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The Forum > General Discussion > Germaine Greer and the environment - fact or fiction?

Germaine Greer and the environment - fact or fiction?

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"Instead of trying to find a way to live on Mars, humans should be trying to rejuvenate our own planet, feminist Germaine Greer has told an Adelaide audience."

She says however: "Acclaimed physicist Stephen Hawking quite calmly argues that human beings will soon have rendered the earth uninhabitable — the result being that people will have no option but to colonise space,” she said.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/technology/science/germaine-greer-urges-people-to-think-about-earth-first-before-looking-to-mars/story-fni0c0qr-1227305543886

However what the page doesn't tell you is an information leaflet about the session is titled: "Equality is Not Enough: Ecofeminism and Survival."

Is this nothing more than creating a battle between the sexes - and no serious concern for the environment - or does Germaine have a valid point?
Posted by NathanJ, Thursday, 16 April 2015 12:38:21 PM
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NathanJ

"Stephen Hawking quite calmly argues that human beings will soon have rendered the earth uninhabitable"

Humans may well find themselves too smart for there own good...and as for the battle of the between Males and females, its what drives us to breed is the problem, not who we are.

Major thinkers view the time-line on a yearly bases and the growth of the planets people...and while some think we have the space in the world, this is far from the truth. Sustainable environments...is the key to longer times to come and natures blue-prints have illustrated this very clearly.

I've never heard of Germaine Greer, but many of the comments below show the people are thinking about these issues and taking them to mind to find solutions.

To over-load Australia would be the most stupid thing any of us can contemplate.....I heard someone say.."If white Australians weren't so lazy, we would not need to import smarter youth from other countries"....I disagree with the comment...but what do you think NathanJ?....but that could be a bogan question:)

Stephen Hawkings comments are his own opinions..

Tally
Posted by Tally, Thursday, 16 April 2015 5:59:47 PM
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Greer is 76, why should she be worried about the earth becoming uninhabitable?

I also wonder whether she quoted Hawking correctly, or added her own interpretation: firstly, in cosmic terms it is certainly "soon" when Earth becomes uninhabitable, but chances are that it will not happen during the lifetime of anyone we know. Second, I don't believe that Hawking, of a very sound logical mind, claimed that colonising space is the ONLY option - surely he is aware that dying out is another.

Feminism? Environmentalism? more likely a case of early-stage dementia.
Posted by Yuyutsu, Thursday, 16 April 2015 6:01:04 PM
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"but chances are"... Yuyutsu!...I never thought your mind could ever think of gambling...:).....We are talking about the planet...not waiting for god to fix it:)....Oh dear:)

When your ready?

Tally
Posted by Tally, Thursday, 16 April 2015 6:51:19 PM
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Dear Tally,

The chances of Earth becoming uninhabitable during the lifetime of anyone we know, are pretty slim. The chances of that occurring as a result of human actions (as opposed to astronomical or geological events), is a small fraction of the above and the chances that you and I can do anything about it are even more negligible.

The most we could expect within this time-period, in terms of escaping to space, is for a small colony of people to exist on Mars, still heavily dependent on supplies from earth. The price of maintaining such a colony would lower the standard and quality of living on earth tremendously - and for what?

Should this planet become uninhabitable, which eventually it will without a gamble, surely we will find somewhere else, whether in this galaxy or another, even in this universe or another, to complete our spiritual journey. The bodies we would have then may not be exactly as our current human form, but it should make no real difference.

Meanwhile, in order to reduce the suffering, we can prepare by refraining from bringing new humans into this planet. So long as this planet is still inhabitable, this will also produce many other benefits for the fewer those who will remain anyway.
Posted by Yuyutsu, Thursday, 16 April 2015 8:11:19 PM
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Dear Yuyutsu....

I totally agree, and what's more, the point of us finding any planet at our stage of development is precisely why the human race shouldn't burn the candles at both ends while we don't have the technology to do so at this time.

If we take it easy with the planets resources/population now, the 300 hundred years needed to carry out vast space travel just might not be science-fiction....mankind could start with maybe a small resort on the moon and that would be the only move I'd make at this point in time.....but even that's some 50+years from now.

Food for thought?....A mining team not so far off from now, could be drilling down below into the moons surface and begin carving out a huge cavern, and then having three stage pressure doors to create the atmosphere needed.......all still fiction, but the people that would PAY!...to have a meal or just enjoy the low gravity..would be fruitful indeed.

Tally
Posted by Tally, Friday, 17 April 2015 4:58:49 PM
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