Thought or Rant of the day!!!

[Piscator]

Especially as the heat life generates is borrowed solar radiation. Life might change the reflective properties of a planet in subtle ways, but in terms of absolute energy emission it is pretty much a zero-sum game. (This is also why I found the premise of "The Matrix" so silly.)

For similar reasons it annoys me when rainforests are called the "green lungs of earth". Apart from the rather poor metaphor, people seem to forget that a healthy rainforest is a stable ecosystem and, as a whole, does not grow. The carbon a rainforest fixates isn't stored in a growing layer of peat or humus, it is immediately returned to the atmosphere by the legion of heterotrophes living under the trees. The oxygen produced in a rainforest is consumed exactly there.

[RedQueen.exe]

Especially as the heat life generates is borrowed solar radiation. Life might change the reflective properties of a planet in subtle ways, but in terms of absolute energy emission it is pretty much a zero-sum game. (This is also why I found the premise of "The Matrix" so silly.)

For similar reasons it annoys me when rainforests are called the "green lungs of earth". Apart from the rather poor metaphor, people seem to forget that a healthy rainforest is a stable ecosystem and, as a whole, does not grow. The carbon a rainforest fixates isn't stored in a growing layer of peat or humus, it is immediately returned to the atmosphere by the legion of heterotrophes living under the trees. The oxygen produced in a rainforest is consumed exactly there.

<3

This is right in line with what I've always said. When you look at the Earth as a closed system, the only energy input is the sun. Any time we use more energy than what we can gain in some way from the sun, we are by very definition unsustainable.

Ah well, in another couple billion years, it'll all be a moot point anyway.

Also <3 gejyspa. Just another good example how important a basic understanding of math and statistics is. What always gets my goat is people not being specific whether they're talking about relative or absolute risks when talking about how X increases your risk of cancer by 20%, because the difference between the two is MASSIVE.

[Piscator]

Actually, the earth itself also generates a not unsubstantial amount of heat by the decay of radioactive isotopes in its interior. This is another energy source that can be used technically as well as biologically.

[miirkaelisaar]

That kinda does make me feel better, just because, for me, slicing my finger is probably better than spilling things on my laptop or breaking anything due to the fact that I treat my electronics like my babies, loud noises and the sound of breaking things kind of terrify me, and broken things are always traumatic.

You too? I freaking HATE breaking things, hate hate hate it. It scares me and makes me feel so sad and angry. Even things I got for free or found. *rolls eyes* But I'm really sensitive too.

Rant of the day: Ok, when it's January and still in the 60s, people should NOT be complaining about how cold it is outside.

Three months of the year it's in the 100's here, usually 103 or higher. So when it's 60 all of a sudden it's too cold XD but I'm sure my family in PA where it's freezing would love it here right now.


update.
Neptune's still kicking but not doing well at all. This might be his last day and to be honest, I hope it is. He's in so much pain and I just want it to end for him =( he's so nice and cute, he doesn't deserve this torment. I wish I could make him just go to sleep but I can't and he keeps fighting. It's hard, I wish he'd just relax and give it up.

[Doug R.]

Actually, the earth itself also generates a not unsubstantial amount of heat by the decay of radioactive isotopes in its interior. This is another energy source that can be used technically as well as biologically.

Don't forget about all the geo-thermal heat caused by tectonic friction and heat caused by gravity at the core.

[RedQueen.exe]

Actually, the earth itself also generates a not unsubstantial amount of heat by the decay of radioactive isotopes in its interior. This is another energy source that can be used technically as well as biologically.

Don't forget about all the geo-thermal heat caused by tectonic friction and heat caused by gravity at the core.

Neither of those are actually inputs though, right? They are fueled by potential energy that was there at the earth's creation, correct?

[Vega]

I hate all this.
Point.

[Chris]

Sustainability was never an absolute. Someday the sun will die. Someday the universe will die. Someday, probably before the first and definitely before the second, the human species will die. However, relatively sustainable practices may help to put off that day a little.

[Doug R.]

Actually, the earth itself also generates a not unsubstantial amount of heat by the decay of radioactive isotopes in its interior. This is another energy source that can be used technically as well as biologically.

Don't forget about all the geo-thermal heat caused by tectonic friction and heat caused by gravity at the core.

Neither of those are actually inputs though, right? They are fueled by potential energy that was there at the earth's creation, correct?

If you want to get that technical, all energy and matter in the universe was created at the Big Bang, so there is no input after that, just conversion.

My point was that if our Sun died, our species could survive on geothermal heat far underground.

[Henkie]

We don't know that, Doug, it's the best we got, but all we really know for sure, is that everything is energy, and we don't know where it came from

[gejyspa]

Also <3 gejyspa. Just another good example how important a basic understanding of math and statistics is. What always gets my goat is people not being specific whether they're talking about relative or absolute risks when talking about how X increases your risk of cancer by 20%, because the difference between the two is MASSIVE.

Yup, one must be aware (as newsreporters aren't always) of the difference between "percent" and "percentage points"

We don't know that, Doug, it's the best we got, but all we really know for sure, is that everything is energy, and we don't know where it came from

I do, I do!

[Henkie]

Really? Rofl, please enlighten me!

[Doug R.]

God *coughs*

[Snickie]

I'm thinking of installing Sims 2 just so I can make character images with them, since Second Life is crap on my computer. (It doesn't open anymore because I apparently don't have the latest version on my laptop, and it doesn't tell me where to get it, and I could never figure out how to use it anyway.)

Thoughts?

[Comy]

Sims 2 is decent for creating character images. It gets even better if you seek out custom content.

Thought: I successfully made two beautiful loaves of French bread with awesome chewy crust! Former roomie says one looks like a penis, but she sees penises everywhere so it's okay.