[Vwdiesel] Those anti-SUV ads

[dieseltdi at earthlink.net]

on 1/12/03 4:15 PM, LBaird119 at aol.com at LBaird119 at aol.com wrote:

> Here lies my "problem"  I have this silly notion that the Earth is MUCH
> more powerful and resilient than us humans.  Sure we can damage alter
> or even greatly alter a local environment but to "destroy" one takes
> something on the order of a nuclear blast.  It's still "local" not global.
> Volcanos have been belching poisonous gasses and "ozone destroying"
> gasses in much huger ;-) quantities than we could dream of emitting, for
> eons yet the Earth still exists and is able to sustain life.  The global
> environment has always been in a constant state of change.  I find it a
> little arrogant to think we are now the ones responsible for this.  Nothing
> wrong with being good stewards but the Earth is capable of converting
> awfully huge amounts of CO2, etc.  Put out more CO2 and more heat, and
> you get more plant life to convert it back.  Equilibrium.
> Loren
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Actually I could take you to a few places in California and a place in
Tennessee called Duck Creek where in just a few short years humans reduced
the environment to a moonscape and it hasn't rebounded yet.  the area around
Mt St. Helens has recovered faster (and I don't mean the deliberately
reforested areas) than some spots that were ravaged less than 100 years ago
by humans.  Now I don't want to step on toes or what but there seems to be a
misconception on just how much stuff we put in the air.  Yes volcanoes do
put out short duration events that fill the air with sulfates and dust that
are rapidly cycled out of the global system.  It is the episodic nature of
these events that makes them small blips on the screen of life.  Every so
often, about once ever 100000 years we have a really big volcanic explosion
that really wrecks havoc on the entire globe.  One happened about 40000
years ago and nearly wiped out the human race.  Anyway the problem with us
is that we tend to release pollutants in a very different manner than the
earth.  Out releases are long term, and usually consist of compounds never
found in the planet to begin with.  Yes certain kinds of ozone killing
compounds are released by volcanoes but the particular chemical signature of
the manmade Chloroflourocarbons is very distinct.  As for global warming, I
still think the judge is still out.  We simply do not know how fast the
earth can sequester CO2 when it is released in the massive quantities that
humans do.  That being said, knowing the earth's history as I do (geology
professor) I would prefer a green house planet to the other option.  You
Canuck friends of ours up north would all have to move down to the states in
an icehouse world, and dammit those blasted new yorkers would flood Texas
again like they did in the 80's.  Joking aside, all of human technology and
agriculture has developed in a warming climate.  ALL OF IT.  We simply do
not have the means to survive in large numbers in an ice house world.  The
crops we grow worldwide would fail because they are all warm climate crops.
the petroleum tecnology simply will not be able to produce enough heat and
electricity etc when many of the fields of the earth are covered with 3-5
miles of ice.  We are to be stewards of the planet we live on.  By the way,
I do not consider myself a tree hugger.  I think that there are ways to
manage our world with sustainability so that we can all keep warm, can drive
cars (although a limited number) and still prevent 100 species from becoming
extinct every single day.  Down off soap box.

Necessary VW and diesel content.  Just got back from Oklahoma where I bought
another 81 Caddy, It is structurally (read from cab forward where most of
the rust eats away the structural members) sound much more so than the one I
have now.  I intend to canabilize the current truck for all that I need on
the new one.  Hayden
-- Visit my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~dieseltdi
    2002 Jetta Wagon GLS TDI, Upsolute Powerbox
    98 Jetta TDI Wetterauer chipset, Dual Fuel Propane system
    98 Jetta TDI, Speed Tuning Chipset (daughter's car)
    87 Scirocco 16v (son's car, gas :^P)
    81 VW Rabbit Pickup (Caddy, Diesel of course, awaiting
    a TD engine transplant)
    And many, many water cooled and aircooled
    VW cars now departed or sold.