tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post6698741106724687363..comments2024-02-23T02:03:23.020-07:00Comments on The Eco Cat Lady Speaks: How Cooked is Our Goose?EcoCatLadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-24896942831676360922014-01-05T17:14:57.154-07:002014-01-05T17:14:57.154-07:00I'm a big fan of Richard Heinberg - I've r...I'm a big fan of Richard Heinberg - I've read a few of his books, but not sure if that one was among them or not. Any way you slice it, I think it's pretty clear that the next 100 years aren't gonna look anything like the last 100.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-19171152460458770902014-01-05T09:42:13.064-07:002014-01-05T09:42:13.064-07:00Interesting question. If I were younger and heard...Interesting question. If I were younger and heard these predictions I wouldn't have children, but since that's a moot point all I can do is continue to teach them and the grandchildren how to make do, grow their own etc. <br /><br />Your question is even more relevant to me today because I am currently reading The End of Growth by Richard Heinberg at the the moment. While he talks about climate change in this one, I get the impression that before we run out of resources or make the planet unlivable he is predicting the fall of the banking system and as a result trade. What's really scary is much of what he talks about we are already seeing happen. <br /><br />Either way, economically or environmentally, I believe we are cooked but good. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-44687072221210007632014-01-05T01:26:11.351-07:002014-01-05T01:26:11.351-07:00I actually think your approach makes a heckuva lot...I actually think your approach makes a heckuva lot of sense. I mean, the real shame would be if humans destroyed the planet and made themselves miserable at the same time! I tend to believe that "heroic" behavior is generally much more self-serving than it's made out to be. EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-82781143631569046502014-01-04T22:58:56.382-07:002014-01-04T22:58:56.382-07:00"I wish there was some sort of blocker that c..."I wish there was some sort of blocker that could be put in place..." You remind me of a co-worker I once had who was going through a nasty divorce and custody battle. She and her soon to be ex-husband were required to attend a series of child care classes before they could legally get divorced (she lived in the people's republic of Boulder.) Ahyhow, here comment was "wait... where was this stuff before we got married?" I guess my point is that people seem to have a pretty unrealistic and romanticized notion about what being a parent is all about. <br /><br />While I don't believe that the government should decide who can and can't reproduce, I do long for a day when every child is wanted, and cared for by people with both the financial and emotional resources to do so.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-69887483148363133012014-01-04T21:26:46.035-07:002014-01-04T21:26:46.035-07:00My no reproduction comes from my frustration on th...My no reproduction comes from my frustration on the time/resources/money people spend on reproduction when there are literally millions of already born children needing a home + good parents. Ugh people and their genetic preferences lol! I wish there was some sort of blocker that could be put in place (sort of like an IUD) for both sexes. I mean, we thwart the reproduction of so many animal species, why not manage our own for once?! UGH this topic gets me riled up!<br /><br />As for my boys, at 3 + 5 they already get grumpy about things...not having more toys or eating crap foods or buying single serving everything, etc. Hopefully, they'll see the benefit when they get older, but for now, I totally understand there will be continual whining from them lol!Megynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09237520120571515528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-32006788985094516172014-01-04T16:38:40.997-07:002014-01-04T16:38:40.997-07:00Yes. Exactly.Yes. Exactly.Debbie Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-36167765070767932782014-01-04T16:35:56.993-07:002014-01-04T16:35:56.993-07:00Well, I've read a few post-apocalyptic books. ...Well, I've read a few post-apocalyptic books. I'm not violent, I don't have many rural skills, and I'm a picky eater. It's hard to imagine things going well for me in that sort of environment.<br /><br />My boyfriend's parents were always afraid of some kind of armageddon like nuclear war, so they spent their lives in small towns, most of which were kind of horrible. They are dead now and spent their whole lives in fear (not too much, but still), for nothing (except they did escape the 9/11 tragedy).<br /><br />I'd much rather err in the other direction--head in the sand, hoping nothing bad happens in my lifetime--to me. Like the stereotypical American. Because it's more fun!<br /><br />But I also know about science, so I know I could be horribly, horribly wrong.<br /><br />I greatly admire heroic people. And brave people. I am not them. At least I can follow in some of their footsteps. I sign petitions. I make the easy sacrifices. I help educate people who want to be educated. But also a part of me wants to appreciate things like world travel while it's still possible--because it's not fair that only clueless people should get to. Or something.<br /><br />I have inner conflicts!Debbie Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-14895417119902281082014-01-04T13:22:56.061-07:002014-01-04T13:22:56.061-07:00Nope... I don't think you're overly optimi...Nope... I don't think you're overly optimistic, and I too would hope that even if the worst happened a few people might survive.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-58014143823921019542014-01-04T12:56:58.534-07:002014-01-04T12:56:58.534-07:00Of course! I agree there'd be no sensible reas...Of course! I agree there'd be no sensible reason to reproduce if the world was unlivable - but I don't think it would be possible to ensure 100% no one would/could leading up to that moment. ;) <br /><br />And I think I'm just too much of an optimist (or have my head in the sand) to truly wrap my head around <i>no hope</i> for survival. I prefer to think pockets of humans would live on and the Earth would swing back to better conditions eventually. Obviously I've been reading too many books with happy endings. :)Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05307066665335899370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-33606576470421929172014-01-04T12:00:41.832-07:002014-01-04T12:00:41.832-07:00I totally agree Amanda. Of course, in the "go...I totally agree Amanda. Of course, in the "goose is cooked" scenario of assured total destruction, one does have to ask if there's any point in continuing to reproduce.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-41666044318740562992014-01-04T11:59:49.804-07:002014-01-04T11:59:49.804-07:00I tend to think that we aren't going to see re...I tend to think that we aren't going to see real change unless and until the environmental cost of things is built into the actual cost that people pay. I just think that human beings aren't built to "sacrifice for the greater good" and voluntary changes are not gonna make much impact other than laying the groundwork for how things could be different on a wide scale. <br /><br />But as we saw in 2008 when gas prices skyrocketed, people change their ways pretty darned quickly when their pocketbooks are at stake!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-87339352416170047922014-01-04T11:56:51.450-07:002014-01-04T11:56:51.450-07:00Ha! It's the Mother Earth Smack Down! I tend t...Ha! It's the Mother Earth Smack Down! I tend to agree that it's too late on this one, and am thankful that at 46 I won't be around to experience the worst of it - though part of me would enjoy getting to see all of the greedy bastards get their comeuppance even if it meant I had to suffer right alongside them.<br /><br />And now you've totally ruined me for the day, because my inner movie quoter is gonna be screaming "Soylent Green is people... it's PEEEEEEEEEOPLE!!!!" all day long! EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-38458928878179687502014-01-04T11:53:05.394-07:002014-01-04T11:53:05.394-07:00Ha! I can see that you're in the "enjoy l...Ha! I can see that you're in the "enjoy life while you've got it" camp! :-)EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-37677242386623429622014-01-04T06:21:52.814-07:002014-01-04T06:21:52.814-07:00I don't agree with NO reproduction at all but ...I don't agree with NO reproduction at all but educating women and providing access to birth control greatly reduces family sizes. In urban Brazil it only took one generation of women for the birth rate to go from something like 6 kids per woman to less than 2. The documentary was done by National Geographic so I trust their research, I just can't remember the exact numbers off the top of my head.Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05307066665335899370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-23811360834107389332014-01-04T06:15:31.545-07:002014-01-04T06:15:31.545-07:00Ooh, this is a tough one. I try to think about it ...Ooh, this is a tough one. I try to think about it in terms of what I <i>can</i> do to lessen my impact, but it's scary and depressing too. I talk about it with people I'm close to - like when my parents come over for dinner and they ask why I bought organic milk. And sometimes I'm able to influence them :) I also write letters to my Congress people, although securing more jobs and money for our state seem to be their priorities. Maybe if they keep hearing about climate change, they'll come around? I really think people have to want to change for it to be successful though (unless it's something super easy). Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05307066665335899370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-52875647604846162942014-01-04T06:01:59.137-07:002014-01-04T06:01:59.137-07:00I am just over a month away from turning 64, so my...I am just over a month away from turning 64, so my perspective & situation is a bit different. I have no faith in the human race and am, therefore, a fatalist. We, as a species, have already doomed the planet. I mourn for the coming loss of all the other species on the planet, but humans made their bed and they will have to die in it. When I saw Soylent Green in the early 70s I knew I'd seen the future. I wept when Edward G Robinson's character chose death and lay watching a film of what the Earth was when he was younger - green things, wildlife, etc. I knew I was seeing the future for our planet. Corporations and greed have brought us to where we are, yet most people - especially in developed countries - do little or nothing. I applaud warriors, like Bill McKibben who founded 350.org, but I'm firmly convinced it's too late. I'm glad I won't be around, hoarding guns & ammunition to protect me and my critters from the out of control masses who have resorted to pillaging and plundering to survive. Then you have the radical evangelicals who stand now on the sidelines cheering that The End Times are near & they will be transported straight to their heaven. Boy are they going to be surprised. IMHO, it couldn't happen to a better group of people. Connie, Orlandohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03352603326494248659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-58067681388890603252014-01-04T01:24:29.363-07:002014-01-04T01:24:29.363-07:00Loot the chemist for Valium, bottle shop for champ...Loot the chemist for Valium, bottle shop for champagne, and the supermarket to possibly take up smoking again! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-8999132046609942032014-01-03T20:09:52.057-07:002014-01-03T20:09:52.057-07:00Holy Moly! I've gotta admit that suicide never...Holy Moly! I've gotta admit that suicide never even crossed my mind - wonder what that says about both of us! <br /><br />Anyhow, I admire your matter of fact approach to this stuff. I am often motivated by guilt - it's a family tradition and somehow I took the brunt of it. But I have to agree that trying to be heroic is of limited usefulness!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-11924443786279302952014-01-03T20:06:49.030-07:002014-01-03T20:06:49.030-07:00Ha! So I wanna know how you achieve this "no ...Ha! So I wanna know how you achieve this "no more reproduction" thing! I actually think that the best way to get humans to reproduce less is to improve their standard of living. I just read an article about how Japan's population is plummeting because basically women are having too much fun to be bothered with having kids. Even here, our population is only growing from immigration, otherwise it would be dwindling. Of course, that doesn't help in the nightmare scenario of "we've only got 36 years left."<br /><br />Anyhow, I agree with Debbie that your boys aren't necessarily gonna hate you for it and might really enjoy it. I LOVED No Impact Man, it's actually the reason I got Netflix was because I wanted to see the movie so badly!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-55206763846837678682014-01-03T19:51:10.482-07:002014-01-03T19:51:10.482-07:00Megyn, I don't think your boys have to despise...Megyn, I don't think your boys have to despise small/eco-friendly living. (At least not until they're teenagers and despise everything you do just because.)<br /><br />Have you read _No Impact Man_? It's about a guy who tries to reduce the impact he and the rest of his family is making on the earth to NOTHING. In NEW YORK CITY. He gets much closer than I ever thought was possible. And their lives actually got better (except on laundry day). Including his little girl (age 2?) who loved it. The book is a fun read, too, such as the first day when he decides not to make trash but the first thing he does is blow his nose into a tissue and the second thing he does is change his little girl's disposable diaper. He has a lot of re-learning to do and he brings us along for the ride. (There's also a movie, but I haven't seen it.)Debbie Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-34816630960387117512014-01-03T19:45:09.179-07:002014-01-03T19:45:09.179-07:00If that really happened, well, I've been in ot...If that really happened, well, I've been in other situations where I've watched people clawing their way to limited resources (such as too many gals and not enough guys for ballroom dance competitions) and I'm just not up to it. So I'd consider suicide.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I cause obscene amounts of pollution because it's fun. I travel on planes, in trains, in cars, on buses. I stay friends with (and keep visiting) people who move out into the suburbs and even to other states and countries. I stay up as late as I want at night with lights on. I use computers, a refrigerator, and a million other things. And I own lots of stuff.<br /><br />Oh, I pollute less than the average American. How noble is that? I really don't inconvenience myself. I turn lights off that I'm not using. I don't drive when I could walk. I use a laptop instead of a desktop and have a low-mileage car. I air-condition a smaller house. I often buy things used.<br /><br />And I don't even try to influence anyone else. I'm not heroic and I'm not a trialblazer.Debbie Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-38694524823674639852014-01-03T13:56:36.990-07:002014-01-03T13:56:36.990-07:00My solution it to not allow any further reproducti...My solution it to not allow any further reproduction and have all of the current humans cared for. Then teach everyone how to live with less, reuse more, compost, and recycle. And since I'm being more than idealistic, everyone will have gardens. <br /><br />Really, I have no clue. I just try to do my part. I speak my values. I share them when I do my organization/decluttering work. I started that new blog (which I need to get back to...). My boys are probably going to despise my small/eco-friendly living, but I try. I guess that's all we can do :/Megynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09237520120571515528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-48694930677611140862014-01-03T13:35:47.431-07:002014-01-03T13:35:47.431-07:00Yup... Gaia is rearing her head and doing her best...Yup... Gaia is rearing her head and doing her best to rid herself of her human infestation! I'm picturing those old margarine commercials "Its not nice to fool Mother Nature!"<br /><br />Anyhow, I totally agree - the only people we can change are ourselves. In that spirit, I'm gonna turn off the computer and go for a bike ride!EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-55800010010876544802014-01-03T13:29:56.473-07:002014-01-03T13:29:56.473-07:00I hear you about the productive thing... but if it...I hear you about the productive thing... but if it really was "the end" then one has to ask if the most "productive" thing wouldn't be to make peace with it.<br /><br />But I am liking the trailblazer idea more and more... perhaps I should try to keep that in the forefront of my thinking.EcoCatLadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15704811319510740473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7685979597473858413.post-50379662836637716672014-01-03T13:19:54.591-07:002014-01-03T13:19:54.591-07:00As an individual all I can change is me. I do all ...As an individual all I can change is me. I do all the the 3 R's and then some but that is just a drop in the ocean. Our governments are sitting on their hands and without a push from the population nothing will change. However if my lifestyle can inspire just one person to change, then all us low impact folk may possibly inspire enough people to give the government to kick in the butt it needs. Which is basically what you said :)<br />I think there's a whole world of hurt coming, not just from climate change. The financial situation in most countries in in a mess, the US is operating on borrowed money as is European Union and my country, Canada is tied very closely to the US.<br />And much as I hate to say it(or even think it) this might be a good thing for our planet...sort of Mother Nature giving all our heads a good shake.<br /><br />I don't believe there is any place in the world to run.I believe the prudent plan is the get you house in order, eliminate your debt, pay off the mortgage, learn some skills that will be helpful in a disordered world eg gardening, brewing, sewing etc. And continue to live with less because it's the right thing to do....not because the Cat-Aclysm is coming.<br />Marie<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com