Remember back to when ivory was used for pool balls? Neither do I, but I've read about it.

Plastic was developed ONLY when ivory was outlawed. Had "natural market forces" been left alone, every damned last male elephant, walrus, and whatever would have been killed, AND THEN PLASTIC WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED.

After they were all gone.

Point is, why not limit such things as oil consumption BEFORE it's all gone, and it becomes cheaper to do something else?

Why chop down every last stand of old growth? Why not let some of the stuff stay, so that our grandchildren can know what it was like? I think the stuff which will go to waste, which will never be visited, etc., could go. And the "spotted owl" is a farce.

Nothing will reverse these trends because there is no money in protecting other species. There is an enormous infrastructure for oil, and that won't be limited until it's very nearly gone.

There is no cost-effective way to limit pregnancies, as the biggest problems are where the people are the poorest - and we've only seen drug companies willing to gouge. Pesticides are profitable as long as no one has to be responsible for their effects downstream. Gotta chalk another one up for the trial lawyers, and thank the bigger companies for that. Damn 'em!

Whatever you think about WorldWatch, the trends will continue until the resources have been absolutely burned out.

Then it becomes expensive. Like workers injuries. Something effective was done ONLY when it became too expensive NOT to do something.

As much as I despise trial lawyers, that is one social good they have accomplished. The next good, on a grand scale, would be to drown them, but that won't happen until it becomes cheaper to drown them than let them continue.

Arf (more information my ass!!!)