Environmental Activism? Wilderness Concerns?

[Guyon]

A little off-topic here, but I figured that the "Wilderness" forum might be a decent place for any subsequent conversation on this front...

Of late, the environment has been an even more important issue to me, perhaps because I now have a son, and I worry more about the world my generation will leave to his. Every time I see a strip mall replace what used to be woodlands/wetlands (every day it seems), I am disturbed. Every time I see 8 a.m. traffic, usually with one person per vehicle, I am reminded of our pervasive dependence on fossil fuels. Every time I go hunting or fishing lately, I wonder how many more generations those forms of recreation will last.

Just got back from a tour of the U.K., and while I don't agree with a fair deal of social policy there, I was impressed with how environmental concerns are much more front-and-center than in the States.

Just curious how many of us here devote time, donate money, spend money, or vote with regard to environmental concerns? How many of us have tried to do more to minimize individual consumption and "carbon footprints"? How many of us think about environmental issues on a daily basis? I would suspect such matters would be of importance to Wilderness enthusiasts, but I'd like to hear some of your views.

 

[Bumppo]

Environmental awareness is a good thing, following chicken little is not. Do a little research and decide for yourself if the energy and money expended really help the environment, or just support the illusion. Does recycling actually damage the environment more than it appears? People who won't wear leather still wear gold. Look into the process of mining precious metals.
Why are many states now licencing canoes and kayaks to save the environment? because they can. Canoes and kayaks leave no trace, but provide the government another way to make it more expensive for citizens to enjoy the outdoors. As far as the future goes, more people = more restrictions and higher fees.
Before I rant excessively, The point I am trying to make is voting to save the planet seems to be counter productive to actually doing something about it. Voting on projects at a local level may help, and teaching children common sense habits and community awareness might help too, but do a little research before commiting your efforts to mass scare tactics that harm the environment more than help.

 

[Guyon]

Environmental awareness is a good thing, following chicken little is not. Do a little research and decide for yourself if the energy and money expended really help the environment, or just support the illusion. Does recycling actually damage the environment more than it appears? People who won't wear leather still wear gold. Look into the process of mining precious metals.
Why are many states now licencing canoes and kayaks to save the environment? because they can. Canoes and kayaks leave no trace, but provide the government another way to make it more expensive for citizens to enjoy the outdoors. As far as the future goes, more people = more restrictions and higher fees.
Before I rant excessively, The point I am trying to make is voting to save the planet seems to be counter productive to actually doing something about it. Voting on projects at a local level may help, and teaching children common sense habits and community awareness might help too, but do a little research before commiting your efforts to mass scare tactics that harm the environment more than help.

I agree about doing one's homework. Just received a donation solicitation from the Nature Conservancy the other day, and so I did a little research online. Found more than a few unsavory claims about the group, including this collection at the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/specials/natureconservancy/

 

[Thomas Linton]

In the end, the primary issue is carrying capacity. The "aquarium" can only handle so many "fish." Beyond a certain point, death from aggression, disease, and environmental failure skyrockets -- but not before massive damage to the system (1000's of acres of essential forest is destroyed every hour in an ultimately futile effort to subsist.).

So while I contribute to other efforts to save what's left, I also contribute to efforts to at least slow population growth.

 

[akennedy73]

One can roughly estimate one's carbon footprint relative to the American average here:

http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/

 

[Horned Toad]

One can roughly estimate one's carbon footprint relative to the American average here:

http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/

I think that carbon calculator is a bit off, or else I really wonder where they got their national average from. Did anyone come in under the national average? I played with the numbers and could not get under the national average just because of the miles I drive.

 

[shotgunner11]

I came in at 12,700 so I was under, but not as much as I would like.

 

[boness]

Just curious how many of us here devote time, donate money, spend money, or vote with regard to environmental concerns?

I do all of the above..........

 

[Outdoors]

Of late, the environment has been an even more important issue to me, perhaps because I now have a son, and I worry more about the world my generation will leave to his. Every time I see a strip mall replace what used to be woodlands/wetlands (every day it seems), I am disturbed. Every time I see 8 a.m. traffic, usually with one person per vehicle, I am reminded of our pervasive dependence on fossil fuels. Every time I go hunting or fishing lately, I wonder how many more generations those forms of recreation will last.

I work as a wetland ecologist, so I see wetlands under development every day. I try to do my part to ensure that these areas are protected, both at work, and at play. If it bothers you to see apparently unrestrained development (and I think it should), I suggest getting involved in local government to make your opinion heard. Show up to planning meetings, comment of projects, review the local laws, start a neighborhood group, or get a seat on the planning commission. Oh, and prepared to be villified by developers, other council members, and some of your neighbors. Some folks just want to make money and feed the status quo.

TNC has made some less than perfect deals in the past, but they have also done some excellent restoration work - work that few other organizations are doing. While they are not perfect, I had no trouble (personally) contributing and volunteering. YMMV. Added: my preference is to work with the local chapters, though.

Another organization that has a great track record with restoration is ducks unlimited. They have restored/protected more wetlands than any other organization (at least that was true in the 90's). Pluss you can support the environment and hunting at the same time. Twice the bang for your buck. There are other organizaions that focus on other species, Salmon Unlimited, Pheasant Unlimited, etc.

Pat

 

[bulgron]

Did anyone come in under the national average?

I came in at 7,700 pounds, with a national average of 15,000 pounds for a family of 4. But then, I work out of my house and drive almost never which seems to do the trick.

Just a data point ...

 

[Outdoors]

FAmily of 4 - 6,200 - but I take the bus to work most days, and I didn't add my wife's car.

Pat

 

[Horned Toad]

FAmily of 4 - 6,200 - but I take the bus to work most days, and I didn't add my wife's car.

Pat

I came in at 39800, but they don’t list my truck, so it’s not exact, I switched it to a VW Jetta diesel and it dropped to 22300. 25k miles a year just isn’t fun.

 

[Outdoors]

Hmm. Just added my wife's commute on her car, and the tab went up to 12,220. More than if she drove the much older Honda.

Pat

 

[sodak]

If it bothers you to see apparently unrestrained development (and I think it should)

Pat

The parenthetical afterthought tells me enough.

Development doesn't bother me at all. I couldn't care less how big a carbon footprint that I leave. If you want to do a whole bunch of things that you *think* are beneficial, go right ahead. But don't try to tell me how to live my life.

 

[longbow50]

10700 for the wife and I. Adding the daughter, who just moved back in with us, it went up to 13500.

 

[Guyon]

Development doesn't bother me at all. I couldn't care less how big a carbon footprint that I leave. If you want to do a whole bunch of things that you *think* are beneficial, go right ahead. But don't try to tell me how to live my life.

I think the added emphases in sodak's post pretty much tell the story.

 

[shotgunner11]

Development doesn't bother me at all. I couldn't care less how big a carbon footprint that I leave. If you want to do a whole bunch of things that you *think* are beneficial, go right ahead. But don't try to tell me how to live my life.

I would think that the loss of the wilderness itself would bother anyone who would frequent the "Survival and Wilderness" section of the forum.

I live in a heavily populated area of south Jersey and have watched, in just my lifetime, the amount of usable land dwindle to just a shell of what it once was. Farms turned to developments and strip malls, once wooded areas stripped to nothing so a developer can put up a for sale sign and never get the money he wants.

About 10 years ago, a group of people in my area put up a fight to save a section of the local creek and the adjoining farm. It was a long, drawn out legal battle and hope was lost several times before the citizenry won out and now there is one less quicky mart/gas station in town but there is a 50 acre tract of wetland and former farm( now wooded) where children can experence the water in the creek and the thousands of fishes and animals and trees that call that area home.

You can say a few people cant make a diffrence, and that they only *think* they can, but I know a bunch of fishes and animals and trees that would disagree.

 

[Bumppo]

And the fishes, animals and trees will keep on dissagreeing until the runoff from the upstream chemical plant/development/factory/trash pit kills them. Small comminity efforts are a big part of the answer, but large numbers of these small groups are needed.

 

[Outdoors]

You only have to look back to the Early 1970's to see the reasons for the Clean Air Act and Clean Water ACt. Those of us who remember those times can recall how foul some of our streams were.

Pat

 

[Thomas Linton]

You only have to look back to the Early 1970's to see the reasons for the Clean Air Act and Clean Water ACt. Those of us who remember those times can recall how foul some of our streams were.

Pat

Well, here in Cleveland, some of us recall the Cuyahoga River catching on fire, the fish folks were catching being decalred unfit for human consumption, and a large "dead zone" in Lake Erie. But hey; Development Uber Alles (That's "$#@!* everyone else in some people's "special" language.)