*salutes the Soot*

well, perhaps you were takin' me too literally, and i should have been more specific. i think the lot of us would have issues and respond with a shrug at alot of them commandents also.

takin' the lord's name in vain seems pretty harmless, if you're not inclined towards actually believin' in christianity. so does working on the sabbath . i guess what i was referring to were the more commonly understood commandments that are applicable to non-believers, in the year 2007.

i mean, i think most 'o us would agree its good to honor our mum and pop, unless they are full under the axe murderer/chronic rapist/etc catagory. and we'd all agree that things like murder are not too good. likewise the other stuff, you know....things like lying, or sleeping around behind yer mates back, or spending yer days coveting yer neighbors wife.

things of that nature, most folks would agree are decent principles to try and live by, christian or not. imma referring, i 'spose, to the main applicable thrust of the commandments, in general, and i shoulda been more specific, lest i draw a response from the sophists and the hair splitters who walk the decks, aye.

likewise, i don't really care about the science behind global warming too much, matey. none of me sentiments suddenly sprung to life because al gore made a movie, or produced a book with big pictures and alot 'o captions.

if some businesses get punished, or some expenses are incurred, well....heck me friend, thats just tough shit *RAWR*. businesses get punished everyday, and expenses (both reasonable and ridiculous) are incurred on folk all the time. if i give up smokin', and as a result one person at phillip morris is outta work and has some costs incurred upon him...well, thats tough luck, aye? i mean, should i keep smoking to keep that person employed or somethin'?

and if jobs are driven overseas, thats regrettable, especially if its because america has stringent enviornmental regulations. first, though, you'd have to take an honest look at why certain industries in america are no longer competitive, mate, and you and i both know that thar would be a long, long, long list 'o things that have caused the collapse of certain job sectors.
this, to be honest, is another converstation, but imma sure you get me point, mr. soot.

no one is suggesting that america rushes into things, willy nilly, without regard for proper vetting. on the other hand, this is a country where we can't even agree on the theory 'o evolution, 100%, so there has to be a reasonable litmus test on these things, without askin' for 100% certainty.

most folks would agree that mankind be compromising the planet we make our home, in some way or another. most folks would agree that the eradication of rainforests would not be a good thing. most folks would agree that the cleaner we make our air, the better. most folks would agree that poisoning our waters till it can't sustain aquatic life would be a grim thing to behold. most folks would agree that the dwindling biodiversity 'o the planet is a bad thing. most folks would agree that we're kinda blowing through our fossil fuels at an alarming rate....and the way we convert these fuels into harmful elements into the enviornment is a bad thing. most folks would agree that the air in taiwan is sorta gross.
and so on, and so forth.

regardless 'o the science behind global warming, even if you disagree 100% on the science behind it, these points are things we all would probably more or less agree on. these are the "enviornmental commandments" i was referring to, aye.

i'm just thinking that we should act on them, as if there was some urgency in the matter. its just my opinion, mate, but i don't believe we're living like this is an immediate concern, do you?



*salutes*

avast ye master Soot, wind at yer back!

ps - just so it don't seem like imma lecturin' or anythin' like that, i readily admit imma part 'o the problem. my concern for these matters is more conceptual in nature, matey. in reality, i don't really care too much about it. if imma eating a tasty dinner, munching on some fine sushi, i don't lose any sleep over the tuna. you could come up to me and lecture me till you're blue in the face about how alot of them big fishes 'o the sea are vanishing at an alarming rate due to overfishing, i'd just ask you to pass the wasabi when you were done. personally, i just want to have fun here during me time on earth and not have to endure too much suffering or inconvenience.