[gloriacampos]

What are you thoughts on the Branson and Gore, Virgin Earth Challenge?

[horselover]

I haven't heard about it. I've been busy with work.

Details?

[peachy]

I think it's a totally awesome idea!! The guy has so much money that he really doesn't know what to do with it. So, why not put it towards something that will benefit all of us? Isn't that a dream of a rich person anyways??? To give back?

[Simon47]

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Crazy-sounding ideas for saving the planet are getting a serious look from top scientists, a sign of their fears about global warming and the desire for an insurance policy in case things get worse. How crazy?
There's the man-made volcano that shoots gigatons of sulfur high into the air. The space ``sun shade'' made of trillions of little reflectors between Earth and sun, slightly lowering the planet's temperature. The forest of ugly artificial ``trees'' that suck carbon dioxide out of the air. And the ``Geritol solution'' in which iron dust is dumped into the ocean.
``Of course it's desperation,'' said Stanford University professor Stephen Schneider. ``It's planetary methadone for our planetary heroin addiction. It does come out of the pessimism of any realist that says this planet can't be trusted to do the right thing.''

NASA is putting the finishing touches on a report summing up some of these ideas and has spent $75,000 to map out rough details of the sun shade concept. One of the premier climate modeling centers in the United States, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, has spent the last six weeks running computer simulations of the man-made volcano scenario and will soon turn its attention to the space umbrella idea. And last month, billionaire Richard Branson offered a $25 million prize to the first feasible technology to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the air.
Simon ``Pete'' Worden, who heads NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., says some of these proposals, which represent a field called geoengineering, have been characterized as anywhere from ``great'' to ``idiotic.'' As if to distance NASA from the issue a bit, Worden said the agency's report won't do much more than explain the range of possibilities.


PlanetSave - Using smoke, mirrors and faux trees to tackle global warming, geoengineers offer far-out ideas

[workinman]

And last month, billionaire Richard Branson offered a $25 million prize to the first feasible technology to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the air.

guess he owes me $25 million! i got the solution! everyone plant a tree, stop driving cars that waste as much fuel as they use, be mindful of what u buy and use... so simple.

[workinman]

guess he owes me $25 million! i got the solution! everyone plant a tree, stop driving cars that waste as much fuel as they use, be mindful of what u buy and use... so simple.

Gasoline

i learned from the above sight that the usa used 390 MILLION gallons of gas A DAY 2006!! that is
think about this... americas population is a little over 300 MILLION people... of course not everyone here drives, and some people are very environmentally conscience so that probably leaves 100 million of us that are causing the major problems. so lets say that if those 100 million, suv driving, heated pool swiming, plastic bag carrying, oversized house living, incandesant light bulb using, non car pool or bus riding, tree cutting citizens made a GENUINE effort to REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE... my God do u realize the impact this could have on our environment?!?!?!?!

why does everyone make this so complicated?! get to the 'root' of the problem and fix it.. done, problem solved!
this is one thing that each one of us can change! WE have the power here to really make everything ten times better simply by using 'PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY'!!!!
we don't need to wait for the 'experts' or 'leaders'! every single american has the power to truely make a difference... so why the hell dosen't the vast majority give a damn?! why dosen't anyone care?
'we are the few'!

[Stepper]

Workinman, I think the tide is changing, be it ever so slowly. I remember my sister-in-law telling me maybe 15 years ago that recycling didn't make sense to her because there wasn't any (or enough) monetary reward.

Fast-forward to the past couple of years, and this same sister-in-law has told me a couple of times that she is a big recycler and reuser. She has even discouraged me from using paper towels in her kitchen. (I confess, as a recovering germ-phobe, paper towels are a weakness of mine--but in my defense, I buy only ones made from recycled paper.)

I don't know if she made this change on her own or if her now-adult children helped make her aware of the issues, but either way, it's an important change that I think is happening in households all over the country.

Between raised consciousness, the availability of information on the environment (take this site as an example), and higher gas prices, I think more and more people will start thinking about ways to cut down on their gas usage.

Has anyone been seeing any other positive signs out there?

[Simon47]

Anyone know what the "root" of the problem is? I can agree there is a greater awareness of the issues but we are also realizing that well; Canada in particular is not gaining ground in pollution and are in fact polluting more. We have learned that our perception of success toward the environment or headway is just an illusion. Improvements in Ontario's air were pinned on a sector reductions in industry and manufacturing activity due to economic and energy cost conditions and not environmental response from industry or the government. we are still debating carbon trading which is no solution and more a function of creative accounting. Don't buy into the bullshit. Nothing has changed as far as my eye can see, yet. Eyes are opening to a freightening truth that threatens to terrify us to apathy greater than we experience today. Fear has that psychological effect on people and the media is doing the job; for who???. Just because there's a bandwagon doesn't mean it's going any place that really exists. Think about it and see the reality. I not convinced anything is changed and faith in humanity isn't getting me through the day.

Sim

[workinman]

i agree with both of the above post... in one way, yes i do think that 'tide is turning' but far to slow. i agree with simon that the change is fueled more by 'fear' and higher energy cost than by anything noble...
the root of the problem is spread out and includes many factors. ignorance being, IMHO, one of the greatest causes... and of course greed and lack of giving a damn about anything but ones self being two other biggies...

but like the song says 'i'll keep on workin like a workin man do' !!

[Simon47]

Welcome to the natural world my friend. survival instinct and self preservation. Can you blame anyone in spite of the pain it gives our sensibilities to think we are not so lofty as we dream. How far have we really come and how few ascend the basic challenges; like most workin men and women don't; ti' death do us part from our trials. children in other parts of the world and our own may never get beyond the basic survival needs and the greater the challenges become the more rapid the descent and onset of violent disagreement with society's rules and rulers. Whatt willl be the state of many states as climate change threatens more and humans are more threatened if nothing changes in a great many areas of human society.

Sim

don't mean to get all analytical on folks but it ain't all cut and dried like the press characterizes it. Us or them; still has powerful meaning and is a valid consideration for many who will storm the tower when they aren't fed enough and fed up with Feds.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...eeds-jpeg.jpeg

Originally Posted by workinman

and of course greed and lack of giving a damn about anything but ones self being two other biggies...

but like the song says 'i'll keep on workin like a workin man do' !!