Yes, you did say all that, but you also said none of that is a problem, at least not one to be really worried about. To me, that sounds a lot like climate change denial 3.0, where 1.0 was 'it's not happening at all, don't panic', 2.0 was 'it's happening, but it's natural and normal, don't panic' and 3.0 is 'it's human caused, but no problem, don't panic'. All of those are arguments designed to stall, not to be correct. If I'm reading you wrong, I apologize, but I've heard that argument before from those definitely in that camp.

If the IPCC says it won't be disastrous, yes, we would disagree, because I say it already is, and so have they in their summaries of their last few reports. Just abnormal drought alone is disastrous in many places worldwide already, as is increased flooding in some areas. I did not read the entire PDF's, only what you quoted because they were only linked as downloads/files, and I don't download files from sites I don't recognize.

I linked the first google search pages that came up with water/glacial data, not the other dozen that said the same, or near the same thing, not the NOVA on glacial retreat that said the same thing, not the movie on the same topic with photographic proof of the retreats-Chasing Ice. You ignored that they did list their source for the 2/3 of Chinese cities low on water and the 50% loss of glacial mass per decade as the Chinese military and claimed they were source less so easily dismissed.
As for the diatoms and shellfish, I've seen numerous studies on them, and again just grabbed the first one that came up in a search with data. You seemed to dismiss it as well, but it's not alone. In one snail study I saw, the woman said the last few years it had become nearly impossible to get measurements because the snail shells literally turn to paste in her fingers and weighed nearly nothing! I'm glad to read now that you don't disagree that it's an issue, you only think it's not severe?

I'm not holding my breath on fusion or fission, we've heard the 'we're only 5 years away from fission/fusion' line before about as often as 'Iran is only 2 years away from having a nuclear bomb', but we can agree on wind and solar, except I say it is great for base load, you just need to pair it with micro hydro storage (pump water uphill with surplus solar/wind, then run micro hydro at night). Small solar/wind also decentralizes production, safeguarding from terrorism, and is quite cost effective. Mine paid for itself in well under 10 years.

My issue with your position is that what we do today just with CO2 production reduction won't really effect the atmosphere for 20-200 years (the accepted lifespan of 65-85% of atmospheric CO2, the remaining 15-35% takes thousands of years to be trapped) and that's only IF the ocean CO2 sink continues functioning, so we're already well past the point of avoiding moderate climate change. Without quick action, feedback loops like methane and/or ice sheets melting make the problem exponentially larger and difficult/impossible to manage at all. It may already be too late even if we cut to zero CO2 tomorrow, but it's certainly too late to avoid more, massive, unsolvable global issues if we don't even mitigate them before 2050.

Let's not get into the quagmire of global dimming from sulfur in coal actually mitigating a large part of expected global warming by reflecting sunlight. I've yet to hear a plan or study involving that variable.

Points like...

"In countries where the brothels are legal and regulated it's nearly impossible to force sex slavery, at least in a legal brothel like this one."?

or

"There is 0% slavery in the legal brothels, they make plenty of money without slaves and they don't want to lose their license to print money."?

He's entitled to his own opinion but he's not entitled to his own facts.

You both seem to be making the same assumption...that a legalized brothel is a regulated brothel. Why would the owners of a brothel risk using sex slaves in a legal brothel? Money...if it isn't regulated or poorly regulated than their isn't much risk is there?

Regardless this is pointless as the video isn't targeting legal brothels. It's to bring awareness to human trafficking. The organization www.stopthetraffik.org addresses this as a global issue.

If you have a problem with them using Amsterdam as the setting for the video then you're just missing the point.

This does give ammunition to the libertarian idea. The fact that votes are so states are given sort of equal power to decide their fate, where the local democracy rule. Which would be fine, except that the US does not live in a vacuum, and has, especially since WW2, been instrumental in deciding the fate of the world. One might argue, from a libertarian perspective that that intervention is fundamentally wrong, but the fact of the matter, as Pearl Harbour showed, (and also global issues such as the environment) the US is not isolated, and, increasingly, never will be. As a non-US citizen, the vote now decides more than simply someone (the president) who oversees the actions of the states. It decides the fate of the entire world.

I sometimes wish that I could ignore the US vote. The US, is THE symbol of the enlightenment and progress, and in some sense we should all let it live by itself , but we can't ignore it. For better or worse, it is instrumental in deciding the fate of us all.

Thank you for the quality!

In reply to this comment by notarobot:
Absolutely brilliant. *Quality doc on this global issue!

Absolutely brilliant. *Quality doc on this global issue!

i posted a sift talk about this after i attended a planned parenthood rally a while back. there are some who, as individuals, view the debate as life and death. i understand that. and i respect it. if i thought that was actually what the pro-life movement was about, i might be behind it. like sdxgundam, i also oppose abortion on moral grounds. but a pro-life movement must be 100% pro-life. at every stage of life. and i haven't seen evidence that it is.

it's not about that though. the movement as a whole and the powerful men in legislative positions or behind an alter that stoke the fires of the pro-life movement seek one thing, control. it's about controlling women and their sexuality. because history has been sooo very very threatened by female sexual power.

it's about distraction because if you can have one group yelling at the other group about something so passionately, that on the grand scale of global issues doesn't really even weigh in.. then you can keep them from yelling about the mass murder and theft that is committed every single day.

banning abortion does not save lives. it does not stop unwanted pregnancies. it does end rape or incest or poverty or unprotected sex or hormonal teenagers making impulsive decisions or desperation or suffering or medical emergencies or child abuse or spousal abuse. it doesn't even end abortion.

it pushes to back alley clinics and kitchen tables where unsanitary conditions threaten the lives of both mother and child. >> ^GeeSussFreeK:

>> ^RFlagg:
And yet Republicans claim that it is the Democrats who want to control how people live their lives and that they are for freedom... despite the Republicans being the party to control who people can marry, want to control woman's rights, they are the party that want to keep the drug war going far more so than the other, they are the ones behind the Patriot Act... about the only right they seem to be ahead of the Democrats on is gun control.

While I most agree with this, nearly completely, those against abortion equate it to murder...something government is most assuredly involved in. I find the debate on abortion good, in a way. One side is valuing life, the other liberty...both of the things that make this union great. I kind of wish people would see it like that instead of each side as the devil.

Religions and religious texts came about because there was a problem that needed solving at the time, and someone just happened to solve it by mysticism and indoctrination. The results ultimately helped communities to cooperate some more and kept people in line, although in some cases, they were cooperating and following orders to find more ingenious ways to kill other groups of people. Sadly the sacking of civilizations ultimately led to the loss of big chunks of knowledge that might have put us where we are today somewhat sooner. I'd like to think that we're getting closer to global peace than we were 2000 years ago. Religion is still a separator of people and that is why it must go the way of the dinosaurs (whether you're an evolutionist or creationist, they're still buried under tonnes of rock). We've grown up under the father figures of various gods and we are ready to take the first steps as an adult global civilization. With science and education, freedom of speech and the likes of the internet, our global knowledge pool and global group have ample replacement for the likes of religion in order to solve modern day global issues that the bible etc doesn't touch on.

A more detailed write up.

Vancouver, with its snowboarders and kayak tours and great produce and Benetton ad-inspired hipster scene, can seem on the surface a little removed from “global issues”. Issues such as Israel’s bombing of Gaza these last few days. Not to mention the worldwide fury stirred by conflict in the Holy Land.

But, for a primer on Vancouver’s connection to the “big picture”, you couldn’t beat this afternoon’s (December 29) pro-Palestinian protest on West Hastings Street.

Palestinian flags were out in force. So were those of Israel, across the street at the small counter-demonstration. The rhetoric was exact, pungent, fierce, furious, and emotional. Speaker after speaker encouraged the 250-strong crowd to shout.

“Free, free Palestine,” Omar Shaban, vice president of the Canadian Arab Federation, chanted. The crowd returned, “Free, free Palestine.”

...

Asif Husain, who attended the event to represent Muslim solidarity, explained to the Straight why he supports Hamas.

“They’re in a difficult position,” he said. “There is no solution to the peace problem so far. Sixty years have gone by with no end in sight.”

Across the street, a yarmulke-bedecked Stephen Burgher agreed there is no obvious solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“They [Palestinians] want to be ‘free to the sea’ so they want no Israel left,” he said. “I don’t think anyone over here is calling for the destruction of Palestine. For peace, you’ve got to start off with somebody who’s a partner. You’ve got to start off with someone who is willing to talk to you about coexistence. If they want to destroy you, it’s not negotiation time; it’s war time. And I think it’s necessary, it’s sad to say.”

Hanna Kawas of the Canada Palestine Association blamed the ongoing conflict on the United Nations and the U.S.

“Yesterday was the 43rd veto in support of Israel,” Kawas said. “No other country in the world has been protected as Israel. And they’re doing it basically to cover the war crimes of the Israeli government. The U.S. is complicit in these war crimes. The M16s are American, the ammunition is American, and Israelis doing it on behalf of the U.S. Without them, Israel doesn’t exist.”

Working with non-EU countries to confront global issues = World Government!

Everybody be scared! Everybody vote libertarian!


... honestly I thought maybe you were mocking the often hilarious posts people try to drive through where they see a 'new world order' in every politicians speech that mentions working with other countries.

(p.s. there already is a World Bank (worldbank.org), which interestingly has only had a string of American leaders, for no reason beyond tradition.)

(p.p.s. Iran has enriched uranium, they say only for nuclear energy, but if a bunch of different countries are worried I think its probably something to be worried about; http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25809160/)

Instant Karma indeed.

I disagree with what? and who?
If you are talking about why I down voted the video, it's because junk like like that doesn't deserve to be sifted. It's nothing but rich celebrities with a dead cockroach for brains thinking that by jumping on any social/global issue bandwagons makes them some how superior... without knowing the full details. Now there are exceptions to that. But here we just have a typical case of bandwagon moron. Just listening to her talk makes me cringe. "being mean to 'the Dalai Lama', that's not nice, he is my friend!"? I mean come the fuck on! How the fuck is that "KARMA"! If you are going to speak out about an important issue, do it with some substance! How about saying that CCP and the Chinese goverment shouldn't impose social and religious restrictions on the citizens of China so on, one can go on and on about it. We don't live in a perfect world.

And back to Karma? How is it that saying chinese not being nice have brought this on themselves? Are you kidding me? What did those ppl that lived in the mountains most of their lives working in the fields, working in small factories have no saying in what ever thats going on in Tibet or anyother areas where imjustice has happened deserved it? Not to mention that the area where the earthquake happened actually have a very large Tibetan population and the worst areas of the quake near the epicenter in the mountains have buddhist temples there. KAR-FUCKING-MA?

At the end of the video that animation short is terrible as well, worthless. This whole boycott this boycott that about the Olympics is rather stupid. What do the people that boycotted the event or the trochrelay can accomplish? Sure the events will profit the "evil chinese goverment" at the same time it is prvoiding opportunities for average Chinese with jobs, commerce etc. That the world has become a smaller place, they are able to see how far a long they have come, creating incentives for them to change whats around them and reaching out. And at the very least providing some entertainment to those who are less fortunate. Boycotting is like saying we know theres a problem and we are no pleased so we are not going to be part of it there! and then does nothing.

As for the comment, I don't know where to start. It is even worse than the video. I personally hate anyone and anything that pushs an agenda by using events such as this earth quake as a power base. I better stop here before I start my long rant and offends more ppl...


>> ^choggie:
by the way, comment voting sucks-wish we could get rid of it-hey JTZ, what of it man, you disagree or what????

i go insane when there is a news crew getting in the way of my daily commute in NYC, and i agree that its definitively fun to piss off meathead NY cops. but there is no denying that this brightly colored mascot for hungrr was being obnoxious and rude.

playing the poor oppressed innocent victim is too common within these activist groups...that orange headed idiot knew he was being a jerk, but in his mind it was justified because he was "sticking it to the man" and he was fighting for a good cause.. why do these people think maddening behavior is the appropriate way to make a statement?

And of course this was immediately uploaded online to show the internet community how piece of shit newscasters and ny cops want to destroy hungrr.com!! ugh.. those fascist pigs..

hungrr.com's tactics (as far as this videos concerned) cheapen actual global issues into gimmicky sympathy video clips for solidarity seeking college students..

they real problems of global issues, can be remedied, once the emperor(s), wear no clothes-...seriously, if it's all that fucked, go have a tea party!

personally, sick of projects, designed to promulgate, unconscious awareness....