Today is Earth Day!

[JohnBirchSociety]

But based on the posts on this thread, the individual responsibility portion seems to be a little lacking.

Don't dismay. Just because many thinking people completely reject the communistic premises of today's general environmental movement, doesn't mean we have no respect for our surroundings.

I believe in voluntary action. I believe it is intelligent to keep ourselves and areas clean.

History has proven, for the most part, that the best means to have a good environment is through free market action.

Where there are regional difficulties (such as was the case with Pittsburgh) then the local government is correct in taking corrective active at the legislative level.

What we don't need is a global governance on the matter, because there simply is no global environmental problem to deal with...

The filthiest nations on earth (China, etc.) are tyrannies not free markets...

[JohnBirchSociety]

Ah but you're either helping a little or hurting a little ... besides, the earth may recover in the long run, but how long? This is the same earth our children and grandchildren will have to live in, so for their sake I'd like to keep it as clean as possible.

Actually, very quickly.

Oil is already bio-degraded...

Just look at the tonnage sunk in WWII, and all the oil...no problem today...

Exxon Valdez...no problem today

Kuwait oil fields...no problem today

I wouldn't like someone dumping oil on my lawn / property...

[NeuroTypical]

But based on the posts on this thread, the individual responsibility portion seems to be a little lacking.

Actually, we just have a disagreement about what that responsibility should entail and what it shouldn't. IMO, just assuming you are correct and calling those who don't agree with them "not responsible", is unrighteously judging.

LM

[LDSgirl]

Wow! I can't believe the reaction my thread has created. I'm not an extremist from the Al Gore camp. Lol.... I like and appreciate the comments about using good stewardship of the land and trying to leave it at least as good, if not better than when we found it!

Maybe I should have said Arbor Day instead of Earth Day because many people celebrate it on the same day!

The Arbor Day Foundation

In my ward and in my cousin's ward the LDS youth have planted trees and cared for the hiking and bike trails in their city as caring and concerned residents.:)

PS: I'm 16 years old and I don't go around wearing lettuce leaves for clothes and carrying veggie signs!

[godtakethaway]

Actually, we just have a disagreement about what that responsibility should entail and what it shouldn't. IMO, just assuming you are correct and calling those who don't agree with them "not responsible", is unrighteously judging.

LM

I was simply expressing my opinion that taking personal responsibility of the environment means to treat public place as you would your private place.

Besides, anything posted in an internet forum basically all have an invisible "In my opinion ... " clause attached to it.

[godtakethaway]

Wow! I can't believe the reaction my thread has created. I'm not an extremist from the Al Gore camp. Lol.... I like and appreciate the comments about using good stewardship of the land and trying to leave it at least as good, if not better than when we found it!

In that case the topic wasn't as benign as you originally thought, as many people here seem to have strong feelings one way or another.

Even though you might not agree with Al Gore and his camp, his rhetoric does contain valid points about being more efficient and less dependent on oil (and thus the middle east).

Do you guys also feel a tendency to reject every platform that the opposing party? The polarization of US politics is sometimes rather scary, turning everything into an Us vs Them matter. But there are plenty of us that don't fit in the dichotomy ... I agree with the left on some issues and the right on others.

[JohnBirchSociety]

I agree with nothing from the left.

I agree with some things from the right.

[Fiannan]

OKay, Teddy Roosevelt was not a leftist and he supported good environmental policies. He was not some earth firster who hates using resources or some zero population activist who sees a baby announcement in the paper as a terrible thing. Roosevelt thought strong, moral healthy couples should aim to have six kids and that they should teach morality, patriotism and care for the land. Tell that to some activist at a rally and they would think Roosevelt was some sort of freak. He wasn't though, he just wanted a strong America and one with a good environment.

I think the best environmentalist is one who tries to cut back on the use of non-recyclable and non-biodegradable products, doesn't waste, tries to minimize pollution and goes out and plants a tree here and there.