vsalon closed today

[HenryA]

Originally Posted by e-RICHIE

This reply came in right after mine, so I don't know if it's for me.

Don't confuse what I do for a living with who I am. I chose to work alone, and for me to have sustained, I have to charge what I do. PS I have two matching bicycles that have each been repainted 8-9 times since 2007. And I own maybe 4 riding outfits.

Apologies if I've wrongly assumed you were posting to me.

Absolutely not directed at you. And I’m sorry if you thought it was.

You’d be the polar opposite of who I was criticizing. For how you made your living and who you are. AFAIK.

[Kirk007]

Yes personal consumption is a contributor to climate change, but the consumption that is killing us isn't bicycles or textiles.

It's the huge consumption of fossil fuel, the strategic delay of changing from fossil fuels by big oil and coal so that they can eke out every last penny of their existing infrastructure and investment despite knowing the ramifications. It's the false notion that natural gas is a clean fuel, ignoring the intense impact of methane releases. It's the western reliance on energy intensive protein sources from animals that emit huge amounts of methane. It's the out of control birth rates in third world countries - a direct result of poverty, lack of education and resource scarcity, exacerbated by perverse religious driven resistance to providing birth control and education. It's the failure to recognize that the insatiable engine of the leading economic system in the world, capitalism, exernalizes the direct cost of contributors to climate change, just as it has always externalized production costs usually with the acquiesence of government. It's the hugely difficult problem that is coming - if we cut consumption, and hence the production of stuff, how do people make a living - we already answers to what will happen with the continued automation of tasks and AI. Its the failure of every person around the world who, if they have the means, fails to hold their elected leaders accountable for the welfare of the commons, allowing them to endlessly give in to the allure of power and money. And it is as bad in the USA as anywhere in the world right now. In 6O years on earth, at least 45 of which I've been paying attention, never, ever have I witnesses a time of such graft, self interest and cowardice than that currently occuring on a daily basis in at least 2 of our branches of federal government, and I'm not so sure the third branch is much less toxic at the upper levels.

At the end of the day most of us hanging out here, given our age and resources, will get off relatively light, but our children, grandchildren, those kids taking to the streets around the world they are and will continue to be the . ones who suffer as a result of myopic selfish nature of humans. And the reality is its already too late to change of the fate of millions of humans who by no fault of their own were born in low elevation, coastal areas of third world countries. If you really want to understand the immigration crisis and why its going to get much much worse, one need only consider the resource scarcities already occurring and that will get worse. As homes, cities, islands, nations are literally wiped out, where will those people go? Who will take them in? And it won't be too long before Americans in similar locations suffer the same fate; some already are. While it may be possible to mitigate some of the impacts make no mistake, the crisis, and the losses are already here.

Good for the millions who took to the streets today. Good on each and everyone here who is taking personal responsibility by reducing their own consumption and encouraging others to do so. Good for VSalon. But its going to take a lot more than that to overcome the rot that has taken hold of "the leaders of the free world."

I wish I had answers and solutions. But I've been pushing the rock of care for the non-human species of this earth, and having it roll back down the hill crushing me for so long, well, its hard to be optimistic. But tomorrow I'll get up and pull up my big boy pants and start pushing again. My kid deserves that much.

[buddybikes]

I feel I have done, least partially, my part:
- we downsized to a 920sq house with plethora of trees, grass (not fertizilized) and flowers.
- new 95%+ efficiency heating system
- older house but stuffed to gills with insulation
- south facing living room
- we have 2 priuses and my Audi Allroad. On the later I looked but couldn't find a wagon hybrid, Audi does about 6k year.
- I do trips to pharmacy, hair cut, physical therapy and such from my bike. If we had a nice grocery store, I would invest in more than my backpack. '

Our situation is probably more dire than others here, we have waterfront in RI. Our house is 8 ft above sea level, and was recently put into VE zone. Fortunately we own the home so flood insurance we don't get, self insuring. More concerned with hurricaine coming up through the narragansett bay, which would whip out RI as we know it.

IMG_0032.jpg

[redir]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

Yes personal consumption is a contributor to climate change, but the consumption that is killing us isn't bicycles or textiles.

It's the huge consumption of fossil fuel, the strategic delay of changing from fossil fuels by big oil and coal so that they can eke out every last penny of their existing infrastructure and investment despite knowing the ramifications. It's the false notion that natural gas is a clean fuel, ignoring the intense impact of methane releases. It's the western reliance on energy intensive protein sources from animals that emit huge amounts of methane. It's the out of control birth rates in third world countries - a direct result of poverty, lack of education and resource scarcity, exacerbated by perverse religious driven resistance to providing birth control and education. It's the failure to recognize that the insatiable engine of the leading economic system in the world, capitalism, exernalizes the direct cost of contributors to climate change, just as it has always externalized production costs usually with the acquiesence of government. It's the hugely difficult problem that is coming - if we cut consumption, and hence the production of stuff, how do people make a living - we already answers to what will happen with the continued automation of tasks and AI. Its the failure of every person around the world who, if they have the means, fails to hold their elected leaders accountable for the welfare of the commons, allowing them to endlessly give in to the allure of power and money. And it is as bad in the USA as anywhere in the world right now. In 6O years on earth, at least 45 of which I've been paying attention, never, ever have I witnesses a time of such graft, self interest and cowardice than that currently occuring on a daily basis in at least 2 of our branches of federal government, and I'm not so sure the third branch is much less toxic at the upper levels.

At the end of the day most of us hanging out here, given our age and resources, will get off relatively light, but our children, grandchildren, those kids taking to the streets around the world they are and will continue to be the . ones who suffer as a result of myopic selfish nature of humans. And the reality is its already too late to change of the fate of millions of humans who by no fault of their own were born in low elevation, coastal areas of third world countries. If you really want to understand the immigration crisis and why its going to get much much worse, one need only consider the resource scarcities already occurring and that will get worse. As homes, cities, islands, nations are literally wiped out, where will those people go? Who will take them in? And it won't be too long before Americans in similar locations suffer the same fate; some already are. While it may be possible to mitigate some of the impacts make no mistake, the crisis, and the losses are already here.

Good for the millions who took to the streets today. Good on each and everyone here who is taking personal responsibility by reducing their own consumption and encouraging others to do so. Good for VSalon. But its going to take a lot more than that to overcome the rot that has taken hold of "the leaders of the free world."

I wish I had answers and solutions. But I've been pushing the rock of care for the non-human species of this earth, and having it roll back down the hill crushing me for so long, well, its hard to be optimistic. But tomorrow I'll get up and pull up my big boy pants and start pushing again. My kid deserves that much.

We need "like" buttons. Here here!

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

Yes personal consumption is a contributor to climate change, but the consumption that is killing us isn't bicycles or textiles.



It's the huge consumption of fossil fuel, the strategic delay of changing from fossil fuels by big oil and coal so that they can eke out every last penny of their existing infrastructure and investment despite knowing the ramifications. It's the false notion that natural gas is a clean fuel, ignoring the intense impact of methane releases. It's the western reliance on energy intensive protein sources from animals that emit huge amounts of methane. It's the out of control birth rates in third world countries - a direct result of poverty, lack of education and resource scarcity, exacerbated by perverse religious driven resistance to providing birth control and education. It's the failure to recognize that the insatiable engine of the leading economic system in the world, capitalism, exernalizes the direct cost of contributors to climate change, just as it has always externalized production costs usually with the acquiesence of government. It's the hugely difficult problem that is coming - if we cut consumption, and hence the production of stuff, how do people make a living - we already answers to what will happen with the continued automation of tasks and AI. Its the failure of every person around the world who, if they have the means, fails to hold their elected leaders accountable for the welfare of the commons, allowing them to endlessly give in to the allure of power and money. And it is as bad in the USA as anywhere in the world right now. In 6O years on earth, at least 45 of which I've been paying attention, never, ever have I witnesses a time of such graft, self interest and cowardice than that currently occuring on a daily basis in at least 2 of our branches of federal government, and I'm not so sure the third branch is much less toxic at the upper levels.



At the end of the day most of us hanging out here, given our age and resources, will get off relatively light, but our children, grandchildren, those kids taking to the streets around the world they are and will continue to be the . ones who suffer as a result of myopic selfish nature of humans. And the reality is its already too late to change of the fate of millions of humans who by no fault of their own were born in low elevation, coastal areas of third world countries. If you really want to understand the immigration crisis and why its going to get much much worse, one need only consider the resource scarcities already occurring and that will get worse. As homes, cities, islands, nations are literally wiped out, where will those people go? Who will take them in? And it won't be too long before Americans in similar locations suffer the same fate; some already are. While it may be possible to mitigate some of the impacts make no mistake, the crisis, and the losses are already here.



Good for the millions who took to the streets today. Good on each and everyone here who is taking personal responsibility by reducing their own consumption and encouraging others to do so. Good for VSalon. But its going to take a lot more than that to overcome the rot that has taken hold of "the leaders of the free world."



I wish I had answers and solutions. But I've been pushing the rock of care for the non-human species of this earth, and having it roll back down the hill crushing me for so long, well, its hard to be optimistic. But tomorrow I'll get up and pull up my big boy pants and start pushing again. My kid deserves that much.

Very well put my friend..


On the micro scale, the one thing we can all do is to be more kind to eachother - listen, and try to understand - connect - be generous. The future that's coming is unavoidable - how we meet it is still to be seen.

[peanutgallery]

So....how many cubic feet of polar ice cap melt does the production/delivery of an iphone cause?

Asking for a friend

[Spdntrxi]

Originally Posted by peanutgallery

So....how many cubic feet of polar ice cap melt does the production/delivery of an iphone cause?

Asking for a friend

less then all these children bitching about how their parents are destroying the planet...yet they will ask for a ride tomorrow morning to hang out at the mall.

so my friend said...

[nighthawk]

Originally Posted by Spdntrxi

less then all these children bitching about how their parents are destroying the planet...yet they will ask for a ride tomorrow morning to hang out at the mall.

so my friend said...

By calling them children I assume you are saying you are above and better than them? Just curious why you think your opinion and values are more valid than there’s. Not asking for a friend, asking for my own understanding.

[Spdntrxi]

Originally Posted by nighthawk

By calling them children I assume you are saying you are above and better than them? Just curious why you think your opinion and values are more valid than there’s. Not asking for a friend, asking for my own understanding.

My friend is calling them children because the are ? where did you get this better then them BS... nice try. Are you under 18 or something and feel slighted ?

[andrew+]

Got 'em!

[joosttx]

Originally Posted by Spdntrxi

My friend is calling them children because the are ? where did you get this better then them BS... nice try. Are you under 18 or something and feel slighted ?

Says the generation who went to a concert got high and thought they changed the world for good.

[Spdntrxi]

Originally Posted by joosttx

Says the generation who went to a concert got high and thought they changed the world for good.

I'll facebook livestream it next time for you ... so you don't have to pay.

[nighthawk]

Originally Posted by Spdntrxi

My friend is calling them children because the are ? where did you get this better then them BS... nice try. Are you under 18 or something and feel slighted ?

Pushing 40 actually, and I spent the morning volunteering at an International coastal cleanup day, picking up plastic that has washed up on a beach that is nesting habitat for sea turtles. A group of about 100 volunteers picked up almost 2000 lbs of plastic debris. Part of my day job is monitoring those sea turtle nests and ensuring to the best of my ability that this particular species persists despite human behavior degrading the quality of its habitat.

I worked with a 16 year old kid who was putting in hours to meet his school’s annual volunteer requirement. In conversation with him, he told me how he wants to pursue a career making the world a better place. That despite how jaded and selfish many adults are, he just wanted to help others.

Kids like him, the other beach clean-up volunteers and the people who took to the streets today around the world... regardless of their age... they are relevant and hopeful.

Tell me, what do you plan to leave behind?

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by Spdntrxi

less then all these children bitching about how their parents are destroying the planet...yet they will ask for a ride tomorrow morning to hang out at the mall.

so my friend said...

I disagree with your friend.

Your friend, I must say, in my opinion and experience, has a sad view of American youth. Yes American. I don't think the kids who were protesting in Iran for instance are headed to the mall tomorrow. Holds true for a lot of other places around the globe.

But here in the ole USA: As a parent, based on my experience over the past 26 years, I believe that your friend's generalization is misinformed and an ineffective deflection from the issue. As a former law professor from 2002 - 2010, I know your friend is way off base regarding many, many youth who passed through the doors of my classes. Those kids walked the walk, and many are backing that up in their professional careers.

As a lawyer who has represented some of these "children" in the Children's Trust" lawsuits, I find your friend's overbroad characterization insulting and mean spirited to youth who bravely are doing all that they can to make a difference; more than one - we're talking young teenagers - have endured serious threats, including death threats, for the positions they have taken, while all too many of our generation have had their heads firmly buried in the sand for most of the past 20 -30 years when we had a chance to make a difference.

Undoubtably your friend is right regarding some; surely some of the strikers went along for the ride and the day off from school and may well be doing what you accuse an entire generation of doing. Every movement has its freeloaders and gadflys. But if your friend actually got off his/her lawn and started talking to some of these kids about what they think the future holds for them, and they are not wrong, then maybe your friend would think differently, perhaps a little bit more gracious and a lot less snarky.

And William/other mods if this causes a thread lock, I apologize. but friends shouldn't let friends go through life without hearing other views that may inform their perspective on important issues.

[nighthawk]

Just want my appreciation for Kirk007's posts to be noted.

Thank you, sir.