A Letter to E.T. When I look into the night sky, I realize the importance of this…when I see the earth, I remember that it must be protected, when I encounter friends, family, and think about our lives, I sometimes like to think we are here for more important reasons, or at least, we need something to remind us that we’re here for more important reasons. To where does our destiny lie, this humanity? Is it a competition that follows some Darwinian logic? Or is it some Taoist like principle of balance between forces? We need only to look at the stars. We’ve had the incredible opportunity, and we’ve wasted it. I fear that the only way we see it is when the light of God will be the flash of nuclear Armageddon. The people of this remote little world are not protecting this special place in the cosmos. It’s probably already too late. I am writing this letter to you, E.T. so that if you may find it, you will know that there was a human who thought deeply about these existential dilemmas every single day of its seventy-five year life span. I hope that when you inherit what is left of this world, you might be able to salvage what is valuable most… At the present time, Earth is under assault by forces it hasn’t seen in many, many years. Not enough is being done to save the planet and humanity from itself. Humanity’s fate is directly tied into the planet integral; the human-Earth relationship has become strained over many generations, and a “feud” between these forces has erupted on a global scale. Humanity has managed to tarnish the world through its abusive power of technology that has led to massive amounts of pollution. Our numbers now range in the billions, straining a planet already under the natural processes of tectonic displacement and atmospheric change. Earth is evolving as she has since her birth, but me and my fellow humans’ inability to adapt along with these changes is making the situation ever more precarious. I know that if you find this, then humanity is gone. I know that if you’re out there, which I have the most sincere and absolute faith that you do, what with the size of our galaxy alone, at a hundred thousand light-years worth of stars, that you will inherit this world and make it yours. Treat her right. Earth will provide all that you need in the way of nourishment. She gives in vast abundance, is violent at times, but generally very pleasant and sexy. The star she orbits will offer eons of light to guide you through those seasons of want and woe. The planet’s moon will accompany you on those hard, sad nights when everything in life has been weighing you down, and shall give you an ethereal blue glow to illuminate the inner working landscape of your soul. I hope that this letter finds you well, my friend. May the Earth bless you and provide you with all the crops you desire. -Signed, — Zarathustra The...

|Complacency equals adaptation equals Business As Usual? — Anonymous

1. Yep, and it is all in Antarctica XD 2. How many humans can this planet handle? Be serious! — Anonymous

You say 500,000 years like thats a long time? — Soda

Your cautious take on scientific claims is a good thing, I think. But as I recall, the claim was that it MAY BE irreversible. Let's celebrate the fact that it hasn't happened in the past 3 years, but there isn't too much cheer to pass around quite yet: take a look at "Extreme Ice" on NOVA. This is a grand experiment, and it smells like roulette par excellence. The stakes are quite high, you know. Ever stood on the edge of a curb and not fallen off onto the street? Would you step as quickly onto the edge of the Grand Canyon? I don't think your movements would be quite as carefree. The fact that Greenland ice melt hasn't been completed yet doesn't justify delaying action, because the moment it happens, it is too late to see whether it will happen or not. "Extreme Ice" provides plenty of reason for caution in another direction, I think. — Marklangager

absolutely! Too many people for the moment now. Any soulutions or research into this? — Anonymous

Sorry pal, but not talking about something you want to work out doesn't make it any clearer. I agree that some thinking can be done before talking, but the sharing of ideas is the best thing that humans have going for them. What you mean is that you are frustrated with lack of clarity/progress, not discussion itself. — Anonymous

Sorry pal, but not talking about something you want to work out doesn't make it any clearer. I agree that some thinking can be done before talking, but the sharing of ideas is the best thing that humans have going for them. What you mean is that you are frustrated with lack of clarity/progress, not lack of discussion. — Anonymous

Hi Etch, We HAVEN'T learned from our mistakes. Not REALLY. When masses of people have to relocate to inland areas and the cancer rate and storms increase, maybe we will stop buying processed packaged foods (poisoning our homes and bodies)? On a different level, when commercials/producers stop PORTRAYING that our society/cancer causing-packaged products are just fine and dandy and start sending out the very real facts of our dire state, maybe we will BEGIN to be aware of our mistakes? On yet another level, if the producers stop making such packaged processed foods/items will we be awakened? And pushing further to another level, maybe the government will order such companies to close altogether and then shall we be wide-eyed and aware? Why do we need most of the items/foods in grocery stores anyway? Yes, the purchase of these damaging items/foods (to our environment and bodies) IS ingrained. Why doesn't the FEAR AND REALITY of what's happening break that conditioning? Are we really that stupid and lazy and selfish? BREAK THE CONDITIONING. On a greater level, positive altering decisions/messages/executions from producers and the government in regards to damaging products (which determine general zombie wasteful mindsets) would help us but this won't happen because MONEY is more important to them than SURVIVAL OF THIS EARTH AND SOCIETY. I thought the government and big business represented strong intellect? Why is the WORK it will take to start bringing our own to-go containers/bags, eating differently, growing our own gardens or buying from farmer's markets, recycling, car-pooling or biking so threatening and avoided when all the "work" in the world becomes irrelevant when even the chance for us to change things with "work" isn't even a thought anymore because extinct human minds think NOT? — V. Dube'

Samcleod, Changing the ways of the world, or interrogating everyday practices (perhaps, even our diet) is not looking at the wrong direction. This is precisely the challenge that climate change poses - to look beyond our own convenience to examine and rethink how our perspectives and the accompanying lifestyles that they have engendered have planted the seeds of environmental destruction. While we should by all means develop technology to mitigate the effects of global warming, it is irresponsible to rely on these techno-fixes (such as the distasteful idea of carbon sequestration) to dispel the global warming catastrophe altogether, or even a significant portion of it. It is an escapist route because it implies that people, especially in the global north (and those in the global south who live according to the gospels of the global north), can continue their plunder of the earth that their excessive and wasteful lifestyles require. Our scientific genius cannot always save us, and even if it can, we should not always look to it as our salvation because it severely cripples our humanity, our moral responsibility, as in our judgment to make sacrifices to solve a plague that we ourselves engendered. What we need right now is a healthy balance of science and technology and a commitment to radically changing our lifestyles, to giving up the easy, fast food, to-go, disposable lifestyle. — tin

I see, you think cutting back carbon emmisions is insignificant because you believe someone like you just needs to point out that we could magically fix everything - without becoming less greedy and self-centered. Come now Sam, you must be retarded if you think there isn't a huge pool of resources going into researching ways to reverse the effects of climate change. The fact is there is no simple answer and people like you who cling to outmoded ideas of 'science-ing' away this problem are going to face immediate physical danger if you don't figure that out pronto. Kapeech? — Anonymous