Be a mensch, don't wear fleece

[Squidders]

Do you consider plastic, to be mankind's finest achievement! Bit like comparing medicine to bee s$&@. Also we have a choice.

Questions usually end with a ? and not a ! - just so you know.

And who said anything about finest achievement? Our finest achievement (in my mind) was escaping the confines of the planet... because for everything else we humans like to speculate, sooner or later our sun is going to get pretty big and our plan it going to get a bit toasty!

As a population we're fixated on maintaining the planet as we see it now which is mad as it is in a total state of flux that is far outside our influence. We didn't create deserts, we didn't create oceans and ice caps and our job on this planet is to roll with the punches... we destroy any species that adapts as well as we do and label it a pest but even if we keep the planet as a perfect image of how we think it should be, sooner or later it's going to be consumed by fire.

Regarding having a choice... do we? Do scientists and engineers have a choice but to be drawn to exploring the subject they are predisposed to? Before science was science, humans have been observing phenomena and making deductions based on empirical evidence so it's not a modern creation but something wired into us... a curiosity that made us get out of the cave, cross deserts and take huge risks in getting to today. As much as I feel qualified to do so, I am one of the humans in the modern world having an impact on everything around me and cannot judge others as though I am on the outside looking in.

Regarding the original post, my head isn't in the sand, far from it, I'm educating myself and coming to my own conclusions - I'm responsible for my own actions. So much science, even very widely accepted science such as phrenology turns out to be... well... quackery. Why should not all scientific finding be looked at with skepticism? scientists are human and prone to error and the need for success and acceptance as politicians.

Instead of just reading articles and declaring "plastic bad, wool good!" and encouraging free thinking and investigation I get beaten down. Well... crack on, it's kinda fun and reminds me when I used to be a physicist.

 

[Toddy]

Ehm...no we didn't create deserts, but it's the goats that people keep that have expanded the edges of the sahara so widely that it's going to need eons to reverse.

http://www.diomedia.com/imagePrevie...location=&watermark=maskaold.tif&ds=500&icc=1

http://www.earth-policy.org/data_highlights/2011/highlights14

http://home.windstream.net/bsundquist1/og4.html



Personally I think plastic is brilliant stuff, but we are far too careless and wasteful with it.
Our age is going to be defined by pollution and waste.

M

 

[ammo]

1) Your punctuation, is fantastic.
I think we just have different opinions. I think we are affecting the planet in ways were we could CHOOSE a different more cleaner approach. Feel free too think otherwise.

Questions usually end with a ? and not a ! - just so you know.

And who said anything about finest achievement? Our finest achievement (in my mind) was escaping the confines of the planet... because for everything else we humans like to speculate, sooner or later our sun is going to get pretty big and our plan it going to get a bit toasty!

As a population we're fixated on maintaining the planet as we see it now which is mad as it is in a total state of flux that is far outside our influence. We didn't create deserts, we didn't create oceans and ice caps and our job on this planet is to roll with the punches... we destroy any species that adapts as well as we do and label it a pest but even if we keep the planet as a perfect image of how we think it should be, sooner or later it's going to be consumed by fire.

Regarding having a choice... do we? Do scientists and engineers have a choice but to be drawn to exploring the subject they are predisposed to? Before science was science, humans have been observing phenomena and making deductions based on empirical evidence so it's not a modern creation but something wired into us... a curiosity that made us get out of the cave, cross deserts and take huge risks in getting to today. As much as I feel qualified to do so, I am one of the humans in the modern world having an impact on everything around me and cannot judge others as though I am on the outside looking in.

Regarding the original post, my head isn't in the sand, far from it, I'm educating myself and coming to my own conclusions - I'm responsible for my own actions. So much science, even very widely accepted science such as phrenology turns out to be... well... quackery. Why should not all scientific finding be looked at with skepticism? scientists are human and prone to error and the need for success and acceptance as politicians.

Instead of just reading articles and declaring "plastic bad, wool good!" and encouraging free thinking and investigation I get beaten down. Well... crack on, it's kinda fun and reminds me when I used to be a physicist.

 

[Laurentius]

I know what my new years resolution should be then, not to buy any more fleece. Thing is I have so many fleece items, gloves, scarves, blankets, tops, base layers, you name it. How do I even begin to ethically and safely dispose of it.

 

[mr dazzler]

Problem identified and removed .... old news!

So is sheep dip now safe and not poisonous any more?

Its ironic that sheep fleecs are not the valued commodity they once were. I heard that they started using them for building insulation because the woollen garment trade is virtually finished here (cheap imports of textiles from other places-probaly including artificial fleece made from recycled pop bottles etc)

 

[santaman2000]

Questions usually end with a ? and not a ! - just so you know......

Unless you're emphatically asking a retorical question; in which case it ends with !? or ?!

 

[santaman2000]

So is sheep dip now safe and not poisonous any more?.....

Ummm. Isn't a "non-poisonous pesticide" an oxymoron?

 

[Toddy]

The organophosphates were an ecological nightmare now mostly banned, thankfully, and farmers and woolworkers are no longer at risk from some truly awful side effects, but the issues amongst wildlife was every bit as bad.
Unfortunately now that there isn't the same use of them, we have a tick problem
Everything's is connected to everything else one way or t'other.

M

 

[santaman2000]

1) Your punctuation, is fantastic.
I think we just have different opinions. I think we are affecting the planet in ways were we could CHOOSE a different more cleaner approach. Feel free too think otherwise.

The point/problem is, nobody's actually identified another approach that is cleaner.

 

[santaman2000]

......And who said anything about finest achievement? Our finest achievement (in my mind) was escaping the confines of the planet... because for everything else we humans like to speculate, sooner or later our sun is going to get pretty big and our plan it going to get a bit toasty!.....

The more immediate disatser is when the moon slips away from it's orbit (although that's also a few million years yet) When that happens, it's unlikely this planet will be able to sustain life as we know it.

 

[santaman2000]

Stopping the use of aerosol gases is a real proof of where mankind was causing an issue. Action was taken and the issue is slowly repairing itself......

Aerosol use has been stopped!? You don't work in the aviation industry do you? Nor have you visited the craft section in shops (aerosol paints are still quite prevalent)

 

[santaman2000]

Knee-jerk reaction? I think you are reacting like a teenager. Fleece does not put clothing on billions on people either, now does it?......

Fleece specifically? Probably not. But synthetices in general? Oh yeah, definitely.

 

[big_swede]

Ha, nothing but the finest woven yoghurt jumpers for me. Is there a facepalm smiley here?

Did anywhere in that report it show what damage it was doing? Or are we supposed to fill in the blanks left by their poor reporting and insufficient evidence? Must have been a slow news day.

If you'd bother to read the whole thread you will see that a peer-reviewed article is linked. And just for you, here: http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar...a=X&ei=no3AUozkEMPD4gTVu4GADQ&ved=0CDEQgQMwAA

Insufficient evidence? It's like some people have been living in (plastic) bubbles the last ten years.

And the remarks about that fleece is recycled, I don't know if you are thick or got hit by a showel in the back of the head as infants, but I'll say it again, that is not the problem here. And it's not the fact that is a synthetic material. The problem being that the unspun microfibre which is needle felted to become fleece is degrading in to a fleece dust, which is persistent in nature and has a lot of bad effects. There were some studies showing that copepods reproductive systems were effected. That is probably not a big deal to the ignorant, but for those who have a basic insight in marine biology will know that copepods are a very important part of the ecosystems in the oceans.

And stupid remarks about uranium shows more about the one who wrote it than anything else. Yes, there is also asbestos in the earths crust, and mercury, and arsenic. That doesn't matter here. The deal is not about what is natural or not but what has a negative impact on the global environment.

Alright. I think I will give this a rest now. I have said what has to be said. I feel like Galilieo.

 

[drliamski]

Nice retort.



Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk 2

 

[Andy BB]

If you'd bother to read the whole thread you will see that a peer-reviewed article is linked. And just for you, here: http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar...a=X&ei=no3AUozkEMPD4gTVu4GADQ&ved=0CDEQgQMwAA

Insufficient evidence? It's like some people have been living in (plastic) bubbles the last ten years.

And the remarks about that fleece is recycled, I don't know if you are thick or got hit by a showel in the back of the head as infants, but I'll say it again, that is not the problem here. And it's not the fact that is a synthetic material. The problem being that the unspun microfibre which is needle felted to become fleece is degrading in to a fleece dust, which is persistent in nature and has a lot of bad effects. There were some studies showing that copepods reproductive systems were effected. That is probably not a big deal to the ignorant, but for those who have a basic insight in marine biology will know that copepods are a very important part of the ecosystems in the oceans.

And stupid remarks about uranium shows more about the one who wrote it than anything else. Yes, there is also asbestos in the earths crust, and mercury, and arsenic. That doesn't matter here. The deal is not about what is natural or not but what has a negative impact on the global environment.

Alright. I think I will give this a rest now. I have said what has to be said. I feel like Galilieo.

Brilliant! "How dare you have the nerve to doubt any of my utterances, you peasant know-nothings! I am like Gallileo - bow down and worship at my feet"

There is precisely NO evidence that this impacts adversely on the planet on a global scale. There might well be, in time. Conversely there might well be some benefits as the planet goes through various stellar cycles - who knows?

Same thing about CO2 levels and ocean acidification. Current atmospheric level about 300ppm - about 120 million years ago the level was about 2000ppm, and guess what - life still abounds.................

 

[xylaria]

If you'd bother to read the whole thread you will see that a peer-reviewed article is linked. And just for you, here: http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar...a=X&ei=no3AUozkEMPD4gTVu4GADQ&ved=0CDEQgQMwAA

Insufficient evidence? It's like some people have been living in (plastic) bubbles the last ten years.

And the remarks about that fleece is recycled, I don't know if you are thick or got hit by a showel in the back of the head as infants, but I'll say it again, that is not the problem here. And it's not the fact that is a synthetic material. The problem being that the unspun microfibre which is needle felted to become fleece is degrading in to a fleece dust, which is persistent in nature and has a lot of bad effects. There were some studies showing that copepods reproductive systems were effected. That is probably not a big deal to the ignorant, but for those who have a basic insight in marine biology will know that copepods are a very important part of the ecosystems in the oceans.

And stupid remarks about uranium shows more about the one who wrote it than anything else. Yes, there is also asbestos in the earths crust, and mercury, and arsenic. That doesn't matter here. The deal is not about what is natural or not but what has a negative impact on the global environment.

Alright. I think I will give this a rest now. I have said what has to be said. I feel like Galilieo.

we would be breathing plastic dust in. We breathe alot of crud in, and have evolved to cough a lot crud out. Huumm plastic residue floating about our blood streams. a bit like working out that dioxin loads in body fat drop in pregnancy becuase the baby takes dioxins. Toxic soup fed to a planet to make solent green. I see your point.

 

[carabao]

Slightly off topic, but maybe valid, if we stop using manufactured fabrics, i.e. Fleeces, polyesters, etc, and return to natural fibres, like cotton, wool, will this cause a damaging effect on the land through over populating it with sheep, and turning crop land into cotton fields to meet demands.
i have a farm in Thailand, and many of my neighbours are turning to farming crops like Palm, as it's needed in the west to help our green movement, but meanwhile local needs for food crops is being effected.

 

[big_swede]

Brilliant! "How dare you have the nerve to doubt any of my utterances, you peasant know-nothings! I am like Gallileo - bow down and worship at my feet"

There is precisely NO evidence that this impacts adversely on the planet on a global scale. There might well be, in time. Conversely there might well be some benefits as the planet goes through various stellar cycles - who knows?

Same thing about CO2 levels and ocean acidification. Current atmospheric level about 300ppm - about 120 million years ago the level was about 2000ppm, and guess what - life still abounds.................

Actually there is evidence that is does have effects on meso-scale ecosystems, which means that it is more likely to have an effect on a global scale.

The remark ocean acidification, NOBODY HAS (Removed) EVER SAID THAT IT WOULD KILL ALL LIFE! Geez, read the whole article next time, not just the headlines.

 

[santaman2000]

Slightly off topic, but maybe valid, if we stop using manufactured fabrics, i.e. Fleeces, polyesters, etc, and return to natural fibres, like cotton, wool, will this cause a damaging effect on the land through over populating it with sheep, and turning crop land into cotton fields to meet demands.....

I know what you're saying, and yes, I know I'm being pedantic, but cotton is a crop. Just like timber or anything else planted for harvest.

 

[carabao]

I know what you're saying, and yes, I know I'm being pedantic, but cotton is a crop. Just like timber or anything else planted for harvest.

So that's where cotton candy comes from. An ever expanding population, who needs feeding and only so much land to use to grow the crops.