Millions of years ago dinosaurs walked the earth. These days, their remains are making it so we don't have to. Global warming is a hot topic amongst scientists around the world, with Joe Average seemingly divided on the issue. The general consensus of the scientific community is that global warming is occurring, and at a very alarming rate! However, many countries, or perhaps more correctly stated, the corporations that run these countries, have been very slow or completely resistant to do anything about it.
It has been said by some that this global warming phenomenon is a completely natural cycle that earth goes through. It has happened before and will happen again. I completely agree!
It is a completely natural reaction for our earth to go through a life-ending cycle every time it builds up a thick layer of SUVs and industrial production plants.
If increasingly severe storms and rising sea levels is not proof enough that idling your 12 MPG Hummer H2 to get it warm in the winter isn't enough, then maybe when a category 5 hurricane runs over your house, things will become clear. Perhaps mother nature really should flush it all away and start-over again. Perhaps a less consuming, more natural society will emerge from our ruins. However, hope seems dim for us, as we continue to toss McDonald's wrappers out our car windows, improperly dispose of recyclables and guzzle non-renewable resources like a blood-thirsty leech.
Although many are portraying pseudo-philanthropist persona by purchasing compact-fluorescent bulbs, getting windows replaced, having higher efficiency appliances and making an effort to consume less electricity they're not fooling anyone. For more people this isn't about the ozone layer, endangered species or the betterment of mankind, it is simple loyalty to the mighty dollar. I am not claiming that all people who take these steps don't believe in the cause, there are plenty of people who do, but there are even more who do not. Many people who turn off their high-efficiency bulbs, lock their door as it sits in a newly insulated door frame, walk to their Explorer and drive to Starbucks. Wait for an overpriced coffee, latte or frappuchino to pump the money saved with the new low-consumption fridge, in to a huge, faceless corporation. These people however do not realize just how ironic the whole scenario is.
To quote Tool...
"The only way to fix it is to flush it all away."
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8.23.2006
8.22.2006
What's In A Name?
That which we call a Planet, by any other word would still orbit the Sun.
However, it does seem that the International Astronomical Union (IAU) takes things a little more seriously. There is a major divide surrounding a new proposed definition for "Planet", which if approved, would add 3 new objects to our solar systems roster.
The part of 'IAU Resolution 5 for the GA-XXVI' that defines a planet says:
"A planet is a celestial body that:
a) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydro-static equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and
b) is in orbit around a star, and is neither a star nor a satellite of a planet. "
It has been long wondered whether or not Pluto should be considered a planet. It's small size and highly eccentric orbit have long placed it on the fence between ball of ice and planet. It seems that the convention and emotional attachments of considering it the 9th planet have gone on for so long that the IAU would rather add more planets to the list than remove Pluto and keep the rest. These would-be "planets" would include Pluto, Pluto's moon Charon, Ceres the largest known asteroid, and 2003 UB313 a temporary name for an object often referred to as Xena, supplementing the 8 traditional planets. This definition also opens the doors for several more objects to be placed on a watch-list for induction.
I think that our own attachment to Pluto is silly and that if we are going to be politically correct and take it upon ourselves to solve this discrepancy we really should push Pluto out of the elite clique of Planets. It is after all, extremely far away, to the point that it is unlikely we will get up-close photographs or information from its icy surface. At its closest distance it's still about 2.67 billion miles from earth. A long, cold road, with very few service stations along the way. It is like hiking for a month through the woods to see your average, perhaps even below average, pine tree. What do we expect of interest from this "planet"? It is simply a ball of ice in a somewhat binary state with another ball of ice.
It seems absurd that we would change the rules to allow this snowball to still be a planet, while allowing other indistinguishable objects to slide in to our text books on astronomy as "planets". With this lack of data we possess on such objects that would eventually be considered "planets" it really seems quite foolish.
I can live with only 8 planets. I survived with the political incorrectness of having 9, and I don't foresee many lives ending because we'll have 12, 15, 55 or 600.
I do think that the convention of more planets we know very little about is silly, considering their lack of qualities similar to what we currently classify as planets.
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However, it does seem that the International Astronomical Union (IAU) takes things a little more seriously. There is a major divide surrounding a new proposed definition for "Planet", which if approved, would add 3 new objects to our solar systems roster.
The part of 'IAU Resolution 5 for the GA-XXVI' that defines a planet says:
"A planet is a celestial body that:
a) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydro-static equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and
b) is in orbit around a star, and is neither a star nor a satellite of a planet. "
It has been long wondered whether or not Pluto should be considered a planet. It's small size and highly eccentric orbit have long placed it on the fence between ball of ice and planet. It seems that the convention and emotional attachments of considering it the 9th planet have gone on for so long that the IAU would rather add more planets to the list than remove Pluto and keep the rest. These would-be "planets" would include Pluto, Pluto's moon Charon, Ceres the largest known asteroid, and 2003 UB313 a temporary name for an object often referred to as Xena, supplementing the 8 traditional planets. This definition also opens the doors for several more objects to be placed on a watch-list for induction.
I think that our own attachment to Pluto is silly and that if we are going to be politically correct and take it upon ourselves to solve this discrepancy we really should push Pluto out of the elite clique of Planets. It is after all, extremely far away, to the point that it is unlikely we will get up-close photographs or information from its icy surface. At its closest distance it's still about 2.67 billion miles from earth. A long, cold road, with very few service stations along the way. It is like hiking for a month through the woods to see your average, perhaps even below average, pine tree. What do we expect of interest from this "planet"? It is simply a ball of ice in a somewhat binary state with another ball of ice.
It seems absurd that we would change the rules to allow this snowball to still be a planet, while allowing other indistinguishable objects to slide in to our text books on astronomy as "planets". With this lack of data we possess on such objects that would eventually be considered "planets" it really seems quite foolish.
I can live with only 8 planets. I survived with the political incorrectness of having 9, and I don't foresee many lives ending because we'll have 12, 15, 55 or 600.
I do think that the convention of more planets we know very little about is silly, considering their lack of qualities similar to what we currently classify as planets.
If you found this useful please pass it on!
Please comment!
Educate yourself and others!
Recommend this:
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