Save the Planet from Climate Change, Earn $25 million
Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Atlantic boss, has offered a reward of $25 million to the scientists who find a way to help save the planet from the effects of climate change. I feel it is naive to deny that there are global changes in our weather and climates when there’s so many tangible effects that we can see if we open our eyes.
I’m no environmental saint, I wish I could say I was. I remember as a first grader all those many years ago, hearing about the need for conservation and saving the planet. Being an idealistic 7 year old, I fired off a letter to then-President Ford to express my concerns that the powers that be do what they need to in order to secure our planet for my generation and those that followed. I don’t think my parents mailed it, because I never got a reply. The words and emotions I felt that day, echo in my heart today. I fear not for my generation, but that of my daughter’s and of my future grandchildren and so on. If we don’t take steps to ensure that Mother Earth is cared for, we will face a man-made extinction someday. Denying something exists, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.
Every day, animal species are obliterated from the circle of life and too few mourn their loss. It is a running disagreement between my father and I about the value and/or appropriateness of hunting. Hunting to eat, is understandable to me, but to kill a beaver for damming up a creek on your property is punishing that creature for being what nature intended him to be and I feel a short-sighted view of our fellow living creatures. We as humans, the enlightened ones, continue to build and grow our own numbers while animals are pushed out of their homes and then we scratch our heads in wonder why that bear is wandering a suburb. The bear probably wonders what the suburb is doing in his woods.
I think that what Sir Richard is doing is commendable and it heartens me. I have enormous respect and admiration for him for doing this. Imagine if everyone contributed what they could to finding solutions to these problems facing our Mother Earth and our human race, where could we go? Sir Richard, and others like him renew my faith in mankind that maybe, just maybe, we’re not doomed after all.
February 14th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
*applause* yes, wonderful post! i just recently started recycling again. Sometimes its a pain, but I remember what I am doing it for. I hope I can teach my kids by example.
February 14th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
The reward is good, but if Sir Richard is really serious he should use the $25 million to fund the research now instead of waiting for someone to come up with a solution.
Thanks for the card and Happy Valentine’s Day!
That’s a good point.
February 15th, 2007 at 8:37 am
I worry every day (hence the name hubby gave me: worrywart) about my children’s future. I’m only 25 years old, yet I can see the many changes around me (for the worse). Just since the 80’s, things are so different. It bothers the snot out of me, knowing that my children have to grow up with these changes, and they’ll never realize that things were so different once upon a time…
February 15th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Oh man is this going to be an unpopular comment here
Global Climate Change: Is it real? Of course it is. The Earth has been going through cyclical changes in weather and weather patterns since well, it cooled enough for the atmosphere to form Billions of years ago. From Ice ages to the periods that the Earth is a sauna. It has all happened. And it will continue to happen.
Is Man effecting Global Climate Change or can he do something about it?
Please see above.
The answer would be no. Any changes we are seeing are purely mother natures doing. It’s the natural oder of things. The so-called ’science’ being used to show that *gasp* man is causing Global Warming is bunk. In the 80’s all the so called environmentalist gurus were crying about a Global Ice Age Cometh.
Please.
The Earth gives a crap what mans does. To think otherwise is either extremely naive or completely egotistical. You take your pick.
I will give you that for any scientific theory or thought, there can be found counter evidence. I will simply say this, I hope that I am the one that is wrong. Because if I am wrong all that would happen if we took steps to eliminate man-made climate changes is that we’d have a cleaner planet, which in and of itself is a good thing. If YOU are wrong and no measures are taken, we’re just screwed.