What can parents do to protect the environment so their children will inherit a livable Earth?

It is already too late.

We should have started work on this decades ago, and there is just no way it can be turned around in time. Specially not since we have allowed climate change denialists to add to the problem by supporting the bad guys.

Moscow, a place that has been know to kill from how cold it gets, has seen fires because of heatwaves, Pakistan has seen massive floods, and predictions are now saying the north pole will be totally free of ice during the summer times as soon as 2016, or 2022 if we are being conservative.

The only way I see that we can fix it, is if we kill off 80% of the people in the world, and downgrade everything.

- There is an area in Japan, and an area in Russia, where humans will not be able to set foot again for a very long time without dropping dead, due to radiation.

- There is a floating patch of shit in the ocean, in the Pacific, know as the great garbage patch. There are several more patches in other parts of the world.

- There are big chunks and little particles of trash wizing round space, like a sort of trash cloud that we have built.

- Recently, the air in London UK has been deemed too dangerous due to contamination levels, the same problem exists in an even worse form in China, and well as other cities around the world.

- The BP oil spill is still out there. They lie and say its clean, but it is not. This is not the only oil spill us humans have ever had either, we are still seeing climate effects on wildlife 20 years later on in some cases.

- Every day we have less jungles.

- Ever day we have less top soil.

- Every day more bees die off.

- Every day there is less fish in the ocean.

- Every day there is more trash produced.

With 7 billion of us on this planet, it is just too much, and it is all going to come crashing down in a fireworks display of starvation, war and pollution

Take a look at a satelite picture of Earth at night. It looks very pretty if you look at the lights, but if you look at the lights like a virus, it is clear to see most of the planet is infected.

We need to do everything we can, today, and even then we are only going to be delaying it. At the rate we are going now, setting goals for 2020 and planning to the future, just like we were delaying and planning for future goals 20 years ago, we are basically going to be screwed all that much sooner.

I couldn’t have said it better than @poisonedantidote.

Wasn’t 2012 suppose to be our last chance to start reversing the damage? Only if it was a complete drastic change though. Which obviously did not happen.

Help support environmental education for both adults and children.

I learned about this relevant documentary just yesterday.

Oh, and stop having children and encourage everyone to do the same.

@poisonedantidote I believe you are absolutely right. All we can do now is turn our technology toward how to keep enough species alive through the coming dystopia that humanity remains on Earth with enough biodiversity to support us.

@Plucky No reversal on course in 2012. We’ve still got the pedal to the metal heading for the cliff like this.

@YARNLADY The US uses 25% of the world’s oil and Republican influence here will ensure we do NOTHING to slow down. Their slogan is “Drill baby drill!” There are a few trying to educate, but the Fossil Fuel Industry rakes in $40 trillion dollars per year, and they will spend whatever it takes to make sure their disinformation, their junk science, and their bought off politicians derail anything that might stop their quarterly profits form rising.

Sadly, the same righties who chant “Drill baby drill!” also fight gender equality because they still believe the garbage their religious leaders feed them about our needing to replicate like bunnies. Of course, church leaders preach that because it means more members, and members born into the church means more $$$ in the offering platters. We’ve way to many leaders and opinion makers willing to sell their own children’s survival for a few more years living in wealth beyond most human’s wildest dreams, yet feeling it’s still not enough.

@hearkat Great link. Thanks.

I think this is a positive step. I’m not sure I understood what the lady was saying, it sounded like she was saying don’t do anything because if you do you are accepting that the problem can be solved? Well if you do nothing it sure isn’t going to be solved. I still believe in the power of individuals acting together. I can complain about republicans pushing more off shore drilling, but if I am driving a car while I am complaining, it doesn’t hold water. So I personally still think if I want things to change I must do my part, I don’t buy anything in plastic (probably 98% of the time realistically) and if I had kids that is what I would be teaching them. Every school yard I pass here has a janitor policing the perimeter, picking up rubbish consisting of plastic soft drink bottles. Teach your kids not to buy and not to litter. Teach them to ride their bikes to school, don’t use disposable diapers. It infuriates me that I am required by law to pick up dog poo in a plastic bag. The dog poo will disintigrate in a day or two, the plastic bag in a couple of million years. Anyhow individuals have to stop talking and start inconveniencing themselves by doing! Might not solve the problem but at least it doesn’t make it any worse.

@rooeytoo There are many types of earth friendly poop bags available now.

@Plucky – do you mean biodegradable plastic? That is nothing but plastic that breaks down into smaller pieces. It still pollutes the water, earth, air etc. it is just less noticeable to the eye. So just a placebo really, not a cure.

If not plastic, what do you mean? Paper bags will work, but where do you get paper anymore? No stores in Australia use it regularly.

@rooeytoo & @Plucky Fascinating discourse. @rooeytoo Well said. If you are not part of the solution, chances are you are part of the problem.

@rooeytoo The link I provided is for the type that is an alternative to plastic. It’s not paper. It is Polyvinyl Alcohol film…which completely breaks down in water. It dissolves into CO2 and H2O.

Quote from their website:
“Flush Puppies are made of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) film, a hydro-biodegradable material (dissolves in water).
The key is creating the bags with a “solubility point” at which they are strong enough to hold Fido’s semi-moist poop, but soluble enough, quickly enough, that you can actually see the breakdown process start to happen when you toss the bag in the toilet. That’s where we came in.
Water from the toilet goes through a sewage treatment plant specifically designed to remove harmful toxins and bacteria from fecal matter.
In short, the bags won’t break down on your walk home from the park, but they will start to break down after being submerged in your toilet water. Typically, within 96 hours after being flushed, the Flush Puppies bag will have fully dissolved into H2O and CO2.”

We are thinking of ordering some :)

@Plucky – I didn’t even notice you had a link, going a little blind maybe! Anyhow that is interesting, I read about its various uses, hard to imagine that the same stuff that seals stone and concrete and incontinence pads can biodegrade! Only problem for me is they would cost almost 15 cents a bag and that is before postage to here! But I will keep it in mind, and recommend it to the local council which provides plastic bags at many popular dog walking spots. Thanks for the education!