Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 09:50:01 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Bellingham environs
In-Reply-To: <011701c5c073$4e15f100$6401a8c0@noner4688xfd1h>
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In Anchorage, AK years ago the powers that be decided to make a city
garbage dump and land fill on the Merrill Field airport property. The
idea was to fill the land, then expand the airport buildings onto the
filled land. When the fill was complete, it was made beautiful by
covering with soil, fertilizer, and planting grass. Really makes a
beautiful spot. It draws Canadian geese and Brandt by the thousands
because of the tender green grass shoots that come up in spring and
fall. It's fund to watch the geese, but their numbers create problems
for the aircraft operating there.
Were they ever able to build there and reduce the numbers of geese?
Nope, the authorities discovered the amount of methane gas being
released by the decay of the garbage in the ground made the place
explosive. Last I heard - a year or so ago - they still could not build
there.
Sometimes we know not what we do.
Regards,
John Rodgers
Stan Wilder wrote:
>We (Bellingham environs) will all be drinking bottled water in 10 years or
>so and pissed off that we didn't do something earlier. We
>
>
>>just can't make the behavioral adjustment to admit that certain issues
>>
>>
>need attention now.
>------------------- Clip ----------------------
>Most research, both private and Government funded proclaim that bottled
>water is often not as good as the local city tap water.
>Microsoft threw DejaBlue out of their campus vending machines after it was
>discovered that it was just bottled tap water (might be more to it).
>I see bottled water as a plague worse than glass soft drink and glass
>disposable beer bottles. The damn bottles are everywhere and nobody collects
>them for recycling.
>Who ever thought that so many Flashlight and Dry Cell batteries could cause
>PCB pollution, Mercury Pollution and other major concerns.
>Our disposable society is disposing of much enjoyment of this world by
>future generations.
>I know of a Golf course that was reclaimed from a sanitary land fill.
>It's a beautiful location built on a huge pile of trash that has been
>covered with quiality top soil, fetrtilized, watered and groomed to a fine
>state of appearance.
>Those that play the course dont see the still existant land fill over the
>restricted hill area and get to breath all the airborne diaper dust, rotting
>food molds that are sun dried to a fetitlized prime dry airborne particles.
>They certainly sell a pretty picture but the nose will tell you it's a lie.
>
>Stan Wilder
>Engine Ceramics
>214-352-4931
>www.engineceramics.com
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Don Williams" <williams@FIRE.BIOL.WWU.EDU>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Friday, September 23, 2005 12:53 PM
>
>
>
>
>>I used to think that humans were rational creatures and would take care of
>>problems as they arose. It''s now apparent to me in my dotage that humans
>>display very little inclination to err on the side of caution with respect
>>to environmental problems.
>>Our drinking water situation in the city of Bellingham Washington is a
>>metaphor for global warming. This lake (Whatcom) serves as a water source
>>for 80,000 and yet we have done little to preserve it. We build around
>>
>>
>it,
>
>
>>piss in it, swim in it, boat in it, you name. The data on various
>>contaminents show it is declining in quality. There are also powerful
>>economic interests that seek to continue the status quo (new subdivisions
>>and shopping centers in the drainage). And the epithets that they hurl at
>>those who are opposed is that they are socialists or communists or silly
>>environmentalists or worse. The part of Human nature that is such a
>>powerful defeating force is self-interest and it will never be
>>contravened. We (Bellingham environs) will all be drinking bottled water
>>in 10 years or so and pissed off that we didn't do something earlier. We
>>just can't make the behavioral adjustment to admit that certain issues
>>
>>
>need
>
>
>>attention now.
>>
>>
>>
>> > >>> >> Global warming is not scientifically PROVEN, and
>> > >>> even if it is happening,
>> > >>> >> so what? We have NO idea why it's happening.
>> > >>>
>> > >>> >Not altogether true. Just like in plague times,
>> > >>> there were people who knew.
>> > >>> >they just didn't have the political voice to
>> > >>> convince anyone who mattered.
>> > >>>
>> > >>> The ones who claim to know are rarley chalenged.
>> > >>> They never admit that they
>> > >>> are wrong and when proven wrong, they can only
>> > >>> resort to name calling.
>> > >>>
>>
>>
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