X-Message-Number: 15062
Date: Sun, 03 Dec 2000 03:02:11 +0000
From: Philip Rhoades <>
Subject: Whale hugging ??

>Message #15055
>References: <>
>Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 11:25:05 +0000
>From: "Joseph Kehoe" <>
>Subject: whale hugging


> >Understand that what is popular in "science" is driven by political forces
> >(money).  As many legitimate researchers who read this forum can attest,
> >hard science is often quite distant from "popular" science.  Lone wolf
> >voices who have the integrity to adhere to the scientific method are
> >silenced by the shouting of the rabble.  (One current example is Peter
> >Duesberg's ongoing request for ANY scientific evidence to support the
> >AIDS-HIV myth.  You see, there is much money through popular grants and
> >political spin to continue to perpetuate non existent plagues, such as
> >"AIDS").
>
>I agree with this. The ozone layer and global warming were those unpopular 
>theories until recently as also were asteroid impacts etc.

Just because something is unpopular does not mean it is correct - are you 
guys members of the Flat Earth Society as well? At least we agree about 
Cryonics . .

> >But let's suppose I'm wrong and through sheer chance the whale huggers have
> >gotten it right and the world is facing DOOM, DOOM, DOOM!
> >
> >Well, if technology doesn't come up with the solutions, it's all over.
> >(Kiss your whale good bye!).
> >
> >And the kind of technology which can make cryonics work will probably be
> >more than capable of repairing any global damage.  Look at Eric Drexler's
> >book ENGINES OF CREATION for 1986-style projections regarding some
> >possibilities.
>
>Agreed.

Disagreed - no amount of nano-tech is going to restore vast amounts of lost 
biodiversity and ecologically complex systems.

> >But, finally, as for me, you can KEEP the earth.
>
>Everything else you write I agree with completely and absolutely. First 
>chance to get out of this gravity well I will be gone.
>As the Ecologists say any animal that evolves for Island life IS doomed to 
>extinction -guaranteed!
>If we stay here we will become extinct. Besides there is enough asteroid 

>material up there to build a couple a thousand earth sized ecosystems in space!
>Roll on nano

For a start you cannot compare the whole of the planet to an island with a 
limited biota - how did we get to such large amounts of biodiversity in the 
first place? Secondly, forget about any vaguely interesting, manufactured 
asteroid ecosystem that hasn't had a huge amount of transplanted Earth 
stuff. It would take literally billions of years to evolve to something as 
nice as we have now (and are destroying at an increasing rate).  You guys 
just don't get it . . we DEPEND on a complex ecosystem for our HUMAN 
survival - why continue to stupidly damage it when we have no way of 
predicting how bad the end result will be?  Isn't it better to be extremely 
cautious? Or do you like accellerating a big, fast car up the road and over 
the cliff just because you like the feel of the wind in your hair?

R&LL,

Phil.

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