Comments on: Can the Earth survive?: Weisman’s The World Without Us http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/ Think - it ain't illegal yet... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:32:11 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: jackpine savage http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/comment-page-1/#comment-26541 jackpine savage Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:29:13 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/#comment-26541 How very well said, Brian. The idea of destroying the Earth/life is one thing that sticks in my craw about some environmentalists. I've long believed it to be an ego issue. We are but a piece of a very large (likely infinite) puzzle. This issue is probably why i enjoyed the provocative thought experiment of humans simply vanishing more than the environmental exhortations. How very well said, Brian. The idea of destroying the Earth/life is one thing that sticks in my craw about some environmentalists. I’ve long believed it to be an ego issue. We are but a piece of a very large (likely infinite) puzzle.

This issue is probably why i enjoyed the provocative thought experiment of humans simply vanishing more than the environmental exhortations.

]]> By: Brian Angliss http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/comment-page-1/#comment-25974 Brian Angliss Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:09:52 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/#comment-25974 A couple of things. Russ - population growth has fallen out of public discourse in some places, true, but I know a lot of "child free" folk who have chosen not to have children because of population growth reasons or because of the number of unloved children who need families, either foster kids or orphans. There's a lot of blame to go around, though, on why it fell off most people's radar. I haven't read the book, but Scientific American did an article on it a few issues back, and I found it quite different in tone from the review above. Now, it's SciAm, so they focused on the science of what hung around (the longest-lasting thing appeared to be bronze, which I just don't get....) instead of the damage that was done. One of the things to remember, though - humanity is not capable of killing off the Eart. All our toxins, plastics, wastes, etc. will last a long time, but they won't end all life on the earth, even if we end up being responsible for a Permian-level major extinction. Life will still survive, albeit in a radically different form than it is now. The planet will be fine over the long run, with or without us. We should do all the healthy, environmental things in order to improve the odds that planet will be fine <em>with</em> us instead of <em>without</em> us. A couple of things.

Russ – population growth has fallen out of public discourse in some places, true, but I know a lot of “child free” folk who have chosen not to have children because of population growth reasons or because of the number of unloved children who need families, either foster kids or orphans. There’s a lot of blame to go around, though, on why it fell off most people’s radar.

I haven’t read the book, but Scientific American did an article on it a few issues back, and I found it quite different in tone from the review above. Now, it’s SciAm, so they focused on the science of what hung around (the longest-lasting thing appeared to be bronze, which I just don’t get….) instead of the damage that was done. One of the things to remember, though – humanity is not capable of killing off the Eart. All our toxins, plastics, wastes, etc. will last a long time, but they won’t end all life on the earth, even if we end up being responsible for a Permian-level major extinction. Life will still survive, albeit in a radically different form than it is now.

The planet will be fine over the long run, with or without us. We should do all the healthy, environmental things in order to improve the odds that planet will be fine with us instead of without us.

]]> By: G in INdiana http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/comment-page-1/#comment-25940 G in INdiana Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:19:09 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/#comment-25940 I agree jackpine, I could have read several hundred more pages. His descriptions of paradises lost alone is worth the price of the book. Nearly twenty years ago we made a conscious decision to have only one child and to raise her with deep respect for the earth and nature. She's going one better than us and will only adopt a child. We've been very free with information similar to what is in the book. We've seen ourselves how quickly the earth and nature can heal itself after humans have left it alone. Amazing stuff, actually. I agree jackpine, I could have read several hundred more pages. His descriptions of paradises lost alone is worth the price of the book.
Nearly twenty years ago we made a conscious decision to have only one child and to raise her with deep respect for the earth and nature. She’s going one better than us and will only adopt a child. We’ve been very free with information similar to what is in the book. We’ve seen ourselves how quickly the earth and nature can heal itself after humans have left it alone. Amazing stuff, actually.

]]> By: O mundo sem ninguém. « http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/comment-page-1/#comment-25860 O mundo sem ninguém. « Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:30:35 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/#comment-25860 [...] um blog interessante, o Scholars&Rogues, se eu não tivesse me deparado abruptamente com o primeiro post do blog.  Sobre um livro.  Chamado “The World Without [...] [...] um blog interessante, o Scholars&Rogues, se eu não tivesse me deparado abruptamente com o primeiro post do blog.  Sobre um livro.  Chamado “The World Without [...]

]]> By: Russ Wellen http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/comment-page-1/#comment-25778 Russ Wellen Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:56:46 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/#comment-25778 In recent years, I've been marveling at how limiting population growth has dropped out of public discourse. The hard right and fundamentalists have Americans convinced that if they don't breed, they'll be over-run by Mexicans and Muslims. Young married couples need to take a moment to try to imagine the world to which they're condemning their children to live -- simply by dint of having those children (or more than one, at any rate). In recent years, I’ve been marveling at how limiting population growth has dropped out of public discourse. The hard right and fundamentalists have Americans convinced that if they don’t breed, they’ll be over-run by Mexicans and Muslims.

Young married couples need to take a moment to try to imagine the world to which they’re condemning their children to live — simply by dint of having those children (or more than one, at any rate).

]]> By: Dr. Denny http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/comment-page-1/#comment-25758 Dr. Denny Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:29:23 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/#comment-25758 Thanks for your contribution to S&R, Chris. Welcome. Thanks for your contribution to S&R, Chris. Welcome.

]]> By: jackpine savage http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/comment-page-1/#comment-25753 jackpine savage Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:10:06 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/#comment-25753 It's an excellent book. I got it for my birthday and it's already passed through quite a few hands...i look forward to it returning to my shelf. My only critique is that Weisman didn't spend enough pages working the interesting thought experiment of the world without us. I'm not suggesting that the passages on plastic, for example, are without worth...they are worthwhile and interesting. Perhaps the book needed to be a few hundred pages longer. It’s an excellent book. I got it for my birthday and it’s already passed through quite a few hands…i look forward to it returning to my shelf.

My only critique is that Weisman didn’t spend enough pages working the interesting thought experiment of the world without us. I’m not suggesting that the passages on plastic, for example, are without worth…they are worthwhile and interesting. Perhaps the book needed to be a few hundred pages longer.

]]> By: Dr. Slammy http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/comment-page-1/#comment-25749 Dr. Slammy Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:02:08 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/#comment-25749 Thanks, Rose. I fixed it. Thanks, Rose. I fixed it.

]]> By: Rose http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/comment-page-1/#comment-25738 Rose Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:09:27 +0000 http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/03/16/can-the-earth-survive-weismans-the-world-without-us/#comment-25738 er, I think you've got an 'm' where you wanted a 'b' in that second-to-last paragraph. Interesting post, though. er, I think you’ve got an ‘m’ where you wanted a ‘b’ in that second-to-last paragraph. Interesting post, though.

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