I don't know if there's global warming or not but I don't have to. I'm no crazy left-wing hippie trying to force my views on others. What I do know is that it makes good sense to take care of your (one's own) living and working environments including the earth's natural resources. To me it's just common sense. Every day I look out my window or go outside and I can see with my own eyes there's heavy air pollution. From a selfish perspective, I don't want to breathe that in. From a community perspective, no one should have to breathe that in. Asthma rates in children have increased significantly in metro Los Angeles from the rise in air pollutants. Likewise with the rise in respitory illnesses. One can speculate that translates into increased health costs as well.
I don't go to the beach that often anymore because we get frequent beach closing dues to high levels of pollution, bacteria and red tide. It sucks that so much coastline is polluted and unusable.
When I get a letter in the mail from the Water Department because the water has been contaminated with some chemical spill, that's real. There's no debate if Al Gore made shit up. It's real. Someone "shit" in the water supply.
Shutting our eyes to Exxon Valdez or the recent Mississippi spills and subsequent closure is real. It has consequences. This isn't some wide-eyed misguided liberal arts college drop out interfering with business. These environmental disasters have real consequences and cost us billions in losses. There are human tolls too. Look at Minimata. The chemical (mercury?) spills there have deformed their population.
This isn't a left-right issue. This is a quality of life issue and it affects all of us.
Good sound environmental policy need not be opposed to business. There is a synergy there that can be exploited for the benefit of all in a win-win.
Edit: I want cake. Please.
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Last edited by jorgelito; 07-25-2008 at 01:28 PM..
Reason: I want cake
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