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Charles Murray
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Re: Engineering, Science & Math in a Water Bottle
Charles Murray   5/31/2012 8:26:57 PM
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I agree on all counts, Dave. Yes, there are environmental consequences to all industrial activity (this is hardly a secret). And, yes, the video's tone, as you so accurately say, is hysterical. The problem is that it comes off as an indictment, rather than a serious effort to solve any problems. It's also shot through with a lot of meaningless expressions ("a linear system can't work on a finite planet") that can't be challenged because they, in point of fact, make no sense. It seems to me there must be a way to get this point across in a balanced fashion that would make college students think logically about the issues, rather than react on an emotional basis.

Dave Palmer
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Platinum
Re: Engineering, Science & Math in a Water Bottle
Dave Palmer   6/6/2012 1:05:46 PM
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@Chuck: While the statement "a linear system can't work on a finite planet" seems unnecessarily jargon-y, the point seems to be that since natural resources are limited, a process which leads from extraction to disposal (instead of recycling or reuse) will eventually use them up.  This is clear enough; in fact, it borders on a tautology.

The problem, as you point out, is what to do about it.  I think most people who have thought about it realize that many aspects of modern consumer society are not sustainable.  On the other hand, most people also realize that a return to a small-scale agricultural or hunter-gatherer society is neither possible nor even remotely desirable.  And, in fact, for the majority of the people in the world, the problem is not too much "stuff," but not enough "stuff" -- not enough clean drinking water, not enough sanitation, etc.

There aren't any easy answers to this, but you're absolutely right that, if we are going to find the answers, we need logical thinking and discussion, not just denunciation.

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