Yes it’s been said, on camera, more than once. And GM foods are probably the most tested things we eat. Does it mean they’re perfect, or that a small percentage of the population won’t have an allergic reaction (as they might with any “organic” food.)

John D.

Then members of said industries call those trying to impose some rules “wacko environmentalists” that are killing their respective industries. Circular reasoning?

When Greenpeace activists tell shoppers at supermarkets that eating GM foods may cause you to grow a third arm, or that GM foods aren’t tested, they’re rightly labeled as “whacko environmentalists”.

Your wariness of self-regulated industry is warrented.

Great case-studies of self-regulating industries might be found in the history of the California sardine fishery, the Atlantic cod fishery, the Atlantic Sworfishery, and the old-growth-dependant North American timber industry. What do all of these have in common? Moslty unregulated, rampant harvest with increasingly clever and efficient technologies, to the point of diminishing return and industry collapse. A portion of the citizenry starts to recognize the problem and expresses concern, and then governement trys to impose regulations that yes, protect the environment, but also lead ultimately to sustainability of said industries. Then members of said industries call those trying to impose some rules “wacko environmentalists” that are killing their respective industries. Circular reasoning?

I remember once when I was working for the USFS in northeast California in the early ’90′s; it was a Friday night at Laufman Station and a bunch of harvest inspectors, timber markers and cruisers were around the BBQ, along with a handful of “ists”…(biologists, hydrologists, archeologists, etc). The timber folks were complaining about that damn spotted owl and all of those tree-huggers destroying the old-growth timber economy. One of the biologists, getting a little impatient asked the timber folks…”ok, let’s say you guys were able to mark and cut the big timber here on the Plumas, Lassen and Modoc, as fast as you want, like you did in the late 70′s and 80′s; how long would it last? With some feet shuffling and mumbling, they confessed, about 7 to 10 or so years!

So if left unregulated, at this point in time, old-growth timber in Northeast California would last about a decade..maybe more! Who’s at fault at the sad state of the timber industry..the “Greens”…the “Guvinment”…or unregulated industry?

John D.

Every time somebody assumes we can trust industry to regulate themselves I despair of their naivete. The greens are simply trying to preserve our environment and it’s an uphill struggle against people with deep pockets and zero conscience. Of course they are ritually pessimistic; it comes from bitter experience. Do you even realize the extent of the poisons, hormones, chemicals, effluent, raw sewage etc that is ritually chucked into our rivers and seas? Don’t blame the greens for being misled about AGW – the fault lies squarely with the duplicitous scientists.

While there are thousands of spent nuclear fuel rods that could be recycled, 90% of the total waste is leftover from the weapons programs. Hanford, Oak Ridge, etc. Not nearly as useful, far more dangerous, with proper handling, could still be a source of energy. It takes a commitment of many folks to make it happen. Serious safety issues. We’ll have to deal with them. We won’t get one millijoule by just talking about it.

That’s the real problem – energy. To maintain or improve the quality of life, it takes energy. We can and should conserve, and be as efficient as possible. We still need energy, particularly in developing countries. Wind and solar may have a small place at the table, but serious energy means coal, gas, or nuclear. The first two have problems of supply and pollution. So does the third, but we can deal with them, particularly if we reprocess what we already have.

Transportation at the individual level will depend on room temperature liquid fuels for a long time. Absent a major breakthrough in batteries, nothing else has the energy density. Joe Sixpack isn’t going to pump cryogenics or high pressures with much degree of safety.

All of which is a moot point if the folks with influence and power don’t want it to happen. If the Greens, Enviros, AGW’s and the like get their way, it won’t happen. When the lights do go out, it may be too late.

Just a nit on your excellent post, but these new uranium hydride nuclear batteries would be great for powering trains and ships without the hassle of a nuclear reactor. Roughly the size of a hot tub and just several tons in weight. Last ~5 years.

http://nextbigfuture.com/2008/04/updates-on-uranium-hydride-reactor-and.html

My brother, you’re not alone. See this article, which drew some fire over at Realclimate in last Friday’s Roundup (starting at about comment 60). Definitely worth a read.

One-world government inherently ignores the free will of its diverse subjects. It is the ultimate smoothing algorithm, damping all that high frequency dissent into the straight trend line of government policy.

Dentistry is a big one for me. Just in my lifetime (I’m 58), a trip to the dentist has gone from a thing of dread to dang near a social event…flirting with the girls and talking about fishing with my dentist. No anticipation at all except for the price tag on the crowns.

Often, I’ve told him how good he is. He gives technique some of the credit. But, also he says their equipment is so much better these days. One example: Needles. They’re laser sharpened now and used once. Painless!, when he uses his special technique. Way back when, they were autoclaved, got dull over time and would tear tissue when jammed in. Hurt like hell. That tearing of tissue is what caused most all the discomfort after the deadening would wear off, also. Gawd, I’m long-winded.

[Reply - I bet I can trade you wind for wind! ~ Evan]