Newspaper headlines. (Often in same edition).
Oceans dying from CO2 acidification,
Newcastle Ports proposes new 2.7 billion coal loader.
Murray-Darling needs more flow to maintain system health.
Irrigators say cuts to water entitlements ‘irresponsible’.
Four trawlers mothballed at Mooloolaba for lack of fish.
Sign on fisherman’s ute: “Fix the fishery; shoot a greenie!”
How will we feed nine billion people in 2050?
Government pays baby bonus to increase birth rate.
AIDS epidemic in Africa. 40 million infected.
Pope bans use of condoms.
Challenge:
Add your own 'parallel universe couplet' as a comment!.
Posts
Foreclosure rate at all time high
ReplyDeleteBlack Friday spending sets new record
Brilliant Brian! Next?
ReplyDeleteThe most common contradictions I notice are those that concentrate on a particular problem that will soon be overtaken by a more general problem.
An example is the fuss about Japanese whaling.
Although we all agree that whaling is distasteful, acidification of the oceans from CO2 absorption will soon cause the extinction of some species of krill, the primary food for some species of whales and the base food for much of the marine food chain, a disastrous outcome. But we continually invest our energy in the particular at the expense of the general. We protest against whaling while we should be demanding an urgent end to CO2 emissions whatever the financial cost.
But we won't because the climate change argument is being constantly undermined by fake controversies that offer excuses for inaction.
Every day almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes in Africa, India, South America.
ReplyDeleteAcross the OECD 1 in 6 adults is obese.
It's a messed up world. There's no way of sugar coating it. And it's going to get worse before it gets better....
I personally believe many of the issues you have mentioned will be dealt with naturally very shortly, although as Selma pointed out it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
ReplyDeletedfish is right. There will be a natural adjustment unless we head it off. That adjustment will be mass starvation of poor people (eg, Africa) or genocide by ethnic/religious groups (eg, Kosovo) or war as we have never seen it (USA-China-India-Iran-etc) that is more likely as not to render the biosphere so poisonous that most mammals will become extinct and a whole new pathway of evolution will begin! This may seem alarmist now, but project current trends of ocean, air and land degradation forward 50 years and imagine the competition for resources when population approaches 9 billion. Then, to that problem apply the historic human response: violent dispatch of competitors. A no brainer!
ReplyDeleteIt is almost worth becoming a Christian. Then at least I could avoid responsibility and look forward to The Rapture. (Some even believe it!)
So, dfish, keep praying and like the song says: "Don't worry; be happy."