The dark hobby

[Redshark1]

I can't really see us effectively securing our long term future at the expense of short term gain but that's what should happen if we were managing our planet responsibly.

Regarding the hobby, I agree with sustainable harvesting but this is often undermined by environmental degradation, global warming and other bigger issues than the aquarium trade issues.

 

[skjl47]

But if everyone decided to hunt for their meat, we have a problem: there are simply too many people on the planet to be supported in that fashion.

habitat destruction, pollution, overharvesting, climate change, you name it. But they almost all have a common root: human over-population.

We continue to breed and breed and breed, continuing to overcrowd our little ball of dirt. Something has got to give.

Hello; I have posted about my involvement in population reduction movements starting back in the 1970's on this site before. No point going over the failed attempts of ZPG and other things. I soon enough came to the conclusion people would seriously overpopulate the earth and as a consequence eventually over reach the carrying capacity of the planet. The things I and others feared did happen. We are now facing the outcomes. I have been surprised at how resilient the planet has been as I expected to be where we currently are a couple of decades ago.

After I came to the conclusion we could not be saved from ourselves I have done two things. First was to remain childless. Had a vasectomy back around 1975. That was a good move over all as I had a couple of wives who changed their minds after a while about children. I did at least perhaps slow down their reproduction numbers for a few years.
The other thing I have been doing is to have a smaller environmental footprint than I can afford. Not that I am a monk type or any sort of pure environmental guru. I do and have lived in a low impact life style compared to my neighbors and peers. My family and neighbors think me odd for rarely using the central air of my house. Only ran it twice so far this warm season.

I find it interesting global warming has become the cause of modern day champions. That the man made warming somehow is the cause for the decade when there are so many other much more dire environmental situations which will happen well before climate change becomes a serious problem. A pandemic such as this covid pandemic was foretold some decades ago as an outcome of human overcrowding and ease of transportation. Many knew a pandemic or few were to happen for a long while. I, for one, did not factor in the possibility some humans would be trying to tailor a virus to be able to infect people as is suspected by some now. I have no way to know if covid19 was enhanced or was a natural crossover, but something like it has been expected. I have several things on my list far more serious than global warming.

 

[..puSkar..]

I have been surprised at how resilient the planet has been as I expected to be where we currently are a couple of decades ago.

Totally agree ?

My family and neighbors think me odd

My fellow hostellers' think the same about me for not using the ac , taking cold baths during winters , avoiding packed junk food, carrying a tiffin box if I want to get something packed from the restaurant , etc. Not very efficient as im a student away from home .
But I try to live as simple as possible.

 

[skjl47]

Totally agree ?

My fellow hostellers' think the same about me for not using the ac , taking cold baths during winters , avoiding packed junk food, carrying a tiffin box if I want to get something packed from the restaurant , etc. Not very efficient as im a student away from home .
But I try to live as simple as possible.

Hello; You lost me at the cold baths. I also eat junk food. I like a warm shower and to heck with the cost. But i have a shower head I can open and close so the water is not running hard during a shower. I take short showers, not quite navy showers tho.

 

[jjohnwm]

Lol, my wife likes to delude herself that by taking a quick, fairly cool shower she is saving the planet...conveniently overlooking the fact that when she emerges she goes from room to room turning the heat (electric) up to compensate for her impending chill.

When you are trying to help...think it through and be sure that you are actually doing so. Don't just suffer for the sake of suffering.

Just out of curiosity, ..puSkar.. where do you live? I'm wondering if what you call a "cold" bath is the same thing that I would be experiencing if I took a cold bath. In winter, mine would be around 40F or less; if I ran the water long enough to completely empty out my pressure tank and lines, so that the water is pumping directly from my deep well, it might rise a couple of degrees, but that is hardly the way to be more environmentally conscious.

 

[..puSkar..]

My hometown is siliguri and I currently live at a hostel in kota .
Not such extreme cold temps, but people even tend to switch on the geyser when the outside temp is just 13-15°c .
I hardly switch on the gyeser, it's generally when I hurt myself and need hit water for a compress.

 

[jjohnwm]

Looking at those charts is surprising; your Dec/Jan temps are down almost to freezing? I never expected that.

But...that's still not cold.

 

[..puSkar..]

junk food

It's not actually about junk food, it's about the waste it creates. I don't know where you're from, but I bet your place has better waste management systems and plastic recycling plants than we have here in India.
The main problem with the people here is that they'll keep their property spotless but dump all trash on maybe some empty plot or maybe on the side if their road, just because it's not their property and they don't care.

 

[jjohnwm]

It's not actually about junk food, it's about the waste it creates. I don't know where you're from, but I bet your place has better waste management systems and plastic recycling plants than we have here in India.
The main problem with the people here is that they'll keep their property spotless but dump all trash on maybe some empty plot or maybe on the side if their road, just because it's not their property and they don't care.

Unfortunately, that's a problem with people everywhere...or, to put it more simply, that's the problem with people.

We live to be almost a hundred...and most of us can't see much further into the future than next week.

We are responsible for an entire planet...and most of us don't worry about anything beyond the front yard.

 

[..puSkar..]

But...that's still not cold.

Still better than the rest I'm surrounded by. So I'm happy ?
BTW I do sometimes bath in the middle of the night during my exams cause they're refreshing and I'm a night owl when it comes to studying.