All Things Environment

[kramerica.inc]

We don't use chemicals on the yard and try to go organic in the garden. Just because we care about our dogs. I mean kids.

And your neighbors? Others in the watershed? One man is not an island...

Ahhh, let's embrace anyone who makes the right call on this.

Kram, we do the same thing...straight organic and that's what the approach has been for over 50 years on our property beginning in the '60's with my mother being an organic gardener before folks hardly knew what that meant.

Takes me about 4 hours on the tractor to cut all of our grass, another two hours to do my sister's...we have more dandelions in the spring than we want and more clover now, but I wouldn't trade that for the "perfection" of chemicals. What does frustrate me is that our farmer (who does pretty much all of the Valley) continues to no-till corn, using all sorts of chemicals and fertilizers which undoubtedly have run-off through our streams etc. I had a chat with him not long ago about options to do more crop rotation, go organic as much as possible, etc, but he said he simply would lose his shirt trying to farm that way, given that he competes in a world in which larger farmers don't make those choices and aren't regulated to do so. Constant pressure to get above breakeven...I'd love to find an alternative. For now, we maintain good buffer zones to strain that run off, but I can't help but think much of it gets through.

Ugh.

A good friend has had a very similar issue at his house in Greenspring Valley. His pond gets all the runoff from a neighboring farm. Even with a good buffer. Unfortunately, it always gets through.

[youthathletics]

Same for everyone on the street, fortunately. Seeing the red tides as a young man living on the water in SoMD made that choice easy.

With the dogs and kids, I don't care about grass. As long as its green- grass, groundcover, weeds, crab grass, whatever. If it keeps down the mud, I'm good.

You said it Kram....my biggest issue now, without all those chemicals, are the damned moles. They are treating my yard like the video game Dig Dug, and kill all the grass wherever they tunnel.

My neighbors watch me in the mornings stalking the damned things. I caught one by standing still for about 20 minutes, while holding a cinder block, then he took off again and slammed the cinderblock on top the tunnel. The next time, I found a common tunnel and used one those scissor traps....worked flawlessly the first night. Not gonna lie.....felt kinda bad, but also rewarding.

[Peter Brown]

Climate change is a hoax to take your money.

So your position, so eloquently stated, is that the climate is not changing?

Outside of worrying yourself sick, what is your solution? Is it the holy trinity of veggie burgers, electric cars and renewable energy?

No "solution" per se, but before we can have a reasoned discussion of the probable outcomes and possible preparations to minimize the unpleasantness that awaits, we need to proceed from a position of shared acceptance of reality.

Certain parties intransigence is simultaneously irksome and delusional.

I have a fix.....pave roads white, not black; you ever tried to walk to your mailbox barefooted in summer. Why is it always hotter in the city...should be cooler, there is far more shade.

Ever touch a solar panel b4....I doubt it, if you did, you'd have a scar. Let's also add miles of solar-farms in the middle of nowhere so we can raise the temperature roughly 36 degrees higher than ambient....kill off any animals and vegetation, and those that do survive, let's drive towards the city....wait for it....where it is also hotter.

Nothing to see here.....moving on.

Before we try global modification, maybe we should just modify humans? Risky, but perhaps preferable to extinction?

You’d make a much bigger positive change on the universe by focusing on your family rather than humanity. Humanity has never required the deft touch of a bureaucrat.

[PizzaSnake]

Climate change is a hoax to take your money.

So your position, so eloquently stated, is that the climate is not changing?

Outside of worrying yourself sick, what is your solution? Is it the holy trinity of veggie burgers, electric cars and renewable energy?

No "solution" per se, but before we can have a reasoned discussion of the probable outcomes and possible preparations to minimize the unpleasantness that awaits, we need to proceed from a position of shared acceptance of reality.

Certain parties intransigence is simultaneously irksome and delusional.

I have a fix.....pave roads white, not black; you ever tried to walk to your mailbox barefooted in summer. Why is it always hotter in the city...should be cooler, there is far more shade.

Ever touch a solar panel b4....I doubt it, if you did, you'd have a scar. Let's also add miles of solar-farms in the middle of nowhere so we can raise the temperature roughly 36 degrees higher than ambient....kill off any animals and vegetation, and those that do survive, let's drive towards the city....wait for it....where it is also hotter.

Nothing to see here.....moving on.

Before we try global modification, maybe we should just modify humans? Risky, but perhaps preferable to extinction?

You’d make a much bigger positive change on the universe by focusing on your family rather than humanity. Humanity has never required the deft touch of a bureaucrat.

Doubt it. Tolerably sure the fate and actions of me and mine are irrelevant in the grand (universe) scheme of things?

You think you and yours are consequential?

[youthathletics]

Climate change is a hoax to take your money.

So your position, so eloquently stated, is that the climate is not changing?

Outside of worrying yourself sick, what is your solution? Is it the holy trinity of veggie burgers, electric cars and renewable energy?

No "solution" per se, but before we can have a reasoned discussion of the probable outcomes and possible preparations to minimize the unpleasantness that awaits, we need to proceed from a position of shared acceptance of reality.

Certain parties intransigence is simultaneously irksome and delusional.

I have a fix.....pave roads white, not black; you ever tried to walk to your mailbox barefooted in summer. Why is it always hotter in the city...should be cooler, there is far more shade.

Ever touch a solar panel b4....I doubt it, if you did, you'd have a scar. Let's also add miles of solar-farms in the middle of nowhere so we can raise the temperature roughly 36 degrees higher than ambient....kill off any animals and vegetation, and those that do survive, let's drive towards the city....wait for it....where it is also hotter.

Nothing to see here.....moving on.

Before we try global modification, maybe we should just modify humans? Risky, but perhaps preferable to extinction?

You’d make a much bigger positive change on the universe by focusing on your family rather than humanity. Humanity has never required the deft touch of a bureaucrat.

Doubt it. Tolerably sure the fate and actions of me and mine are irrelevant in the grand (universe) scheme of things?

You think you and yours are consequential?

Tell that to the blacks, LBGTQ''s, progressives,etc....it has to start somewhere, no?

[PizzaSnake]

Climate change is a hoax to take your money.

So your position, so eloquently stated, is that the climate is not changing?

Outside of worrying yourself sick, what is your solution? Is it the holy trinity of veggie burgers, electric cars and renewable energy?

No "solution" per se, but before we can have a reasoned discussion of the probable outcomes and possible preparations to minimize the unpleasantness that awaits, we need to proceed from a position of shared acceptance of reality.

Certain parties intransigence is simultaneously irksome and delusional.

I have a fix.....pave roads white, not black; you ever tried to walk to your mailbox barefooted in summer. Why is it always hotter in the city...should be cooler, there is far more shade.

Ever touch a solar panel b4....I doubt it, if you did, you'd have a scar. Let's also add miles of solar-farms in the middle of nowhere so we can raise the temperature roughly 36 degrees higher than ambient....kill off any animals and vegetation, and those that do survive, let's drive towards the city....wait for it....where it is also hotter.

Nothing to see here.....moving on.

Before we try global modification, maybe we should just modify humans? Risky, but perhaps preferable to extinction?

You’d make a much bigger positive change on the universe by focusing on your family rather than humanity. Humanity has never required the deft touch of a bureaucrat.

Doubt it. Tolerably sure the fate and actions of me and mine are irrelevant in the grand (universe) scheme of things?

You think you and yours are consequential?

Tell that to the blacks, LBGTQ''s, progressives,etc....it has to start somewhere, no?

Sure, I'd welcome everyone into the PizzaSnake's Big Tent of genome modification.

[MDlaxfan76]

Same for everyone on the street, fortunately. Seeing the red tides as a young man living on the water in SoMD made that choice easy.

With the dogs and kids, I don't care about grass. As long as its green- grass, groundcover, weeds, crab grass, whatever. If it keeps down the mud, I'm good.

You said it Kram....my biggest issue now, without all those chemicals, are the damned moles. They are treating my yard like the video game Dig Dug, and kill all the grass wherever they tunnel.

My neighbors watch me in the mornings stalking the damned things. I caught one by standing still for about 20 minutes, while holding a cinder block, then he took off again and slammed the cinderblock on top the tunnel. The next time, I found a common tunnel and used one those scissor traps....worked flawlessly the first night. Not gonna lie.....felt kinda bad, but also rewarding.

Yep, those traps do work.

[Peter Brown]

Climate change is a hoax to take your money.

So your position, so eloquently stated, is that the climate is not changing?

Outside of worrying yourself sick, what is your solution? Is it the holy trinity of veggie burgers, electric cars and renewable energy?

No "solution" per se, but before we can have a reasoned discussion of the probable outcomes and possible preparations to minimize the unpleasantness that awaits, we need to proceed from a position of shared acceptance of reality.

Certain parties intransigence is simultaneously irksome and delusional.

I have a fix.....pave roads white, not black; you ever tried to walk to your mailbox barefooted in summer. Why is it always hotter in the city...should be cooler, there is far more shade.

Ever touch a solar panel b4....I doubt it, if you did, you'd have a scar. Let's also add miles of solar-farms in the middle of nowhere so we can raise the temperature roughly 36 degrees higher than ambient....kill off any animals and vegetation, and those that do survive, let's drive towards the city....wait for it....where it is also hotter.

Nothing to see here.....moving on.

Before we try global modification, maybe we should just modify humans? Risky, but perhaps preferable to extinction?

You’d make a much bigger positive change on the universe by focusing on your family rather than humanity. Humanity has never required the deft touch of a bureaucrat.

Doubt it. Tolerably sure the fate and actions of me and mine are irrelevant in the grand (universe) scheme of things?

You think you and yours are consequential?

The first thing I ask anyone who tells me they’re expert at something is, show me what you’ve done.

So if you’re expert on ‘humanity’, lay out your accomplishments please.

[PizzaSnake]

Climate change is a hoax to take your money.

So your position, so eloquently stated, is that the climate is not changing?

Outside of worrying yourself sick, what is your solution? Is it the holy trinity of veggie burgers, electric cars and renewable energy?

No "solution" per se, but before we can have a reasoned discussion of the probable outcomes and possible preparations to minimize the unpleasantness that awaits, we need to proceed from a position of shared acceptance of reality.

Certain parties intransigence is simultaneously irksome and delusional.

I have a fix.....pave roads white, not black; you ever tried to walk to your mailbox barefooted in summer. Why is it always hotter in the city...should be cooler, there is far more shade.

Ever touch a solar panel b4....I doubt it, if you did, you'd have a scar. Let's also add miles of solar-farms in the middle of nowhere so we can raise the temperature roughly 36 degrees higher than ambient....kill off any animals and vegetation, and those that do survive, let's drive towards the city....wait for it....where it is also hotter.

Nothing to see here.....moving on.

Before we try global modification, maybe we should just modify humans? Risky, but perhaps preferable to extinction?

You’d make a much bigger positive change on the universe by focusing on your family rather than humanity. Humanity has never required the deft touch of a bureaucrat.

Doubt it. Tolerably sure the fate and actions of me and mine are irrelevant in the grand (universe) scheme of things?

You think you and yours are consequential?

The first thing I ask anyone who tells me they’re expert at something is, show me what you’ve done.

So if you’re expert on ‘humanity’, lay out your accomplishments please.

"So if you’re expert on ‘humanity’,

Made no such claim. Just a mildly disinterested observer of my fellow humans.

You? What do you claim?

[MDlaxfan76]

Climate change is a hoax to take your money.

So your position, so eloquently stated, is that the climate is not changing?

Outside of worrying yourself sick, what is your solution? Is it the holy trinity of veggie burgers, electric cars and renewable energy?

No "solution" per se, but before we can have a reasoned discussion of the probable outcomes and possible preparations to minimize the unpleasantness that awaits, we need to proceed from a position of shared acceptance of reality.

Certain parties intransigence is simultaneously irksome and delusional.

I have a fix.....pave roads white, not black; you ever tried to walk to your mailbox barefooted in summer. Why is it always hotter in the city...should be cooler, there is far more shade.

Ever touch a solar panel b4....I doubt it, if you did, you'd have a scar. Let's also add miles of solar-farms in the middle of nowhere so we can raise the temperature roughly 36 degrees higher than ambient....kill off any animals and vegetation, and those that do survive, let's drive towards the city....wait for it....where it is also hotter.

Nothing to see here.....moving on.

Before we try global modification, maybe we should just modify humans? Risky, but perhaps preferable to extinction?

You’d make a much bigger positive change on the universe by focusing on your family rather than humanity. Humanity has never required the deft touch of a bureaucrat.

Doubt it. Tolerably sure the fate and actions of me and mine are irrelevant in the grand (universe) scheme of things?

You think you and yours are consequential?

Tell that to the blacks, LBGTQ''s, progressives,etc....it has to start somewhere, no?

"the blacks"???
"the LGBTQ's"???

[Typical Lax Dad]

Climate change is a hoax to take your money.

So your position, so eloquently stated, is that the climate is not changing?

Outside of worrying yourself sick, what is your solution? Is it the holy trinity of veggie burgers, electric cars and renewable energy?

No "solution" per se, but before we can have a reasoned discussion of the probable outcomes and possible preparations to minimize the unpleasantness that awaits, we need to proceed from a position of shared acceptance of reality.

Certain parties intransigence is simultaneously irksome and delusional.

I have a fix.....pave roads white, not black; you ever tried to walk to your mailbox barefooted in summer. Why is it always hotter in the city...should be cooler, there is far more shade.

Ever touch a solar panel b4....I doubt it, if you did, you'd have a scar. Let's also add miles of solar-farms in the middle of nowhere so we can raise the temperature roughly 36 degrees higher than ambient....kill off any animals and vegetation, and those that do survive, let's drive towards the city....wait for it....where it is also hotter.

Nothing to see here.....moving on.

Before we try global modification, maybe we should just modify humans? Risky, but perhaps preferable to extinction?

You’d make a much bigger positive change on the universe by focusing on your family rather than humanity. Humanity has never required the deft touch of a bureaucrat.

Doubt it. Tolerably sure the fate and actions of me and mine are irrelevant in the grand (universe) scheme of things?

You think you and yours are consequential?

Tell that to the blacks, LBGTQ''s, progressives,etc....it has to start somewhere, no?

"the blacks"???
"the LGBTQ's"???

[youthathletics]

In regards to starting with one person or group to create change....in direct reply to pizza about doubting he and him are irrelevant in the grand (universe) scheme of things?

[PizzaSnake]

In regards to starting with one person or group to create change....in direct reply to pizza about doubting he and him are irrelevant in the grand (universe) scheme of things?

For an American I'm pretty benign in terms of resource usage, but in comparison to the other odd 7.2 billion inhabitants probably not beyond reproach.

Which is why I mention genetic modification of the species. Chances are vanishingly small that humanity will start miraculously cooperating in this matter. Might be easier to modify the species than its self-obsessed behavior. Probably won't happen due to some wacko religious objections, so humanity will most likely just wink out. Poof. Maybe that is what the Rapture was all about. Too bad we all missed that bus...

[PizzaSnake]

I have a feeling this summer will bring clarity to the consequences of runaway greenhouse gas emissions.

What do you think might bring this about? Deaths from extreme heat? 1000? 2000? Per city? Per month?

Immolation? Whole towns or communities? How many?

I'd think there might be some change after some events like these, but, given the "liberties and guns" platform, maybe not.

Jesus we look truly ridiculous to the rest of the world. Going to have to work on my Canadian accent in the event I have to travel. Or maybe pretend to be mute.

[cradleandshoot]

I have a feeling this summer will bring clarity to the consequences of runaway greenhouse gas emissions.

What do you think might bring this about? Deaths from extreme heat? 1000? 2000? Per city? Per month?

Immolation? Whole towns or communities? How many?

I'd think there might be some change after some events like these, but, given the "liberties and guns" platform, maybe not.

Jesus we look truly ridiculous to the rest of the world. Going to have to work on my Canadian accent in the event I have to travel. Or maybe pretend to be mute.

We look truly ridiculous? The Chicoms are the ones still hot and heavy into coal. Funny how that fact just slipped your mind. Maybe you should be embarrassed on their behalf? You do realize that even the best scenario it will take 100 years or more if you are so inclined to believe we can change the world. That gives you plenty of time to opine about how much the USA sucks. I would suggest you not invest in Ocean front property. Outside of that there is nothing you or I can do about it. If griping about it makes you feel better, then knock yourself out.

[ardilla secreta]

Manifest Destiny on the moles. They were here before you. Learn to live with them.

[foreverlax]

Same for everyone on the street, fortunately. Seeing the red tides as a young man living on the water in SoMD made that choice easy.

With the dogs and kids, I don't care about grass. As long as its green- grass, groundcover, weeds, crab grass, whatever. If it keeps down the mud, I'm good.

You said it Kram....my biggest issue now, without all those chemicals, are the damned moles. They are treating my yard like the video game Dig Dug, and kill all the grass wherever they tunnel.

My neighbors watch me in the mornings stalking the damned things. I caught one by standing still for about 20 minutes, while holding a cinder block, then he took off again and slammed the cinderblock on top the tunnel. The next time, I found a common tunnel and used one those scissor traps....worked flawlessly the first night. Not gonna lie.....felt kinda bad, but also rewarding.

Moles!!!

I've been doing the same battle for a number of years. The guillotine is the only way to go...or a Jack Russel Terrier

[cradleandshoot]

Climate change is a hoax to take your money.

So your position, so eloquently stated, is that the climate is not changing?

Outside of worrying yourself sick, what is your solution? Is it the holy trinity of veggie burgers, electric cars and renewable energy?

No "solution" per se, but before we can have a reasoned discussion of the probable outcomes and possible preparations to minimize the unpleasantness that awaits, we need to proceed from a position of shared acceptance of reality.

Certain parties intransigence is simultaneously irksome and delusional.

I understand your point. Your debating a problem whose possible solution is 100 years down the road. Nobody really knows for certain what the solutions should be. It is ironic that at this time some of the proposed solutions just happen to dovetail very nicely with the personal agendas of certain people. If you are vegan.. meat is the problem. If you despise the internal combustion engine.. electric cars will save the planet. If renewable energy is your thing.. solar panels and wind mills will save the planet. What a coincidence the alleged solutions just happen to fit some people's agenda for other unrelated issues.

[jhu72]

I have a feeling this summer will bring clarity to the consequences of runaway greenhouse gas emissions.

What do you think might bring this about? Deaths from extreme heat? 1000? 2000? Per city? Per month?

Immolation? Whole towns or communities? How many?

I'd think there might be some change after some events like these, but, given the "liberties and guns" platform, maybe not.

Jesus we look truly ridiculous to the rest of the world. Going to have to work on my Canadian accent in the event I have to travel. Or maybe pretend to be mute.

We look truly ridiculous? The Chicoms are the ones still hot and heavy into coal. Funny how that fact just slipped your mind. Maybe you should be embarrassed on their behalf? You do realize that even the best scenario it will take 100 years or more if you are so inclined to believe we can change the world. That gives you plenty of time to opine about how much the USA sucks. I would suggest you not invest in Ocean front property. Outside of that there is nothing you or I can do about it. If griping about it makes you feel better, then knock yourself out.

Chinese peak coal usage was 2007. They are down significantly, (about 20% through 2020 estimated) although still large coal users as they replace with nuclear and improve power generation efficiency. US peak coal usage was 1988. The US did not come off peak coal usage as quickly as the Chinese have, the Chinese are moving faster to reduce their usage compared to the US historical data, 13 years after peak coal. The US absolute coal usage is 50% that of the Chinese, today.

The narrative that the Chinese aren't trying, they are ignoring global warming, sticking a thumb in the world's eye is totally bogus!

[jhu72]

Same for everyone on the street, fortunately. Seeing the red tides as a young man living on the water in SoMD made that choice easy.

With the dogs and kids, I don't care about grass. As long as its green- grass, groundcover, weeds, crab grass, whatever. If it keeps down the mud, I'm good.

You said it Kram....my biggest issue now, without all those chemicals, are the damned moles. They are treating my yard like the video game Dig Dug, and kill all the grass wherever they tunnel.

My neighbors watch me in the mornings stalking the damned things. I caught one by standing still for about 20 minutes, while holding a cinder block, then he took off again and slammed the cinderblock on top the tunnel. The next time, I found a common tunnel and used one those scissor traps....worked flawlessly the first night. Not gonna lie.....felt kinda bad, but also rewarding.

Moles!!!

I've been doing the same battle for a number of years. The guillotine is the only way to go...or a Jack Russel Terrier

.. I am battling voles in the garden. Traps not working. Spreading poisoned bait later today.