Allow me to reprint a paragraph with some fill in the blanks:
These ____ programs have been conducted in a spirit of crisis, as though the advance of _____ presented an extreme peril justifying any means to combat it. This of course is a distortion of the facts, and if the communities that have endured the ____ had been familiar with the earlier history of ______ they would surely have been less acquiescent.
I’ll buy a Zweigles for anyone who can identify the author of this paragraph and what the author was warning us not to panic against? It sounds an awful lot like a “Global Warming Denier” merely cautioning us to use some sense when it comes to thinking about policies to deal with a warming planet. The answer and brief analysis is below the fold.
That was none other than Mother of the Environmental Movement Rachel Carson. She was cautioning us not to freak out due to problems of Japanese Beetle infestations in the United States. The irony here is simply incredible. In the space of a short paragraph she manages to:
- Warn us against the use of “Crisis” mongering. I am sure I have never encountered a global warming alarmist using such language and tactics. Nor have we seen it in politics. Nah, never.
- Warning us against distorting facts to make our case. I’ve never ever heard of that before. Nope, not ever.
- Encouraging us to think about our history in terms of our ability to adapt to the crisis, and about the extent of the problem vis-a-vis how bad it might have been in the past.
Part of her discussion here described how conscious government actions to deal with the Beetle infestations actually made things worse, and she invoked the idea that “we have no idea” what the future consequences of our interventions would be. Plus in several places she repeated how costly our chemical interventions were, and how other ways of adapting to the Japanese Beetles would be just as (if not more) effective and also save a lot of money. So, would I be right that if Ms. Carson were alive today she would remain consistent in her position and offer a moderate stance on what to do about Global Warming? What would her acolytes say about such a passage? I know – “it’s just different” when it comes to the whole entire planet.
Its always easy to take this stance for the “other guy’s” argument who you disagree with. Its hard to put your argument under the same scrutiny. Environmentalists love this double standard (and sometimes, so do we)
I always thought Carson had thought in the same vein as today’s Environmentalists…
I could guess the author, knowing what you are reading, but did not get the beetle part.
The fallacy is the post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy. There has been an increase in the number of flying pigs, and we have noticed that it is getting warmer in some places around the world. Therefore, we should spend all of Americans’ money to reduce the number of flying pigs.
It does not matter how Carson, or the Pope, or a majority of concerned scientists think; that would be an argumentum ad gerundum.
It also is fallacious to attack Al Gore for his logical ignorance, his general ignorance, or his Machavellian ethics; argumentum ad hominem.
Who knows whether Earth is warming? Relatively recent data suggest it may be so. That is not the question.
Wintercow’s review of Silent Spring refers to Rachael Carson’s doubts about how to handle a Japanese beetle problem, something complex but far simpler than controlling the weather.
The free market approach would be to discover a use for Japanese beetles and to be able to take them to the hardware store to “recycle” them. Their shiny outsides must be useful for something, like reflective paint on road signs or license plates. Maybe they could be made into jewelry for the tattoo and body piercing crowd. They would blend right in with those snake tattoos that come up out of the collar. Use a beetle for a tongue stud. There is no limit to how beautiful this would make your old lady.
And what kind of psychedelic effects those beetles would have if you smoked them?
Back when we had cattle, we used to curry manure balls from the animals’ tails, and I had this idea of dipping them in polyurethane and making organic jewelry out of them. One could also make fake dreadlocks out of the tail hair — a perfect thing to wear on the beach to look like either Bob Marley or Bo Derek.
Like Kudzu and those asian carp that are about to invade Lake Michigan, you never know what will happen when you introduce new species to a habitat.
I savor, cauuse I discovered exaxtly whyat
I wass takjing a look for. Yoou hav ended myy 4 day long
hunt! Good Blesss yoou man. Have a great day. Bye
I haven¦t checked in here for some time as I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are great quality so I guess I will add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend 🙂
Hello.This post was really motivating, especially because I was looking for thoughts on this issue last Friday.
Aw, this was a very nice post. In thought I want to put in writing like this moreover – taking time and actual effort to make a very good article… however what can I say… I procrastinate alot and not at all seem to get one thing done.
565935 454906I discovered your weblog website on google and check just several of your early posts. Proceed to sustain up the outstanding operate. I just extra up your RSS feed to my MSN Information Reader. Seeking forward to reading far more from you in a whilst! 257175
Muchas gracias. ?Como puedo iniciar sesion?
765844 770540I believe this web internet site has got extremely outstanding indited articles content material . 340677
Nice blog here! Also your website a lot up fast! What host are you using? Can I am getting your affiliate link in your host? I wish my website loaded up as fast as yours lol
You got a very great website, Sword lily I noticed it through yahoo.
450896 984029This is a excellent topic to speak about. Typically when I discover stuff like this I stumble it. This write-up probably wont do well with that crowd. I will probably be positive to submit something else though. 18873
542807 620389Hey! Fine post! Please keep us posted when I can see a follow up! 208850
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a very well written article. I’ll make sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I’ll definitely return.
This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
Great remarkable things here. I am very satisfied to look your article. Thank you so much and i’m having a look forward to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?
There is noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain nice points in features also.
Thanks for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more from this post. I’m very glad to see such great information being shared freely out there.
673673 801860This web site is my breathing in, real great design and perfect content material . 422955
hey there and thank you for your information – I’ve certainly picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise several technical issues using this web site, as I experienced to reload the website lots of times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and could damage your high quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Well I’m adding this RSS to my email and can look out for a lot more of your respective exciting content. Make sure you update this again very soon..
I got what you mean , thanks for posting.Woh I am glad to find this website through google.
I like gathering utile info, this post has got me even more info! .
Would love to constantly get updated great site! .
I’ve been surfing online more than 3 hours as of late, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It?¦s pretty price sufficient for me. In my opinion, if all website owners and bloggers made excellent content as you did, the internet might be much more helpful than ever before.
What i do not realize is in fact how you are no longer actually a lot more smartly-appreciated than you might be right now. You are very intelligent. You know thus considerably in terms of this matter, made me individually consider it from a lot of various angles. Its like men and women aren’t interested until it is something to do with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs excellent. Always take care of it up!
I really value your work, Great post.
you have a great blog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my blog?
Good – I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs as well as related info ended up being truly simple to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it in the least. Reasonably unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or something, site theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Nice task.
I do enjoy the way you have presented this specific difficulty and it does indeed present us a lot of fodder for consideration. Nonetheless, through everything that I have experienced, I simply hope as the remarks pile on that individuals keep on point and not get started upon a soap box regarding the news du jour. Yet, thank you for this outstanding point and though I do not go along with this in totality, I value your viewpoint.
Helpful information. Fortunate me I found your website by chance, and I am shocked why this twist of fate did not came about in advance! I bookmarked it.
I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this website. I’m hoping the same high-grade site post from you in the upcoming also. In fact your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own website now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings quickly. Your write up is a good example of it.
There are actually quite a lot of particulars like that to take into consideration. That is a nice level to bring up. I supply the thoughts above as normal inspiration but clearly there are questions like the one you deliver up the place crucial thing will likely be working in honest good faith. I don?t know if best practices have emerged round issues like that, but I’m certain that your job is clearly recognized as a good game. Each girls and boys feel the impact of only a moment’s pleasure, for the remainder of their lives.
710036 752221As I site owner I think the articles here is rattling superb , thanks for your efforts. 934799
520056 18113The Twitter application page will open. This is excellent if youve got a few thousand followers, but as you get much more and a lot more the usefulness of this tool is downgraded. 353424
961738 660181Hello there, just became alert to your blog via Google, and discovered that it is actually informative. Im going to watch out for brussels. I will appreciate should you continue this in future. A lot of folks will likely be benefited from your writing. Cheers! 396987
864268 409725I got what you mean , saved to my bookmarks , quite good web site . 195162
I am always invstigating online for ideas that can help me. Thx!
162876 741253extremely good post, i definitely enjoy this remarkable web site, persist in it 757629