From: casspa@atlantis.CS.ORST.EDU (Paul Cass)
Subject: Re: Who are we kidding?
Organization: Computer Science Outreach Services - Oregon State University
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 00:23:43 GMT

In article <1992Nov20.060227.29534@netcom.com> barry@netcom.com (Kenn Barry) writes:
>
>	No cheap shot, Paul. There's no difference between Janis's
>childish post and any other end-of-the-world junk I've seen. I thought
>about a serious reply to her article, but there was no point - nothing
>to reply to. She's stared into her navel, decided there's 30 years
>left, and her personal response is to dig a hole, climb in, and pull
>the hole in after her, but without even the dignity of resignation. No,
>she wants to put on Jeremiah's robes and throw curses. How is she
>different from any other deranged prophet of apocalypse?

I have been deeply involved in environmental issues and ethics for the
las six or seven years and so I was well acquainted with Janice's 
state of mind when I read her post.

It is easy to get there...the sequence goes someting like this; as you
delve into the problems concerning eco-systems.
-hmmmmm-   geez! - On no - good grief -Why do we do that? - and so on.
Somewhere along the line you begin noticing economist types saying things
like "don't worry, be happy etc."

Back to the research were you find the usually reticent scientific 
community saying the most alarming things.  Then one night while 
pondering stacks of research paper, the synergistic effects hit you.
It is a little like the famous "runners wall".  Depression is not
really the word - despair is more like it.  For me it came when I was
reading a report on the effect of ozone depletion on phytoplankton.
If it doesn't dawn on you that degradation on a global scale is at 
least possible then you likely have not been paying attention.  Not
necessarily apt to happen...but it is possible.  Which brings me to
another issue.

In another article in this thread posted by Bill White he made the
comment that collapse would not happen immediately, that there would
be a long deteroriation of the environment.  Maybe true, but, that is
not the way eco-systems behave in general. (ref. E.O.Wilson)  Eco-systems
have a tendency to collapse suddenly - literally overnight.  You may
remember the old saw about the airplane flying along while the passengers
removed bolts?  It flies along just fine despite bosing parts until 
a critical juncture is reached.

In recent years there has been a growing awareness that humanity is
degrading the environment at an ever increasing rate; that Mother has
cancer and we continue to contribute to the disease.  That we acknowledge
that there just might be a problem is nice.  That we adamently refuse to
change our behavior is suiscidal.

As to any problems between you and Janice - I have not been aware of 
them.  In any case a trite and flippant response did not seem appropriate
to someone who is expressing their feelings on a matter of great concern
to them.  Hell..I wouldn't even kick Pat Robertson when he is down...
well...let me think about that.

Whether or not I am worth talking to, you and others on alt.pagan will
have to make up your own minds.
Maiden Bless
Paul
>
>
>
>	You I don't know. We'll see if you're worth talking to.
>
>-  Nothing fails like success  -             Kenn Barry
>----------------------------------------------------------------
>ELECTRIC AVENUE:                             barry@netcom.com

and Paul again.....

there are no doubt spelling and grammer errors above...I would be
willing to correct them if I could ever get vi to operate as a 
sane word processor.

-- 
                          * * * * * * *
"It is possible to join forces, to identify common goals, and to agree on
 common action." - U.N. World Commission on Development and Environment
		       casspa@jacobs.cs.orst.edu
Newsgroups: alt.pagan