Category: Environment | Page 2

Beautiful rays of sunlight in a green forest

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post

Wesley J. Smith
Date
November 13, 2024

Categorized
Environment}

World Economic Forum Pushes Forest Rights

_{Nature isn’t a being. It doesn’t possess “wisdom.” Only people do} _{Wesley J. Smith
November 13, 2024

3

Environment}

This article is reprinted from National Review with the permission of the author. Our betters among the elites are increasingly embracing nature rights and its derivatives. Latest example: An editorial published by the World Economic Forum pushes “forest rights.” The Earth is burning and the fault is — ta-da! — capitalism! From, “Reimagining Capitalism — Giving Forests Legal Rights“: Capitalism, of course has, in many aspects, brought about incredible progress. Industrialization and globalization have propelled advances in life expectancy, education, and social welfare. But does this narrative still hold true? For the first time, GDP diverges from well-being indices in many nations. This exposes a system that not only engineers its own demise, but threatens humanity and the natural environment. Read More ›

Blue Ice covered mountains in south polar ocean. Winter Antarctic landscape. The mount's reflection in the crystal clear water. The cloudy sky over the massive rock glacier. Travel wild nature

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post

Wesley J. Smith
Date
October 30, 2024

Categorized
Environment, Law}

Fighting for the Rights of . . . Antarctica?

_{Environmentalism is growing increasingly irrational. Advocates are now pushing to give rights to a continent} _{Wesley J. Smith
October 30, 2024

3

Environment, Law}

Policy-makers should pass laws declaring that only humans and our associations are entitled to rights and standing in courts. Read More ›

Mini pig and dog on the field with dandelions

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
July 19, 2024

Categorized
Animal mind, Environment, Genetics

Tagged
Featured}

When Dogs and Pet Pigs Both Heard Humans Cry, What Happened?

_{Have humans changed dogs’ behavior over thousands of years of domestication?} _{Denyse O'Leary
July 19, 2024

4

Animal mind, Environment, Genetics}

Sensitivity is a two-way street. Dogs study us but we also extensively study and catalogue our dogs’ facial and body expressions as well. Pigs not so much. Read More ›

Fiery Apocalyptic Planet Earth Engulfed in Scorching Flames and Devastating Destruction

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
July 7, 2024

Categorized
Environment, Evolution, Religion

Tagged
Charles Darwin, Interstellar (2014), Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT)}

When Darwinism becomes a fashionable doomsday cult…

_{Like all cults, it can make otherwise intelligent people begin to sound rather strange, even precarious} _{Denyse O'Leary
July 7, 2024

6

Environment, Evolution, Religion}

One thing the dialogue makes quite clear is that Darwinism can underlie a classic fashionable cult that does not reflect well on its adherents' intelligence. Read More ›

A wildlife conservationist caring for a rescued, endangered species, showing their dedication to preserving nature.

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
May 28, 2024

Categorized
Animal mind, Environment, Ethics, Evolution, Human exceptionalism, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Animal rights}

If Humans Were Just Animals, We Would Not Help Animals

_{Whether we like it or not, the gulf fixed between humans and other animals is what makes it possible for us to reject cruelty to animals} _{Denyse O'Leary
May 28, 2024

5

Animal mind, Environment, Ethics, Evolution, Human exceptionalism, Philosophy of Mind}

The “human evolution” narrative that ignores the critical distinction handicaps the thinking of philosopher Hugh Desmond and many others. Read More ›

Earth Mother International day illustration 3d concept of gaia made with Generative AI

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post

Wesley J. Smith
Date
May 18, 2024

Categorized
Environment, Human exceptionalism, Law, Politics

Tagged
Nature Rights}

Harvard Law to Teach Rights of Nature

_{People think that such a whacky idea will never gain traction. But the nature-rights movement is making great headway} _{Wesley J. Smith
May 18, 2024

2

Environment, Human exceptionalism, Law, Politics}

If the law grants geological features, viruses, and pond scum “rights,” our economies and human exceptionalism will be the victims. Read More ›

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
May 16, 2024

Categorized
Environment, Panpsychism

Tagged
Brian Resnick}

Gaia Reborn? New Climate Book Sees Earth as Living Entity

_{The Gaia hypothesis, pioneered by Lynn Margulis and James Lovelock was once ridiculed but Ferris Jabr thinks we should take it seriously to fight climate change} _{Denyse O'Leary
May 16, 2024

5

Environment, Panpsychism}

This idea, which can be placed along the panpsychism spectrum, risks making climate issues a religion and will cast specifically human rights into doubt. Read More ›

Aerial photo of mix color of stream in to river

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post

Wesley J. Smith
Date
April 17, 2024

Categorized
Environment

Tagged
Human exceptionalism, Nature Rights, personhood, Wesley J. Smith}

Utah Goes Up Against “Nature Rights”

_{Utah is the fourth state — the others are Ohio, Florida, and Idaho — restricting rights to the human realm where they belong.} _{Wesley J. Smith
April 17, 2024

3

Environment}

Indeed, it is our obligation as humans to benefit from the earth’s bounties in responsible ways. But nature rights would stifle our ability to thrive and shrivel the principle of human rights. Read More ›

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
March 13, 2024

Categorized
Environment, Politics, Science}

Is Our World, Post-1950, Really a Geological Epoch?

_{Some earth scientists lobby for calling the past 75 years the Anthropocene epoch, giving it equal importance with the 16-million-year Upper Jurassic} _{Denyse O'Leary
March 13, 2024

5

Environment, Politics, Science}

Whether it’s good science terminology, the Anthropocene concept broadcasts so much cultural vibe that it may not just go away after a No vote. Read More ›

Beautiful autumn tree with mushrooms and moss in forest

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post

Wesley J. Smith
Date
October 31, 2023

Categorized
Environment

Tagged
Environmentalism, Human rights, Nature Rights, wesley j smith}

The Anti-Human “Rights of Nature” Movement

_{Environmentalism is growing increasingly antii-human. Just look at what Milwaukee County did.} _{Wesley J. Smith
October 31, 2023

3

Environment}

Environmentalism is growing increasingly anti-human. The “nature rights” movement epitomizes the misanthropy. If the suppose rights of Nature (with a capital N) were ever enforced legally–human thriving would be throttled by elevating the entire natural world to quasi-personhood status deserving — at minimum — equal consideration with humans. Moreover, nature rights laws generally allow anyone to sue to enforce nature’s supposed rights, which would mean that human enterprise would be subject to lawfare by the most extreme environmentalists. Milwaukee County has jumped on the bandwagon. From a formal “Resolution Supporting the Nature Rights Movement:” WHEREAS, major bodies of water within Milwaukee County, including the Menominee River, Milwaukee River, and Fox River as well as Lake Michigan, provide essential biodiversity and wildlife habitats; andWHEREAS, these Read More ›

Top view on blue ocean waves. Nature background.

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post

Wesley J. Smith
Date
October 15, 2023

Categorized
Environment

Tagged
Earth, Human exceptionalism, Human rights, ideology, Nature, Nature Rights, United Nations, Wesley J. Smith}

The United Nations is Considering Granting “Ocean Rights”

_{Why is granting “rights” to oceans becoming a thing?} _{Wesley J. Smith
October 15, 2023

5

Environment}

Common-sense environmentalism is no longer in style. The Ocean and Nature rights movements are symptoms of a viral anti-humanism. Read More ›

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
September 16, 2023

Categorized
Cosmology, Environment, Human exceptionalism

Tagged
Ecology, Marcelo Gleiser, Philip Goff}

Theoretical Physicist Admits That Humans Are Unique

_{In his forthcoming book, Marcelo Gleiser challenges us to acknowledge our responsibility to save the planet} _{Denyse O'Leary
September 16, 2023

6

Cosmology, Environment, Human exceptionalism}

Gleiser is safer than some near the Third Rail in science —admitting an immaterial reality— because he approaches it under cover of saving the planet. Read More ›

Aerial view of farming tractor plowing and spraying on field

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post

News
Date
August 28, 2023

Categorized
Environment

Tagged
COSM, government, Josh Gilder}

Are Synthetic Pesticides Actually Good for Crops?

_{Josh Gilder thinks that government policies relating to pesticides are leading to declining crop yields} _{News
August 28, 2023

2

Environment}

Starting with the premise that any substance can be poisonous depending on the dose, Josh Gilder, founding partner of Reach Global Strategies argues that government policies related to synthetic pesticides, GMOs, and organic farming is reducing years of massive gains in agricultural production and is leading to declining crop yields and malnutrition. (REGISTER NOW FOR COSM 2023) COSM is an exclusive national summit on the technologies remaking the world as we know it. The mission of the conference is to stimulate debate and deliberation amongst industry leaders, illuminating the synergy between Seattle and the world and providing a scene of civilized conversation and exchange. (REGISTER NOW FOR COSM 2023) We’ve been sharing a number of lectures from past COSM conferences. This Read More ›

diversity and inclusion hands of peace. women uniting for social justice

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post

Wesley J. Smith
Date
August 16, 2023

Categorized
Environment, Human exceptionalism

Tagged
Canada, Environmentalism, Human exceptionalism, Slate, Wesley J. Smith (on human exceptionalism)}

Humanity is Not a Terminal Illness

_{Anti-humanism has been part of the environmentalist movement for decades} _{Wesley J. Smith
August 16, 2023

4

Environment, Human exceptionalism}

Anti-humanism has become a hallmark of environmentalism. It is also becoming official government policy. Read More ›

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post

Andrew McDiarmid
Date
June 23, 2023

Categorized
Environment

Tagged
AI, Andrew McDiarmid, ChatGPT, Inventions, Nature, social media, Technology}

John Muir and the Pleasures of Nature

_{The inventor-turned-naturalist can teach us the benefits of loving the natural world} _{Andrew McDiarmid
June 23, 2023

8

Environment}

April 21 is John Muir’s birthday. Muir is typically remembered as one of America’s foremost naturalists, father of our national parks and a tireless defender of the wilderness. But he might very well have been none of those things. As a young man, Muir was gifted at building machines, and he was set to pursue a career in technology until everything went dark. Literally. Revisiting this little-known chapter of Muir’s life can inspire us to better navigate our own relationship to technology and give us a fresh reason to celebrate his work. In 1849, Muir left his homeland of Scotland and moved with his family to the backwoods of Wisconsin. Farm work, chores, and family Bible studies kept him busy Read More ›

instagram filter Himalaya mountains nepal

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News
Date
May 12, 2023

Categorized
Addiction, Environment

Tagged
Boy Scouts, Culture, Digital media, Lawsuit, Nature, Robert J. Marks, Technology, Trail Life}

Boy Scouts and Tech Addiction

_{You can't mimic the reality compared to what you see on the screen} _{News
May 12, 2023

2

Addiction, Environment}

The Boy Scouts of America once enjoyed a booming membership. But over the last decade especially, due to some policy changes, abuse scandals, and a giant lawsuit, the once great organization has seen a colossal decline. In last week’s podcast, Robert J. Marks sat down with former Boy Scout leader and his cousin Kent Marks. Together they talked about the tragic decline in the Boy Scouts program, which coincides with the enduring need to help boys navigate the many distractions and difficulties of growing up in a digitally mediated world. Today, Kent continues to lead boys on wilderness expeditions and believes that getting guys away from the screens and into the beauty of the outdoors is a key to their Read More ›

Wheat field. Ears of golden wheat closeup. Harvest concept

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post

News
Date
November 14, 2022

Categorized
Economics, Environment

Tagged
Featured, Josh Gilder}

Pesticides Bad, organics good! But how do we know it’s true?

_{Thinking that pesticides are bad and organic is good is thinking is ingrained into our common wisdom. Few question it} _{News
November 14, 2022

4

Economics, Environment}

Josh Gilder, who worked with the State Department and was a speechwriter for Ronald Reagan (1911–2004 ), opened by quoting the 16th century Swiss alchemist Paracelsus, who reportedly said “The dose makes the poison.” For example, a very small amount of arsenic will have “no detectable physiological effect on you whatsoever,” whereas drinking too much water can kill you. (Recall the woman who tragically died in the “Hold your Wee for a Wii” contest.) The body produces electricity but “you get hit by a lightning bolt, you’re dead,” Gilder explained. These and innumerable other examples confirm the wisdom of Paracelsus.The relevance for us today, Gilder explained, is that many chemicals that are regulated or even banned — due to their Read More ›

Human hand is holding Electric Car Charging connect to Electric car

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News
Date
September 13, 2022

Categorized
Business and Finance, Environment, Self-Driving Cars

Tagged
COSM 2022, Electric vehicles, Featured}

Cars of the Future Will Offer “Electrifying” Rides — Guaranteed

_{Electric car expert Tony Posawatz will be speaking about new industry developments at COSM 2022} _{News
September 13, 2022

4

Business and Finance, Environment, Self-Driving Cars}

After forty years in the car business, professional engineer Tony Posawatz, is optimistic about the future of electric vehicles (EVs). At Forbes, he was mooted to replace Elon Musk at Tesla in 2018. Well, one thing Posawatz would not do is jump into an expensive catfight with… Twitter. He is wholly focused on ACES, as it is called: Autonomous, Connected, Electric & Shared vehicles, as the future of private transportation. Go here to get the Early Adopter rate before September 15. Current CEO of Invictus iCAR, a consulting firm that specializes in making cars leaner, meaner, and greener, Posawatz describes himself as “known for championing award-winning products and electrifying rides.” His interests and achievements span many automotive areas: “His product/general Read More ›

Stack of ether or ethereum coins. ETH Coin.New Virtual Money.Physical coins. Cryptocurrency mining and trading concept.

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post

News
Date
September 13, 2022

Categorized
Cryptocurrency, Environment

Tagged
Adam Goad, Austin Egbert, Ethereum switch to staking, Featured, Robert J. Marks}

Ethereum Moves From Mining to Staking This Month

_{As there came to be more and more “eth” in the world, the puzzles computers had to solve got very much harder, consuming vast energy resources} _{News
September 13, 2022

15

Cryptocurrency, Environment}

In this first part of “Staking and Liquidity on Web3”, the fifth episode of the podcast series between computer engineering prof Robert J. Marks and engineers Austin Egbert and Adam Goad, look at upcoming changes in mining — how cryptocurrency is produced. In Episode 4, the discussion centered on what a decentralized crypto financial system would look like and on challenging new concepts like flash loans and smart contracts. Dr. Marks is the director of the Walter Bradley Center. https://mindmatters.ai/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/08/Mind-Matters-203-Adam-Goad-Austin-Egbert.mp3 A partial transcript, notes, and Additional Resources follow. Robert J. Marks: Like gold, cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and Ethereum is mined, at least so far. Mining becomes harder and harder as more gold is mined… finding fresh gold deposits becomes more Read More ›

Macro image of a motherboard with the inscription

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post

News
Date
September 12, 2022

Categorized
Business and Finance, Economics, Environment, Ethics, Politics

Tagged
China, COSM 2022, Featured, Keith Krach}

How Safe Is Our Tech If It Depends on Non-Free Nations?

_{Europe’s energy woes, in the wake of the Russia–Ukraine war, should spur us to take the question seriously} _{News
September 12, 2022

4

Business and Finance, Economics, Environment, Ethics, Politics}

Keith Krach, former chairman and CEO of Docusign, the app that enables you to conveniently buy a house in Delaware while selling one in Oregon, is speaking at COSM (November 9–11 in Seattle). Docusign was of immense help during the COVID pandemic when in-person transactions were often impractical, illegal, or just impossible. Go here to get the Early Adopter rate before September 15. Krach, former Under Secretary of State and current Chairman of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University, has been thinking a good deal about our future and new technology. He is committed to the importance of rehoming technology Americans need in the United States, as he told Fierce Electronics recently: Our adversaries, starting with the Read More ›