Future
[edit] Exodus
This is humanity's flight from the earth, and beyond.
[edit] Global warming and climate change
There is a consensus in the scientific community that human-induced global warming and climate change is a reality*.
But even if there was no such scientific consensus, Science - through history - instructs us to use the precautionary principle when dealing with global warming and climate change. "If an action or policy might cause severe or irreversible harm to the public or to the environment, even if there is no scientific consensus that the policy or action is harmful, the burden of proof falls on those who would advocate taking the action."
Why should we conserve fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas are extremely energy dense and energy from these can be released in a controlled fashion. It is worthwhile to keep reserves of these in the event that humanity is faced with an urgent situation that calls for immediate mobilization of vast quantities of energy.
When buying products that contain a lot of packaging, keep in mind that some of the money you're paying for the item went into producing the packaging. But you can't use the packaging. So you're paying extra for something you don't need. Also, advertisers and marketers rely on the customer's lack of intelligence, a weak will, and lack of awareness in order to make the sale. So they package products in garish and unnecessary packaging. Sciencists should do their part to minimize their impact on the Earth's climate. The methods are many; here are a few suggestions:
Keep in mind the five R's
- Refuse what you don't need
- Reduce what you do need
- Reuse what you can't reduce
- Recycle what you can't reuse
- Rebuy (buy recycled) whenever possible
- Drive environmentally friendly cars such as the Toyota Prius, or other fuel-efficient cars.
Anyone who denies the reality of global warming and climate change either has a vested interest, or is not educated in the issue.
