The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 3 of 15)

Daniel McNamee br> Somerville, New Jersey /p> p> SUNNY DISPOSITION br> Re. G. Tracy Mehan, III's Have a Sunny Earth Day : /p>

I agree with G. Tracey Mehan, III's "sunny" attitude towards the environment in the United States. The data clearly show that no country in the world can match our improvement in the environment along with our population and economic growth. The only way the United States cannot be placed at the top of the environmental efficacy list is to make carbon dioxide a pollutant. Carbon dioxide is no more a pollutant than is oxygen. Oxygen is necessary for (almost) all animal life on the planet, and carbon dioxide is needed for (almost) all plants to survive. Both gases exist in equilibrium, and the earth's biomass controls the ratio between these two life-sustaining gases. Analysis of air bubbles trapped in amber has shown that both gases naturally deviate fairly widely compared to any deviations we have seen in the 100 years. If earth can maintain this "delicate" balance of life-sustaining oxygen / carbon dioxide ratios for hundreds of millions of years, despite catastrophes far worse than man's tendency to burn fossil fuels for energy (such as giant asteroids and massive volcanic eruptions), then I am not going to get too worried about it.

p>When speaking to the Mother Earth crowd, we can just say that Gaia is very powerful, and she will take care of us. There are enough burdens in our daily lives, we do not need to have and "Atlas complex" -- the weight of the world is not on our shoulders. For this you can thank Mother Earth, Gaia, or God's great wisdom -- take your pick. Or you can say that earth's balance of life, even though it is just an accident created by random chance in an incomprehensively gigantic universe, is very powerful and stable. Don't worry, be happy. Life is good. Enjoy it while you can...and if you're feeling depressed, hang out with optimists -- they are a lot more fun. br> -- Mike Spencer br> Midland, Michigan /p>

topics:
Taxes, Foreign Policy, Education, Television, Business, Religion, Abortion, Environment, Global Warming, Books, Law, Supreme Court, Military, NATO, Energy, Unions