Multiple Crises on Earth

[Gryffindorian]

Lately there appear to be a slew of catastrophic events happening around the world: the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, civil unrest in the Middle East, skyrocketing gas prices, rainstorm in the Bay Area. You'd think it's the end of the world. Or is it?

When things like these happen, do you get all panicky or depressed thinking the end is near, or do you believe this is, and has been, the normal order of things? I'm of the latter belief and don't buy into the doom and gloom apocalypse, like the 2012 myth. What say you?

 

[RoJoHen]

I think that every generation has had their own problems to deal with. Ours just seem more catastrophic because they are happening in the moment and it's hard to see past them. Catastrophes of the past, while awful in their own right, are less frightening because we know that we eventually moved on.

 

[Mr. B]

Lately there appear to be a slew of catastrophic events happening around the world: the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, civil unrest in the Middle East, skyrocketing gas prices, rainstorm in the Bay Area. You'd think it's the end of the world. Or is it?

History begins the day you're born... Take out gas prices and those problems have existed in some form for centuries.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

This planet is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Old Testament, real wrath of God type stuff.
Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...
The dead rising from the grave!
Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

 

[Yeoman Randi]

Shit happens.

 

[KJbushway]

The reason why things fail so easily and there is more destruction isn't do to some Earthly end time. Its becuase us humans wait until something bad happens(and in cases like Japan, the most serious) before we take extra measures. The Japanese had been told that those nuclear power plants weren't of the best desgin, they were told that it was unstable. But to ease costs, they kept the shitty design. The middle east problems is because, finally those countrie's citizens grew balls and are standing up for themselves. Along with the old democracies trying to force them into their government systems which aren't the best themselves and need work.
Gas prices going up becuase we haven't learned from the past and lowered our import of foreign oil. the first working eletric car was made in the 1920's. However its much easier to make a car that runs on gas and still has all those useless luxuries. See all this shit could have been lessend had precautions taken place, but we're an ignorant race and things like power and greed unfortunately cloud our judgement.

 

[Gryffindorian]

If only Superman or Wonder Woman or the whole Justice League could save the day ...

 

[Jadzia]

I'm of the latter belief and don't buy into the doom and gloom apocalypse, like the 2012 myth. What say you?

Weather and geological activity are chaotic. We enjoy periods of stability inbetween periods of turbulence.

It may be that our Earth is entering a period of turbulence. If so, then what kind of stability emerges at the end of that turbulence is anybodies guess: Ice ages are stable things, and they'd have to be triggered by something pretty turbulent.

Also, there are twice the number humans on earth now than there were 50 years ago. Natural disasters are Area-of-Effect events, so all other things being equal, they'll hit human populated areas twice as often, or with twice the loss of life than they would have 50 years ago.

 

[RandyS]

All of this has happened before and all of it will happen again.

 

[captcalhoun]

it also seems worse because 24-hour rolling news channels can broadcast disasters to you instantly where as 50 years ago, it'd probably take days to find out and a century ago, it'd've taken weeks at least.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

It's the end of the world as we know it. And I feel fine.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Things are a lot better for us than they were for the dinosaurs when whatever-it-was happened.

 

[Danoz]

Lately there appear to be a slew of catastrophic events happening around the world: the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, civil unrest in the Middle East, skyrocketing gas prices, rainstorm in the Bay Area. You'd think it's the end of the world. Or is it?

When things like these happen, do you get all panicky or depressed thinking the end is near, or do you believe this is, and has been, the normal order of things? I'm of the latter belief and don't buy into the doom and gloom apocalypse, like the 2012 myth. What say you?

I don't believe it is the end of the world (which sounds somewhat ridiculous to me) but I definitely think we are in a rough patch-- amplified by the fact that regardless of where you are in the world you can be immediately informed of every horror that happens to occur. Imagine if we had the same technological advancements during say, the Black Death?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Lately there appear to be a slew of catastrophic events happening around the world: the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, civil unrest in the Middle East, skyrocketing gas prices, rainstorm in the Bay Area. You'd think it's the end of the world. Or is it?

When things like these happen, do you get all panicky or depressed thinking the end is near, or do you believe this is, and has been, the normal order of things? I'm of the latter belief and don't buy into the doom and gloom apocalypse, like the 2012 myth. What say you?

The only one of those examples that is actually "catastrophic" is the Japanese earthquake/tsunami, and while it's the worst on record there, experiencing earthquakes and tsunamis is hardly a new thing for a country that rests on the convergence of four plates in the Ring of Fire.

While the loss of life in the Middle East is tragic, the people of those many countries rising up against tyrannical regimes of their own accord is a good thing, regardless of what the final outcome may be.

Gas prices fluctuating are hardly a catastrophe or anything new. Oil prices and the price of other energy commodities have been rising since last year due to changes in US economic policy (buying government bonds, extending tax cuts), increasing demand from developing nations like China, and finally because of the recent uprisings in the Middle East.

A late winter rainstorm in San Francisco is hardly anything unusual; not even a strong one. A rainstorm any time of year in San Francisco isn't that unusual.

So no, nothing particularly indicative of doomsday in any of those. While the decade of 2001-2011 has been pretty sucky in terms of both natural disasters and human-created catastrophes, it's not even the worst decade of the past 100 years, much less human history. Yet we're still here.

 

[-Brett-]

Welcome to the information age.

Free access to an unlimited supply of porn, but the drawback is that you hear about every shitty thing to happen anywhere in the world, giving the impression that the end is constantly nigh.

I'd say it's worth it.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Lately there appear to be a slew of catastrophic events happening around the world: the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, civil unrest in the Middle East, skyrocketing gas prices, rainstorm in the Bay Area. You'd think it's the end of the world. Or is it?

When things like these happen, do you get all panicky or depressed thinking the end is near, or do you believe this is, and has been, the normal order of things? I'm of the latter belief and don't buy into the doom and gloom apocalypse, like the 2012 myth. What say you?

The only one of those examples that is actually "catastrophic" is the Japanese earthquake/tsunami, and while it's the worst on record there, experiencing earthquakes and tsunamis is hardly a new thing for a country that rests on the convergence of four plates in the Ring of Fire.

While the loss of life in the Middle East is tragic, the people of those many countries rising up against tyrannical regimes of their own accord is a good thing, regardless of what the final outcome may be.

Gas prices fluctuating are hardly a catastrophe or anything new. Oil prices and the price of other energy commodities have been rising since last year due to changes in US economic policy (buying government bonds, extending tax cuts), increasing demand from developing nations like China, and finally because of the recent uprisings in the Middle East.

A late winter rainstorm in San Francisco is hardly anything unusual; not even a strong one. A rainstorm any time of year in San Francisco isn't that unusual.

So no, nothing particularly indicative of doomsday in any of those. While the decade of 2001-2011 has been pretty sucky in terms of both natural disasters and human-created catastrophes, it's not even the worst decade of the past 100 years, much less human history. Yet we're still here.

Good points. I couldn't think of any other word besides "catastrophic." Tragic, perhaps?

I was waiting for someone to actually say something about my mention of the rainstorm in the SF Bay Area. That was kind of tongue-in-cheek. Of course, that's nothing new or nothing compared to natural disasters, but I'm tired of this FREAKIN' weather!!! I was supposed to meet with a couple of really good friends for lunch today, which we decided to cancel because of the sucky weather and traffic conditions out here.

 

[SPOCKED]

When things like these happen, do you get all panicky or depressed thinking the end is near...

No, I keep my anger handy and when the time comes I vote the bastards out!

 

[Locutus of Bored]

When things like these happen, do you get all panicky or depressed thinking the end is near...

No, I keep my anger handy and when the time comes I vote the bastards out!

Yeah, you show those US politicians causing earthquakes, tsunamis, rain, and grass roots Middle Eastern uprisings who's boss.

The only one of the things he listed that current US politicians had any direct control over recently is gas prices, and besides the uprisings the cause of that is due to extending the Bush tax cuts since traders anticipated greater demand for gas and heating oil as a result. I doubt you're going to vote out the people who were most in favor of extending the Bush tax cuts.

 

[scotpens]

I see a bad moon rising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightning
I see bad times today.

Don't go 'round tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise.

I hear hurricanes a-blowing
I know the end is comin' soon
I fear rivers overflowing
I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

Don't go 'round tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise.

Hope you have got your things together
Hope you are quite prepared to die
Looks like we're in for nasty weather
One eye is taken for an eye.

Don't go 'round tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise
Oh, don't go 'round tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise.

. . . the first working electric car was made in the 1920's.

New York City had a fleet of electric taxicabs in 1897, and a specially built electric vehicle surpassed 65 miles per hour in 1899.

Wiki: Electric Cars — Early History

A late winter rainstorm in San Francisco is hardly anything unusual; not even a strong one. A rainstorm any time of year in San Francisco isn't that unusual.

Nothing is unusual in San Francisco. Except maybe a tornado or a conservative Republican.

 

[Gryffindorian]

Good song, scotpens, though you weren't supposed to post the entire lyrics (you may want to try a YouTube link next time). Another moon-related song!