Climate Change

Who else recalls the now-classic 1970's television commercial where a Native American chief was surveying the vast heaps of litter, garbage, highways, and urban sprawl, and, at the end of the commercial, his turning his face to the camera, with a tear trickling out of his eye.

IMHO, this commercial is far more appropriate today that it was 50 years ago.

It made a strong impression on me, back then, and still makes me think.

The Native Americans had a deep respect for nature and their land.

They, unlike modern "civilized" man, knew how to fully commune with nature, respect it, and live off of its many bounties.

We, today, most certainly can learn a tremendous wealth from these proud people, on how to respect our world..................

 

The sci fi film analogy is quite real. These are called alternate timelines. In addition to the lower astral plane, which i'd previously mentioned. These 2 aspects of reality, altho some claim an abiliity to interact harmlessly with. Aint particularly wise paths to trod. Even worse is the romanticizing of em. It's quite a mess, around here. But along with that, are the reclaimings of nature.
What allotta folks may not realize. Is that some, maybe even all of the seemingly worldwide primitivity. From many yrs back, may have been a massive amish &or romani analogy. Seen this also in native america.

 

That was iron eyes cody in the commercial

 

Thanks for this info; I had totally forgotten his name.

To this day, I still remember the impression this subtle, yet powerful commercial had on me, 50-odd years ago.................

 

For anyone who still doubts climate change/global warming, I'd strongly advise you to look at the deadly, catastrophic weather in many areas of the world, in only the past several years.

Severe droughts, destructive, monumental flooding in desert areas, mudslides caused by multiple days of heavy rains, extremely high temperatures (our July, here in the East, was the hottest ever recorded)

We've had waterways drying up, revealing the hulks of long-sunken ships, we've seen extreme temperature swings (here, I suggest that one watch the classic, and frightening,1961 British sci-f film, "THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE".

This outstanding film STILL makes a profound statement today, and is quite scary in its realism, and certainly a "must watch" today in 2023.

How will the world's " Powers That Be" deal with the crises of climate change?

Will they FINALLY begin to make inroads into challenging (and rectifying) global warming?

We are ALL in this TOGETHER-it's up to US to fight back, in the name of our home planet.............

 

No blade of grass is a good film. Tho i only saw it once, & that was bk in the day.

 

"Light pollution" is also a serious issue, in a sense, as the cities and suburbs continue to expand, the night skies are more and more washed out, further blotting out all but the brightest stars, which are also becoming fainter to the naked eye, as more and more lighting brightens the night.

Then, too, look at how displaced wildlife is now commonplace sights in our neighborhoods; bears, coyotes, and other wild animals are now common sights, not just in the suburbs, but also, in the cities.

This, due, largely because the animals are losing their habitat due to increased construction and urban sprawl.

Trees, also, are an endangered species in many urban areas; trees help to clean the air, provide shade (as well as provide shelter to birds and squirrels), and are simply beautiful to behold.

In my area (where I have lived for nearly 50 years) I cannot tell you how many beautiful old trees have been cut down, to make way for new power lines and new "McMansions".

Too, look at how increasingly violent are cities are becoming; the streets and mass transit facilities have become combat zones.

TARGET is closing a number of stores in several areas, due to brawling customers, shoplifting, and mass theft (last night things were NOT pretty in Philly, regarding mass theft, involving a number of stores)

So many people nowadays are worried about what tomorrow will hold.

I don't, for we are killing off tomorrow TODAY.

And man is supposed to be "civilized"?

That depends on your definition of "civilized".

Heaven help us all.............

 

“Night is a right”. We live in an older development with lots of trees but the newer people seem to have seen that TV ad about spot lights and the leave the #&=+ things on day and night. Like living on the train track with the midnight special coming at you all night long. So intrusive.

 

Yes, in my area, a number of people now have "security lights" in their yards, which further makes my "star gazing" even more difficult, or, they have lights in the yard (or the garage) that are dark until a moth decides to flit by.

Noise pollution is an issue as well; though I live on a residential side street, the relative stillness is too often broken by cars with these LOUD "mufflers", or nearly-deaf morons who blast their car's boom boxes at the loudest possible volume.

The average guy simply cannot win, these days..........

 

Me too…I’m a star gazer! As for the noise, when I was growing up there were enforced limits on noise but no longer. I’m generally a peaceful person, strapping some of those dudes down with vehicles roaring next to them for a long time seems appropriate

 

I grew up (60-odd years ago!) in metropolitan New Jersey, just a 15-minute bus ride away from Manhattan.

"City noises" were then the sounds then associated with urban living, buses running frequently 24/7, auto and truck traffic, electric trains scurrying back and forth to New York at regular intervals, airliners flying to and from Newark Airport....just the "regular" sounds you would associate with living in the city.

Today, "boom boxes" blaring out of bulky SUV's (so loud is the "music", you can hear it a block away....with ALL WINDOWS CLOSED!), motorcycles, heavy trucks bouncing over (near-useless) speed bumps, nearly waking the dead, and the always-annoying cacophony of construction work where yet another "McMansion" is being put up.

Used to LOVE, as a kid, being outside my aunt and uncle's summer bungalow up at the lake, and just being stretched out on a chaise lounge, viewing a blazing celestial blanket of glittering stars that rivaled the shows at the old Hayden Planetarium!

The ONLY "backgrounds" noises were crickets, bullfrogs, and the ever-relaxing, soothing sounds of water flowing over the dam.

Ahhhh, 'twas all so wonderful!

 

Not to mention Dog Pollution and every dog nutter who lets their shit-beast piss and shit on other people’s yards, tearing up property, attacking children, aggravating others’ allergies, not to mention be the cause of its own obnoxious ass Noise Pollution through endless mindless barking…but you won’t hear many people raise a fuss about that. We all must tolerate and bow down to the precious Fur Babies. They’re even allowed in Costco and other retail stores now, as if this is remotely normal or acceptable.

For more, see r/dogfree

 

No one loves dogs more than I do (I do not own one, however) but the ignorant individuals who walk them all too often are oblivious to "curb your dog" regulations (in my town, there are small dispensers mounted to utility poles, with plastic bags for "bagging" waste)

Some responsible owners DO clean up after their dogs, for certain, while others are totally oblivious.

And, don't get me started on "deaf" neighbors who allow their pooches to bark, bark, bark, and bark, and are totally oblivious to the racket.

Getting back to climate/weather issues, we just went through FOUR STRAIGHT DAYS of rain, gloom, and simply LOUSY weather.

Today, FINALLY the SUN came back, putting everyone in a jovial mood.

Guess what?

By late afternoon it was TOTALLY overcast;more of the same tomorrow, and MORE RAIN on Friday!

SUPPOSEDLY, next week we are FINALLY in line to have several days of fine, sunny weather...I will believe THAT when I see it!

The weather is as screwed up as today's society........it ain't pretty, my friend!

 

Your dog points are valid, but let’s not make the mistake of blaming overcast/rainy weather on Climate Change. Ever been to Seattle?

 

Regarding gloomy weather, London has long been known as a "foggy town"; San Francisco, likewise, is known for its often awe-inspiring fogs, which envelope the mighty Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.

Well into the 1950's, London was often brought to a near-standstill by vicious "pea soupers".

This was due largely due to coal-powered factories, power plants, and steam locomotives, plus the widespread use of coal stoves and furnaces.

I've seen photos of London bus conductors trudging ahead of their bus, brandishing a flare or a powerful battery "torch", guiding it along the nearly-invisible streets.

This, of course, was all due to man-made circumstances........

For many years, there were even jokes about Chicago's variable weather:

"If you don't like the weather in Chicago, just wait a minute and it'll change."

 

I can remember driving in fog so thick that I had to have the car door open looking down to see when I was on the edge of the wrong side of the road. That was in and around my hometown 32 miles south of Fresno in the San Joaquin valley of California. Sometimes you couldn't see but a few feet in front of you while walking. I don't think it's that bad now for some reason. I moved back there in '88 and left in 2015 and it did not compare with the 40--50s.

 

Fog has always been both fascinating and frightening.

We do not get thick fog all that often in my general area, but, over the years, we've had some pretty heavy stuff.

One time, when I was still working in Lower Manhattan (this was about 1998), the trains were out that AM, so I took the ferry into the city.

It was indeed "hazy" as we left the New Jersey slip, but the sun was out.

By the time we got into the middle of the Hudson, we were suddenly "socked in" by fog so thick it was like nothing in the world existed..............NOTHING!

It was as though the ferry was somehow sucked into a thick, dense cloudbank.......with NO visibility.

And yet, STRAIGHT OVERHEAD, the SUN was shining!

All we heard was the foghorn of our ferry, and a helicopter buzzing overhead.

As quick as the fog came in, it lifted.........and our ferry was NOT all the far from a TUGBOAT that was heading in the OPPOSITE direction!

My fellow commuters and I were MORE than relieved to debark in Manhattan!

Kudos to the "skipper"!

That was one SCARY voyage!

Back in the days before the mighty bridges crossed the Bay, San Francisco's network of ferryboats (NO radar back then!) relied solely on fog horns, fog signals, fog bells,and fog whistles.

The Ferry Building, in 1919, in addition to its fog bell tower and horns, had a powerful electric siren installed on its clock tower.......the blast could be heard from miles away, and, it has been written, almost deafened those nearby!

Yup, you DON'T wanna mess with fog.....(!!)

 

Sometimes I wake up in a fog like that............huh?? Rolling up the interstate into the hills in Virginia is always exciting at night with the fog. Of course the trucks are always either hogging lanes or flying by.

 

Regardless of the weather, here in the greater NY/NJ area, the "big rigs" barrel through at 70 or better, the bane of all other motorists.

On our highways and interstates, here in the northeast, these "big rigs" are true "speed demons", with their trailers bouncing and jouncing along at tremendous speeds.

Of course, I DO understand that many truckers have strict schedules to keep, but, as with the motorists of private autos, many truck drivers take too many chances, and drive much too fast.

These are the "speedsters" that give all truckers a bad name.

Just about the ONLY thing that will slow the big rigs down is a major snowstorm.

Fog, certainly, can slow EVERYTHING down, weather it be on the roads, the rails, or the waterways.

Thunderstorms (which I NEVER liked, though I do find them fascinating) are at their worst when there is a lot of humidity in the atmosphere; that, coupled with extremely hot weather, can really fire up some pretty nasty thunderstorms.

When you look to the skies, and these those massive (and quite dramatic "anvil head" thunderclouds approaching (especially when can already see flashes of lightning and here warning growls of thunder) chances are that you are soon going to be hit with a powerful storm.

When hail is involved, you KNOW that the storm is a particularly powerful one.

The strong updrafts associated with these storms are powerful enough to tear the wings off of small aircraft, which is quite a frightening prospect, for certain....................