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Old 04-10-2007, 12:41 PM   #1
HungLikeJesus
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: above 7,000 feet
Posts: 7,208
Climate change solves obesity problem?

There is an interesting juxtaposition of headlines at LiveScience.com:

Millions Face Hunger from Climate Change (http://www.livescience.com/environme...gw_hunger.html)

and

Severely Obese Are Fastest Growing Segment of Overweight Americans (http://www.livescience.com/healthday/603539.html)

It seems ironic that:
a) Americans (U.S.) constitute less than 5% of the world's population, but
b) Consume 25% of the world's oil (~20 million, out of 80 million, barrels per day), and
c) Probably won't be hurt as much by climate change as those countries whose contribution to the (supposed) problem is much smaller.

If there is a problem we must all look at our individual contributions to the problem.

But what if the climate is not changing, or if it is but not due to the actions of man? Or what if the change is beneficial to me (because all I care about is me). If we all switch to more fuel-efficient cars, reduce the number of miles we drive and fly, ride bikes and walk more, reduce, reuse, recycle, etc., what will be the unintended consequences of those actions? Will we look back in 50 years and say, "If only I'd used a little more oil! If only I'd driven that Hummer instead of that damn Prius!" ?

Can anybody honestly see any negative consequences to reducing energy consumption, reducing air emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants, reducing the number of vehicle miles driven, or reducing the earth's population?

What are the arguments against taking these actions? I'm really not trying to launch a new Cellar debate, I'm just trying to understand both sides of this argument. I'm looking for reasoned responses, not emotional calumny.
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