emissions would be reabsorbed by forests and oceans, but that these assumptions “may be too optimistic.” Of course, CO2 isn’t the only crisis in our world, but let’s set the shortcomings of scientific reductionism aside for the moment. The fact that CO2 emissions are increasing is no surprise. Look locally. Is there a decrease of driving in your town or city ? Besides the handful of folks that are walking or biking, not even high gas prices diminish driving. Couple that with the abundance of vehicles that get eight to twelve miles per gallon, and it might appear to the casual observer that there is no climate crisis or even a fuel shortage. Do we need to drive every time we go out? Are we really too busy to walk? Is