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One American child generates as much CO2 as 106 Haitian kids

Did you know that American children make up 4% of the world's population, but they consume more than 40% of the world's toys?

Check out What's Your Baby's Carbon Footprint at Mother Jones - a very cool compilation of facts on the lifetime consumption of the average American.

Did you know that it would take up to 223 trees to offset the CO2 produced by a child watching 3 hours of TV every day for 18 years?

 



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Well, one can't consume unless one is productive. The question is how to assist Haitians to increase their productivity so that their consumption levels may rise thus alleviating some of their widespread poverty?

True to a degree, decreasing poverty is important but so would be reducing consumption in first would nations. Take for example a good measure of consumption in ecological footprints. Reese & Wackernackel (1996), who originated the concept (and now have it recognized around the world as a measure of sustainability), convert all ones consumptive habits into a land area needed to support that consumption. Food, Energy, Recreation, etc everything you do, in some way effects your ecological footprint. By American standards the average person needs 10.3 hectares of land to support that consumptive life style. In India the average is 0.8 hectares, etc, you likely get the idea.

At current technology and rates of consumption, if everyone in the world were to live like Americans (my target because they are the worlds most per capita consumptive people) then we would need approx 3 earths to support that consumption level. So you may see the problem. With consumption of limited resources already at unsustainable levels and consumption of renewable at greater than replenishment levels (like forests) I'd think it a priority to massively decrease first world consumption.....just a thought

As well as forests, let's include food and water.

"True to a degree, decreasing poverty is important but so would be reducing consumption in first would nations."

Interesting. And just how do you propose to reduce consumption in the First World?

What would you have done with people (like me), who do not share your leftist guilt about prosperity, and have no intention of cooperating with your agenda, or meeting your goals of The People's Glorious Five Year Plan? Will we be packed off to collective farms for re-education?

You haven't really thought this out. Or have you?

Just what we need; a voice for the greedy, the selfish, the wasteful and the gluttonous.

... or a voice for those who aren't aren't Marxists pretending to be "environmentalists".

Thanks again for making it clear what your real aims are.

If making useless posts was to be your goal...mission accomplished.

If that's true, then the only thing stupider than making "useless posts" would be responding to them.

Once again, you've lived up to your reputation.

It is true you do seem to have missed out on a quality education, sadly your blind ideology prevents you from seeing reason. Sustainability isn’t something that requires political affiliation to comprehend, its scientific, but then again you don’t understand much of science either. 3 earths at American levels of consumption for everyone on the planet isn’t ideological its reality. See my previous post for the reference.

To reduce consumption, well increase efficiency for starters that reduces waste (likely countless things that can be done here). Convert to renewable forms of electricity generation, like solar and wind, instead of limited resources like those derived from fossil sources. Tax incentives for those who reduce their consumptive patterns, like tax credits for vehicle efficiency, or rebates. Conversely tax over consumption, for morons like you, who can pay for the rebates for people like me, thanks btw. And plus a million other ideas other there. So, yeah I have and some things are already being implemented today, by folks smarter and better versed than I about finding solutions to sustainability issues. Only just at the tip of this iceberg.

"It is true you do seem to have missed out on a quality education,"

Actually, I've had a first-rate education from some of finest schools envious lumpen-proles like you can only dream of. But thanks for asking.

" sadly your blind ideology prevents you from seeing reason."

My ideology is not so blind that I can't see the blatant lunacy of holding up a basket case nation like Haiti as a role model to be emulated. I'm also not so blind that I can't see the obvious lust you idiots have for statist intervention in the economy, and your Mugabe-esque love of wealth redistribution.

And it's not just me. Read this candid statement from a member of the Liberal Party of Canada:

"The Liberal Party’s Green Shift announced on June 19th marked the most aggressive anti-poverty program in 40 years. The ‘shift’ will transfer wealth from rich to poor, from the oil patch to the rest of the country, and from the coffers of big business to the pockets of low-income Canadians. [...]

I invite and encourage everyone to visit thegreenshift.ca to see how this comprehensive plan will benefit low-income Canadians. I will continue to work collaboratively with my Liberal colleagues towards a fairer, richer, greener Canada." -- Ken Boshcoff, MP

http://netnewsledger.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=967&Itemid=28

So, you see, Carl, it's blatantly obvious what is intended under the aegis of Global Warming hysteria. Now tell me again that it's not just another tax-grab.

"Sustainability isn’t something that requires political affiliation to comprehend, its scientific,"

Sorry, buddy, but your neurotic obsession with "sustainability", or whatever the latest buzzword, is entirely an delusional construct on your part. There's nothing "scientific" about it. Nothing is "sustainable". Ultimately entropy wins. We all die.

"but then again you don’t understand much of science either."

Coming from a junior Lysenkoist like you, that's a pretty laughable statement. You seem to make it a lot. You'd almost think you have an inferiority complex. Pretty sad, actually.

"To reduce consumption, well increase efficiency for starters that reduces waste (likely countless things that can be done here)."

Gee, you sound like you just discovered fire. Golly, nobody ever thought of that! Evidently, you never stopped to consider we don't need state intervention to do that. The laws of supply and demand dictate efficiency automatically.

"Convert to renewable forms of electricity generation, like solar and wind, instead of limited resources like those derived from fossil sources."

You have a bizarre notion of which forms of energy are limited! If, for example, gasoline is such a "limited" resource, why can most of us easily afford to buy it at market prices? What we can't afford, is to heat our homes with limited astronomically expensive energy sources like summer breezes and sunshine. Aside from very tiny boutique markets, there is virtually zero demand for it.

"Tax incentives for those who reduce their consumptive patterns, like tax credits for vehicle efficiency, or rebates."

Why? Obviously this is an admission on your part that gasoline isn't expensive enough, because it's not as scarce as you'd prefer, and you need government intervention to thwart the market. We already get taxed for consumption. Someone who drives an El Dorado pays proportionaly more in taxes on fuel than someone who rides a moped.

But I don't need an opressive nanny-state government to force me to "reduce my consumptive patterns", either through taxation or ration lines. That's not their mandate, and if I can help it, it never will be.

"Conversely tax over consumption, for morons like you, who can pay for the rebates for people like me, thanks btw."

Over-consumption? Just who gets to arbitrarily dictate what that is? So it sounds like your plan is indeed a socialist wealth redistribution scheme. Take money from successful people (or, "morons", as you refer to us) -- and hand it over to losers like you, so we can all live happily like Haitian peasants. Interesting that your fantasy belies so much bitterness and envy on your part.

"And plus a million other ideas other there. So, yeah I have and some things are already being implemented today, by folks smarter and better versed than I about finding solutions to sustainability issues. Only just at the tip of this iceberg."

What the hell does that word-salad even mean? Obviously, this the result of your "quality education".

It means you're still an idiot....

Your rebuke stings, Carl, it really stings.

I don't see why global warming shouldn't be treated as a WMD unleashed by the Harper and Bush administrations. They are also obstacles in tradewar-ing China into India into compliance.
The collective farms idea is extreme but preferable to the present situation of attempted Conservative brainwashing. I'd rather people are brainwashed in a way that promotes a sustainable economy than brainwashed in a way that promotes Wall-E world, but I'd prefer even more the absence of brainwashing and a government that respects science (not one seeking to bring about Revelations).
I'd say try to bring a government into power that respects science and the future prosperity of humanity. You'll have to pay cash for your pollution, RB, that's all. Strange we are both using prosperity as our goal. Weird english language.

"I don't see why global warming shouldn't be treated as a WMD unleashed by the Harper and Bush administrations."

You've uncovered their plot, Phillip! Now that you know about their secret weather machine, hidden in the basement of the White House, expect a visit from The Men In Black.

"The collective farms idea is extreme but preferable to the present situation of attempted Conservative brainwashing."

Nice theory, but it presumes you have a brain to wash. Take solace in the fact that you are immune.

"Strange we are both using prosperity as our goal."

I'll worry about my own prosperity, thanks. But you are mistaken. While prosperity may be one of my goals, in your case, it seems to be nothing more than an illucid wishful fantasy, from a disordered mind.

But, hey, who knows? Maybe if you wish really, really hard?

"Weird english language."

Perhaps if you apply yourself, it may one day seem less mysterious to you. Plus the other kids in your special-ed class might mock you less, and you'll be able to focus on what you're good at -- eating paste.

Educational toys help kids grow mentally and physically.
We should make more green toys.

http://www.parents-kidz.com

"...make more green toys..."

Does that mean that toy John Deere farm machinery should have a lock on the market?

"Educational toys help kids grow mentally and physically.
We should make more green toys."

Or you could just stop making kids.

Yuh' think?!

Little kids like sponges.
http://www.parents-and-kids.com

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