Dear Kathryn, I live lightly on the earth. I encourage others to do so. I
grow weary of being told that I am reponsible for peoples' lives all over
the world. There will ALWAYS be those who have life problems, even
life-threatening problems. If we all focus on doing the best we can, on
helping our family, friends, communities live as ecologically as possible,
the rest of the world will be helped also. Focus on home and community. In
SEX, ECONOMY, FREEDOM & COMMUNITY (page 20), Wendell Berry writes: "If we
could think locally, we would take far better care of things than we do
now. The right local questions and answers will be the right global ones.
The Amish question 'What will this do to our community?' tends toward the
right answer for the world."
>Gene - do you really mean this attitude. Thousands of people in the
>maldives have lived a subsistence level sustainable life style for
>generations, doing nothing to mess up their islands. They are poor in cash
>terms. The islands are now going to disappear forever because someone else
>at the other side of the planet is a greedy bastard - and I am talking
>about you and me here with our western standards of living. Which
>transportation options do they have? have you looked at their per capita
>incomes and and worked out transportation costs. What do they buy a boat
>with? Who is going to take them in - you? We took their home. Are we going
>to house them? Find them jobs? and I am talking personally here. They don't
>make the choice - its been made for them by us. They made no dumb
>decisions. Every time one of us puts any extra into the greenhouse equation
>it impacts on the people of the maldives and many others who don't have the
>option. I thought this was a list for people who cared and wanted to make a
>difference - what are you doing on it. kathryn
>
>>>Gene GeRue wrote:>
>>Well, I could feel sorry for the Maldivians but there is nothing I can do
>>to help them. I presume they are not behind bars and they have
>>transportation options. In our own country a high percent of our population
>>lives within sixty miles of the coast. Those citizens made and daily make
>>that choice and reap the economic and natural rewards and the drawbacks
>>such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tidal waves and rising sea levels. We all
>>make life decisions. We are all personally responsible for the outcomes. If
>>the sea level rises, lots of people will move or get a boat. There is
>>plenty of warning. (Rant mode on) I am tired of we taxpayers paying for
>>problems caused by people who make dumb decisions and then cry for help.
>>How many floods does it take to understand what happens if you live in a
>>flood plain? It is well publicized that sea levels will rise. Whaddya wanna
>>bet that we taxpayers won't have to pay for sea walls and dikes so those
>>wealthy coastal dwellers can continue to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets
>>over the water?
