|
In order to gain a perspective of the demanded curtailment in human activity that is demanded by the world's sadly abused environmental conscience, and the physical reality that shows no impending environmental catastrophe nor doom, one needs to step back and take an overview of what is happening here.
On one side one sees the scientific evidence that the greenhouses gases surrounding the earth have not been sufficiently disturbed over the last 150 years to cause any measurable global warming, much less a corresponding increase that relates to the projected warming of 2-4 degrees F over the next decade. In contrast to the non-existing threat, one hears demands for a dramatic curtailment in the world's beef-production, in global energy production, etc, all for the supposed sake of reducing the tiny man-made portion of the world's green-house gases. Enormous costs are involved if these radical demands are to be met. The possible extend of these costs is too immense to be estimated. The elimination of animal protein derived from beef and dairy products, which is the major source of animal protein for humanity, is bound to have enormous consequences on human living as no true substitute exists. After all, in the life of countless people, "Beef, is what's for dinner" either in the form of meat or dairy products.
A vastly greater impact on human living, however, is destined to result from the demanded curtailment in world energy production in order to eliminate the CO2 derived from burning fossil fuels. It should be noted at this point that the world's environmental movements are totally opposed to any project for replacing the energy resources to be eliminated, with increases in nuclear energy development. Instead of opening this door to a meaningful economic development of the world, a total reduction in energy use is demanded, or at the very least an unimaginably dramatic cut as a starter.
When the question is asked what shall people heat their homes with, or cool them in the summer, if the use of fossil fuels is to be dramatically curtailed or banned totally, one is pointed to solar energy or Gasohol. The problem is, that energy derived from solar cells or Gasohol has a negative factor. It takes more energy to produce a solar cell than the call can generate in its entire lifetime. Likewise, it takes a greater amount of energy input in farming and production to create Gasohol, than the finished Gasohol can give back. What is demanded by the environmental campaign against fossil fuel burning, is the most far reaching shutdown of energy use on this planet. Energy use is the backbone not only of individual living in modern cities, but is also the backbone of the world's commerce and transportation, and most of all agriculture. The interrelationship between energy use, economic activity, and potential population density is so tight, that the dramatic curtailment that is demanded would precipitate a total collapse of the support structures for human living. The destruction of human life would escalate very quickly to levels that no one can accurately estimate.
It is through energy intensive technologies that mankind has been able to achieve the present levels of population density. Large amounts of energy are required to drive the technologies by which we live; the technologies that are required to create our food, to processes it, to transport it, to create housing, education, culture, and all that which creates a civilization, and the resources for this high standard of living that the earth, by itself, cannot provide. If one withdraws energy production from this scene, which is the lifeblood of the support structure that provide all our human needs, the potential population density on the planet begins to collapse very quickly in a biological holocaust that no human being can yet imagine. And this collapse will occur not only in the poor tropical country where it is happening already, or among the poor and elderly in Western nations where the needed social supports are already being withdrawn. The murderous effect of this presently unfolding holocaust is certain to pale the effects of all the wars in history into insignificance.
Next Page
|| - page index -
|| - chapter index -
|| - Exit -
||
|
