Boy Scouts and Global Warming

Exerpted from a thread on CafePress: "Mother Nature must be pissed"

Yesterday's Scouts are major contributors to today's Global Warming.

(edit 4 sp)

I don't know what scouting is like today but 40 years ago Baden Powell's were of a quasi-military nature in Canada & Britain, despite the Aurthurian "good turn" aspect. And thinking of it in those benign terms, I guess one could see us as apprentice knights and knightesses. But Camelot was then and not now.

Our ecological footprint (SUV's and all) has Mother Nature bent on teaching us a lesson - SCIENCE lesson!

I have no doubt that environmental awareness has many badges in scouting and hopefully it will become sustained merit and not like the lip service that the cop-outs of the babyboom generation exercised.

please excuse my rant


-----------


HecticDMC


Posted 17 August 2005 09:28 PM
Quasi-military or not, I still don't see how Scouts can contribute to global warming.


---------


As one of the original themes of this post was weather extremes, I think the intention behind it was primarily Global Warming and, humourous or otherwise, the BSA was used as a doubtful example of making a point. I realise that BSA is a passionate, emotional issue these days. After all, isn't our passions why we are putting messages on t-shirts and stuff?

Continuing in the 'weather vein'(phonetic pun intended), according to most science, we all to some degree contribute to GM and I am inclusive of all scouts since Baden Powell in 1907, and BSA in 1910 to the present, which according to Wikipedia, there have been 110 million members.

For argument, let us assume that pre-1950, accumulative membership might have been one third. So maybe 7,260,000 American kids were scouts post-50s. So the generation who are influencing our government/corporate policies today must include a respectable representation from this highly appreciated group.

According to Scouting For All, membership in 2000 is 3,351,969,(or 4,941,957 according to disputed sources). So according to Scout Oath and Law, the Boy Scout Handbook, and the Citizenship merit badge booklets, we can see that scouting teaches its members to help make the earth a better place.

But as Gandalf is pointing out it is not a better place.

Actions speak louder than words and weather, ... oops whether... its scouts or anyone else, precious little has been done since the 50s, and our present understandings are rendered inactive due to personal, self-imposed lifestyle choices or barriers imposed from the 'powers-that-be', whoever they are.

So it is my opinion that scouts too are accessories to present environmental conditions and somehow hope that Scout leadership will succeed in making sustained action louder than words.

And thus I sell my stuff!!

Funny how a simple question can let loose a barrage of thoughts! lol

with respect to all

Creationism or Evolution

May I join this crowd of open-mindedness and drop this "Intelligent Design" in the lap of true debate;

I have long been a man-off-the-street interested in the zen of theoretical physics and the "unification theory", and like a good book (as opposed to The Good Book) there will never be a conclusion.

note: conclusions in the Good Book are relative

oh, & ps: I agree it is all about energy. No wonder Bush is in such a flap

psst: wanna buy a t-shirt or something?

Royal Ontario Goes Condo

"Graywood Developments Ltd. was confirmed as the selected partner for the proposed redevelopment of 90 Queen’s Park. The Board authorized staff to enter into negotiations with Graywood on a project for the Museum-owned site of the former Planetarium that will include residential and Museum uses. This capital development is not included in the scope of the current Renaissance ROM project."

---------

Marie and I thoroughly enjoyed our Romwalk Renaissance Tour this evening and we especially wish to thank Peter for the interesting, informative, engaging and often amusing experience. In a word we were stimulated. The second most surprising Toronto fact was that we have the largest inventory of Victorian architecture in North America!! I have been under the impression that, until recently, our heritage was always at the mercy of development.

Which brings me to the most shocking fact that the latest proposal was to replace the Planetarium with essentially a condo! Thankfully you have not ‘inked’ a deal and that you are open to alternative options.

As I am not able to be persuasive with cash I can humbly offer you my thoughts for your consideration, or that they could lead to further stimulating ideas.

One is a combination of your ‘crystal’ design concept and a TV series I watched the other night on CBC, “Queen Victoria’s Empire”. The property could be developed as U of T’s ‘crystal palace’. An expo of all the university departments’ greatest achievements in the Arts, Sciences and Humanities, past and present.

Also as you need to raise public investment, to the extent that you can avoid the need of a developer’s for-profit condos, perhaps you have considered a yearly ‘grand’ lottery, similar to the hospital lottery along with your other exciting fundraising events – auctions, runs, etc.

When we said our farewells, Peter reminded me of my offer to “do some thinking”. This is what he stimulated.

Many thanks and we look forward to more walks.