Who is going to save the world?

[Aaron (Al) Lewis]

Or shall I ask who is going to save the planet? Subsequently, the question becomes, is it possible to save the planet without first saving ourselves? Is the planet in danger or just the life forms that live upon and in it? The world is simply man's view. Man can have no view if life on/in the planet stops being. We are in a time of total cultural collapse. It's like being on a plane that is starting to crash and the pilots are saying over the loudspeakers, "So far so good", meanwhile back in coach you see the ground slowly coming up and you think," I can’t do anything about this situation, because, I don't know how to fly an airplane".

Guess what, the leaders, the thinkers, the gurus, the emperors, the politicians, the owning class, the ruling class, the captains and titans of industry, and the CEOs aren't too goddamn good at flying this spaceship that we call earth. Just like me, they are not too good at flying this plane. Their best thoughts and efforts have driven all of us to the brink of the abyss.
In 1963, it was estimated that Earth's human population was 3 billion. In February of 2000 it was again estimated that the Earth's human population was 6 billion and in February of 2009 it was already at 7 billion and counting............................................

This is exponential growth.

[Aaron (Al) Lewis]

Here is another way of looking at it. Say if you had a lake the size of 20 acres and say you had 2 lilly pads to start and they doubled every day and say it took 364 days for those lily pads to cover half the lake. How many days would it be before the entire lake would be covered with lily pads?

[Clifford Black]

I refuse to answer this, because, I think this is a wonderful excercise and everyone should get involved in the act of thinking thru this process. If in fact, the answer is just a given, then we might not do the work (which is easy to do) that is required to come to the understanding.
(B)

[Aaron (Al) Lewis]

Food. Food is simply the sun's energy transfered to either plant life or animals that eat plants or animals that eat animals that eat plants and/or other animals. So we can conclude that food is energy, period. The fact that is has pleasing flavors is an aspect of the taste buds, but still though we call it food or the various names for individual food stuffs it still is energy.

When you think about it in this manner you will be able to better understand what has been happening to the planet and the people and other species that inhabit the planet with us. Because they are so many humans we are competing with every other species for food and we are winning the competition, but losing the race. In other words to the winner goes the spoils and when we win that is exactly what we will get, the spoils. Aint it cool?

Now back to those lily pads.

[Aaron (Al) Lewis]

Sinking Ship

The ship was sinking---and sinking fast. The captain told the passengers and crew, "We've got to get the lifeboats in the water right away."

But the crew said, "First we have to end capitalist oppression of the working class. Then we'll take care of the lifeboats."

Then the women said, "First we want equal pay for equal work. The lifeboats can wait."

The racial minorities said, "First we need to end racial discrimination. Then seating in the lifeboats will be allotted fairly."

The captain said, "These are all important issues, but they won't matter a damn if we don't survive. We've got to lower the lifeboats right away!"

But the religionists said, "First we need to bring prayer back into the classroom. This is more important than lifeboats."

Then the pro-life contingent said, "First we must outlaw abortion. Fetuses have just as much right to be in those lifeboats as anyone else."

The right-to-choose contingent said, "First acknowledge our right to abortion, then we'll help with the lifeboats."

The socialists said, "First we must redistribute the wealth. Once that's done everyone will work equally hard at lowering the lifeboats."

The animal-rights activists said, "First we must end the use of animals in medical experiments. We can't let this be subordinated to lowering the lifeboats."

Finally the ship sank, and because none of the lifeboats had been lowered, everyone drowned.

The last thought of more than one of them was, "I never dreamed that solving humanity's problems would take so long---or that the ship would sink so SUDDENLY."
_________________

[Clifford Black]

In the recent days of my life, I have actually started to experience the sinking ship and I can give testimony as to how difficult this situation has been (and is). I find myself wondering why no one seems to be addressing this post.

[Sammie James McDaniel jr.]

You're talking to "boiling Frogs" maybe?

[Craig]

Al,

I'm not sure there is any hope. I find myself being oh so selfish these days with my feelings, thoughts, time, even with the air I breath because if I waste it/them, I won't get them back. I believe Katrina, Haiti, the various other earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and weather phenomena are precursors to something really major yet to come. I just try to enjoy my remaining seconds on this rock.

[Clifford Black]

The Republican party is trying to save the world, J. Jackeal is trying to save the N. world, I am trying to save the planet and myself.

[Adisa]

There are a few who are trying to save the planet, but to some its more important to RULE the planet.  I like the picture you painted regarding the lilly pads in the lake, but the strange thing about nature is even in a very small pond frogs, mosquitos and every other organism never seem to take over the pond, they work with the pond, use what they need and take nothing more.  Not so with mankind.  I dont know who can save the planet, but I know greed is destroying it. 

[Clifford Black]

On that side of the tracks, that I am relative-to, it is greed, AND, most of all, it is IGNORANCE!!!!

B.