- John Locke
- New York, NY
- United States
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What have you done to help the Earth?
In honor of Earth Day, I have a question for everyone on TED.com. What have you done to benefit the Earth? Have you recycled, started a club, raised awarness about the Earth's condition, turned down your heating and cooling ststem? Whatever you have done to help the Earth, I want to you post it right here. And, if you haven't done anything to help the Earth than write about something that you plan on/want to do in the near future.
Who knows, maybe it will inspire more people to contribute to saving our planet!
Topics:
Earth environment
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Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.
Paul Palmer 10+
But when we think about improving the world, we can't be hemmed in by our lack of power to then urge effective ways to make change. At least we have to aim for a deep understanding, even if we aren't in positions of power.
The people who control big money and national legislation don't satisfy themselves with choosing one type of green bean over another. Change is not merely personal to them. They move you and I around like pawns. They make sure that hundreds of millions of people all get the same message and perform the same actions that make them money and accrue their power.
in the resource field, this takes the form of first of all, making sure that they can get lots of resources all around the globe for pennies. This may take war, or bribing officials, or loans with harsh terms made to impoverished countries, but the resources are sure to be cheaply available.
Then they actively design their products to make use of those cheap resources - metals, oil, plastic, natural products - and to fall apart as soon as possible. The theory is that you will rush out and buy one more new piece of crap. And it works for them. The key is DESIGN TO FAIL. They even shamelessly call it planned obsolescence.
Powerless individuals then look to escape the net by buying one item designed to fail slightly less quickly rather than another item designed to fail as soon as the warranty expires. It can't work.
The only way to change this is to look behind the curtain at the Wizard who is doing the design and CHANGING THE WAY GOODS ARE DESIGNED.
We need to design for perpetual reuse, not for discard. Sound scary? If you say yes, you really have been swept up into the system. I have proven how easy it really is to design for reuse by doing it and presenting it publicly.
Colleen Steen 500+
With all due respect, sweet, liberal, and being people who do not "kick dogs" is not the topic here.
Cut the crap, and lets hear..." What have you done to help the Earth?".
That is the topic of this discussion...not interested in your gloom and doom. I am very aware of facts, and they are not "scary". If they are to you....so be it!
John Locke
Paul Palmer 10+
Then I wrote the only book in existence on Zero Waste showing how to apply the same principles I had developed to the entire panoply of poorly designed commodities, in the same way that we had worked with chemicals.
Then I started to develop a gigantic website called the Zero Waste Institute with analyses of how resource despoliation and conservation really work, scientifically, not just the first superficial ideas.
Along the way I testified at conferences and joined lawsuits. I wrote papers. The EPA produced three studies of my work. I also reused the entire Baldwin Park Superfund. All the dirt, wood, plastic, copper, steel and mercury. At 20% of the cost of the idiot garbage companies.
So glad you asked. Does your city have a Zero Waste resolution in place? Probably does. I invented the term. Check Wikipedia.
So what have you done?
http://www.zerowasteinstitute.org
Try dipping in there this time.
Derek Young 30+
It seems that you are advertising for an admirable cause, but I think you assume that because you support a great cause that you can be condescending. I am sure that you have good intentions, but I think you should try to get off your high horse once in awhile. Your lack of empathy is really starting to make me feel like you are here to guilt everyone into an amazing idea or you are just denouncing any other ideas that isn't your own.
Paul, you should try to spread an idea through reciprocity, not jamm it down our brains. I am sure your current method works with politicians and other stubborn monetary driven institutions. Please Paul, I want to read/hear your thoughts without feeling that you are figuratively slapping me or maybe this is an ingenous way to make connections with your audience?
I am sorry, but I just can't ingest these ideas while I am being insulted or watching others be insulted as well.
I hope that the next plan of action is that we all holster our emotions and try to be civil.
Thanks for reading my thoughts and I hope we can have a nice transition. =)
Colleen Steen 500+
So far, the comments I've seen that you have written on TED seem to be condescending, and critical of other people's comments, rather than expressing your own thoughts/feelings regarding the topics. Critizing what others do, or do not do, is not very productive or interesting to read Paul.
In your recent comment, you tell us what YOU are doing... "I've been working actively on resource conservation for thirty years". That is GREAT Paul, and I respect your contribution to the health of the earth that we all share:>)
Mary M. 100+
Congratulations on, not only identifying the harm others are doing, but doing something about it. As the last sentence of your comment clearly states: " I have proven how easy it really is to design for reuse by doing it and presenting it publicly."
You were kind to come back and elaborate on demand........Your message was not lost on me.
Thank you very much