Climate Change "as if" it's a myth

here's something i posted on the comment section of my blog. i was able to articulate this because of the flex flowing that naturally happens whenever i blog something and cool people respond to it :)

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my take on it? according to Joseph Campbell a healthier approach to myths (especially the mystical ones) is to treat them “as if” they are real and use those as tools for one's psychological development.

since i don't consider myself well-informed enough to make an informed opinion on Climate Change, i apply the Joseph Campbell approach to myths. although i'm not completely sold on the idea and approach to Climate Change, i treat Climate Change “as if” it's real and imperative even if i have reservations on it. this is my own way of trying to hold both opposing views together. this allows me to be vigilant with my own choices, actions, information gathering without being completely sucked into the political propaganda involved in the media.

note that i'm not saying that Climate Change is a “myth.” i'm approaching Climate Change “as if” it is an archetypal myth. big difference.

i think this is essentially the same approach as mentioned by Vince earlier. but i won't go 100% on the PRO camp because this thing is too politically charged for my taste, even TOP scientists sitting on the same panel don't even agree on it's impact. (see BBC CLIMATE CHANGE PANEL).

so for now i'd keep my options open while doing my best to understand and be aware of both camps at the same time, doing whatever i can in my sphere of influence (on the exterior: i walk more than drive; on the interior: i pray and do tonglen on the ozone layer; on the collective: i blog about it, i discuss it with others; i start discussion pods about it, etc…)

my two cents, for now.

~C (for Check out this Climate Change Panel) 

Re: Climate Change "as if" it's a myth

Given your position on climate change I think you're doing an amazing job in dealing with the subject.  That sounds like a perfect example of responsible choice. 

Re: Climate Change "as if" it's a myth

thanks. “responsible choice” is a cool phrase. i like that. the thing is, we really don't need Climate Change for us to be responsible of the environment, but if takes Climate Change to awaken the collective, so be it.

Re: Climate Change "as if" it's a myth

If you had believed in climate change since the 70’s, as I ( and many others have ) it seems to me that every environmental report since those times has fitted that belief, and I have yet to see credible counter evidence. Of course it can be human nature to see what you want to, but I’m still damn glad that I dont live at sea level. Climate change is happening, the only question is what do we do about it. I’ve opted for a low environmental impact, and planted hundreds of trees - how very middle class of me- but what about those without such choices? Good Pod ! Collective action is the only way.

Re: Climate Change "as if" it's a myth

“Of course it can be human nature to see what you want to, but I’m still damn glad that I dont live at sea level.”

LOL. understood. just to set my perspectives straight too. i grew up in country in the Pacific rim, so i've had my share of rising sea levels, typhoons, El Ninos, and what not. i used to go to school walking in floods up to my groin. welcome to the third world.

maybe the root-cause of the problem was Climate Change, but looking back, the BIGGER problem is not really awareness of Global Warming or Climate Change. the problem was corruption and basic maintenance and creation of infrastructure that would minimize flooding.

my point? Climate Change is a real issue, but let's not lose sight of the basic needs of people. people (and government) MUST GROW into a level of consciousness that embraces and emphatizes with Gaia, otherwise, no amount of Climate Change propaganda would solve Climate Change. corrupt governments (read: most third world countries) would just sink their teeth into whatever Climate Change funds they would allocate in their pork barrels.

hey, if corrupt politicians would corrupt those funds allocated for BASIC immediate needs of people, what would stop them from sucking dry the funds allocated for something that is 50-100 years from now?

so let's not forget level of consciousness here when arguing over Climate Change. for the record, i admire Al Gore for what he's doing, because he's raising the consciousness of the young people who are the real leading edge.

my two cents.

Re: Climate Change "as if" it's a myth

I'm glad Al Gore is getting the message out there. I just wish he'd make better personal choices!  His lack of personal action (if what I've read about him is to be believed) in terms of energy use dilutes his message.  It makes him seem like one more corrupt politician, using this issue to get his face in the spotlight.

I do believe that we've had an impact on the climate (how could we not, when we've chemically altered the atmosphere and oceans, when we've removed large tracts of green?), though it's important to acknowledge that things like floods and hurricanes do come in cycles.  But that doesn't change the fact that the average temperatures are rising, the ice caps and glaciers are melting…

Wendy, who's not looking forward to another hurricane season with friends and family on the Gulf…

Re: Climate Change "as if" it's a myth

P.S. for what it's worth, if it takes the doomsday gloom of Climate Change to make developing countries more aware of the environment, then i'm all for it.

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Greenpeace: Shun coal power projects
By Katherine Adraneda
The Philippine Star 07/10/2006

The international environment group Greenpeace has called on the government and various international funding institutions to tap the country’s vast renewable energy sources in place of coal.

Jasper Inventor, climate and energy campaigner of Greenpeace-Southeast Asia, said the government should include “clear and real intentions to a massive shift towards clean, renewable energy in the power sector” to achieve a “Green Philippines” in the next five years. 

“The government should stop the construction and expansion of more coal plants in the country and initiate a massive shift to clean, renewable energy with a clear target of 10 percent of our total energy needs generated from sun, wind, and modern biomass by theyear 2010,” he said.

Inventor said coal is the dirtiest and most pollutive fossil fuel because “from extraction to combustion, coal pollutes every step of the way.”

Read more 

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what i hope doesn't happen is further politicization of Climate Change, especially in developing countries. note that the Kyoto protocol allows developing countries to “pollute the environment without reprimand…” :)

Re: Climate Change "as if" it's a myth

Well, further evidence that climate change is a reality…

walking the dogs this past week, I've noticed that pink clover is in bloom.

This is normally a phenomena of spring, but apparently our spring came so early this year, and the warmth lasted so long, that the seeds dropped in the spring have had time to flower.

Wierd and creepy.  But still very pretty.