Originally Posted by LeoSV

I don't know if GW is real or not, and if it is, I don't know if it's because of Earth's natural cycle or because of humans. But what I DO know is that pollution comes from humans, and the main cause of pollution is energy and factories. Coal, and oil make up a large % of that. Even if you don't think we are killing the Earth, you should at least admit that polluted air is not healthy to breathe, and polluted water is not healthy to drink. Just for the sake of being a decent human being, why would you go out on Earth day and try to pollute as much as you can? Who cares about Gore or Global Warming, just try to pollute less. Why does that have to be so political?

Originally Posted by Zapata

Your confessed lack of understanding is because you're looking at this as if it is black and white. There is no contradiction between being an environmentally responsible citizen and a pilot. It's about mitigation of our environmental impact, not dawning a grass skirt and living off the land.

Flying airplanes is my job. We live in a modern industrialized society with infrastructure and part of this infrastructure involves travel by air. If I did anything else for a living, my environmental footprint would be about the same as it would be for a non career pilot. When an environmental activist buys a plane ticket, that isn't a contradiction either. This is because the majority of us are consumers of goods and services and these goods and services rely on said industry and infrastructure. Part of this infrastructure is supported by air travel. (which, I might add, is very efficient and leaves less of a carbon footprint, than say, enough Ford Explorers to transport 300 people from coast to coast.)

Participating in Earth Hour was a symbolic gesture that was designed to send a message. A simple cursory read of their website would have revealed that.

So no, there is zero validity in this implication.



Since your actions affect your surroundings and you are affected by your surroundings, you're not left out of it whether you think so or not.

I absolutely justify my views with science and use the word every time. I'm not the one in disagreement with the National Science Foundation, its equivalents in other countries, numerous science associations, oodles of universities and heck even the major oil companies (I think except for Exxon but, I heard that they're even coming around) that are all signatories to the connection between greenhouse gases and global warming. yeah yeah, bias exists, I know. However, in the big picture, that bias is negated by the default checks and balances of peer review.

Originally Posted by Zapata

Well, no. Research on climate change is about science, not belief. Evolution is about science, not belief. Perhaps you're confusing it with creationism....NOT science and about belief. Climate change and evolution belongs in a science curriculum. Creationism (or the euphemism, "intelligent design"), belongs in religious studies.

Consider yourself corrected.

Originally Posted by Zapata

The preservation of individual freedom is just as important, if not, more important to me as/than it is to you. Do you lament laws prohibiting the dumping of used oil into the street drains? You don't have a monopoly on the term; "individual freedoms" as there are two sides to that coin. What about my individual freedom to breathe clean air or drink clean water? Or, my individual freedom contribute now to the mitigation of carbon emissions as opposed to later when it's too late?

Originally Posted by ryan1234

As far as infrastructure goes... I'm not sure if you are implying that somehow electricity is excluded, while air travel is included in infrastructure and whatever that means for the price of tea in china?

Originally Posted by ryan1234

The "experts" also thought there would be another ice age in the 80s, and the millenium bug would have us all eating billy goats in the mountains. Pardon me if I am a little skeptical.. not all of us can be idealistic

Originally Posted by wrxpilot

Well, I'm not sure where you live exactly... Ever since I can remember, where I've lived we've had laws against dumping oil into sewers, letting anti-freeze dump into the street, etc.

Originally Posted by wrxpilot

I assume you do operate an aircraft for a living? You know, one 'o them carbin' emitters?

Originally Posted by ppilot

Ummm...I don't need your correction. If you re-read what I wrote, it's pretty much exactly what you're saying. It irritates me when people start talking about 'belief' in these matters.