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Politics : The Environmentalist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (20526)	2/19/2008 10:13:35 PM
From: neolib	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 36921

It is like turning [in?]correctly if the reduction of the CO2 emissions causes great economic harm/cost, and turns out to be much less important in terms of climate than you thought it was. You continue to confuse human needs with physics. The extent to which humans pumping fossil CO2 into the atmosphere changes global climate does not in the least depend on any of our needs or wishes. The climate does not care about us. Similarly, if I need to get from A to B in my car at any given time, the fog which might be along the way does not care about my needs, be they economic or anything else. It is true, that the degree of my need might well cause me to proceed at reckless speed, but the fog is not dependent on my need. Indeed, my need might even compel me to think that the fog does not look bad at all (your actual argument). But the physics of the situation remains that I need to be able to see far enough ahead to react to any hazards that lie in my path if I want safety. I can accomplish that by two mechanisms: 1) somehow looking further ahead, or 2) reducing my speed. The are mathematically similar in their effect on risk reduction. Your analogy that I'll suddenly make a wrong turn is stupid. Show me how suddenly making a wrong turn has the same mathematical effect of further vision or reduced speed, and I'll believe you can understand an analogy. The only way I'd suddenly make a wrong turn is if I can't react fast enough to the reality of the situation. Seeing further ahead or slowing down, either will prevent such. What you are really arguing is that you don't think the fog is dangerous enough given your economic need. You need to get the analogy straight.