"Not long ago, environmentalists constantly used pictures of polar bears to highlight the dangers of climate change. Polar bears even featured in Al Gore’s terrifying movie An Inconvenient Truth. But the reality is that polar bear numbers have been increasing – from 5,000-10,000 polar bears in the 1960s, up to around 26,000 today. We don’t hear this news. Instead, campaigners just quietly stopped using polar bears in their activism.

There are so many bad-news stories that we seldom stop to consider that on the most important indicators, life is getting much better. Human life expectancy has doubled over the past century, from 36 years in 1920 to more than 72 years today. A hundred years ago, three-quarters of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty. Today, it’s less than one-tenth. The deadliest environmental problem, air pollution, was four-times more likely to kill you in 1920 than today, mostly through people in poverty cooking and heating with dung and wood.

Despite Covid-related setbacks, humanity has become better and better off. Yet doom-mongers will keep telling you the end is nigh. This is great for their fundraising, but the costs to society are sky-high: we make poor, expensive policy choices and our kids are scared witless."

http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/23039603.believe-not-world-getting-better-just-dont-hear/

Bjorn Lomborg is a treasure.

One thing is for sure there are no shortages of ‘roos or wallabies, otherwise the red hot conservationists would demand the safe fencing off of our roads.

Oops, when I said 95%+ in my previous post it should have been 99%+.

.

Dear thinkabit,

.

I wrote :

« But it’s a bit disturbing to learn that Australia is a global leader in wildlife extinction, especially since we have the second-largest number of endemic species – plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. »

And you asked :

« But why do you find this disturbing? »
.

Like our Aboriginal compatriots, I tend to consider that we are custodians of the land on which we live and, in fact, not just the land, but also the natural environment of which we are an integral component.

So, I find it a bit disturbing to learn that we are doing less well in looking after “our” land and “our” environment than most other countries and that we have the highest rate of mammal extinctions than any other country in the world.

Obviously, we can’t be held responsible for the mass extinctions that occurred hundreds of millions of years ago and there’s no point in bemoaning the loss.

My concern is that by our acts and omissions in the world in which we live today we are probably not only not doing what we should to preserve and enrichen our natural heritage but quite the contrary, endangering and impoverishing it.

We obviously need to take stock of the situation and do whatever is necessary to improve our performance.

We pride ourselves in thinking we are a young, vibrant nation in “the lucky country” with a bright future ahead of us. The fact is we are bottom of the class in biodiversity management.

That’s what I find a bit disturbing.

.

We can't help but notice difference.
I cannot see any harm in taking an interest in a person's background.
If they come from another country, it can be educational as well as friendly.
But overall, we should cease putting people in to 'groups'.
I know that 'birds of a feather will flock together', and that there are large areas where strange languages are spoken.
But that is a natural outcome of people 'toing' and 'froing' in the community.
However, we are all australians: we are all here together: we need to get along.
I don't approve of the deliberate division I see evolving.
That to me is highly racist in the worst sense.
This 'voice to parliament' business is highly divisive and racist?
Putting one part of the community in to a different category?
Setting it apart?
It is insulting to them.
We need to treat everybody the same.
Expect the same level of community spirit from all.
Willingly assist those who have true difficulty adapting to society.
And for those few who are trouble makers, fall on them with a heavy weight.
Cut them out of the herd for the sake of the rest of us.

Life flourishes almost everywhere.
I think life is inherent in matter.
All life is driven by intelligence of some kind.
As is matter itself.
All the life forms compete for resources.
As we compete, we are engaged in a kind of battle with each other.
We have an advanced intellectual ability, so we can think and plan, and outwit other life forms.
We do this when they are a threat to our existence, (plagues etc) or when it will allow us greater comfort and convenience.
It might not seem reasonable, but remember, 'all is fair in love and war'.
And I am sure we do not love any harmful virus or other 'nasty'.
So it is all out war.