Helicopters

[Bell Hell]

I'm not sure that I understand your point, GeffyG et al. You provide a service that either enables the exploitaion of resources or provides services of a more "noble" form, and you consume a non-renewable resource in the process. That is the nature of modern human existance. Get over yourselves - you are a tiny part of the modern society. Here in the western world we agonize over the plight of spotted owls and "old growth" forest but in the developing world the evironment comes last place to develoment at any cost.

 

Don't kid yourselves: your lifetime environmental impacts are immeasurable compared to those of China's in just one hour. Here in the west we take some puritanical pleasure in castigating ourselves for cutting down trees, when the rest of the world sees them as tall weeds. Is there an intrinsic value in a tree that's older than we are, or do we just enjoy the subordination of our needs to some "higher" order? Point of fact: if you've ever seen Pacific Spirit Park, you can be forgiven for believing that you're looking at "old-growth" forest: fact is, it was logged over completely at the turn of the last century and left to regenerate as nature saw fit. Today it's huge trees and, if one looks carefully, huge stumps, but no human took a hand at the recreation of the forest that tree-huggers can enjoy withing the bounds of Vancouver city limits; nature took care of all the details.

 

As far as the "destruction" of environment aregument goes, please consider that natural processes are as "destructive" as human endeavours, yet nobody in their right mind sets up a blockade on the access road that forestry firefighters use to access a fire that's "destroying" old-growth forest. Same result as logging, yet only the end differs (in fact, there is a net environmental benefit to logging old-growth, as the net atmospheric carbon release is less with the carbon-fixation of logging (conversion to durable wood good/products) than with the next release of carbon from decomposition oprocesses in over-maturte forests.

 

New environmental slogan for your hybrid car: "Save the planet, clearcut old-growth".

 

Nothing is a simple as the WWF and David Suzuki would have you believe: human activity does change the face of our planet, but then so does the nature of our planet. Is our impact bad simply because we benefit?

 

Finally, in defense of the oil and gas industry, I can only add that in a market economy the value of non-renewable resources will rise with scarcity. When the costs benefit alternatives, we will develop and use alternative energy sources; new sources will emerge as the opporutnities arise to profit from them. It is of particular importance to note that the oil age will not end because of a lack of oil any more than the stone age ended because of a lack of rock, but rather because more advanced technologies arose to displace the primacy of stone.

 

So, we humans change our world, but the world is not static. Get over it: go and fly choppers and enjoy the work we do, whether we are saving people from drowning, fighting forest fires, or logging great big trees from the BC coast.

[Hueylover]

Huey Lover; :down: I don't even know where to start. I don't think it would do any good anyway. On second thought, why don't you try popping your "ME BUBBLE"; its amazing what you can learn when you're not completely obsessed with your own agenda!

 

gc

 

 

chill dude! I don't care if I make a point or not! I'm just tired of hypocrites like the ones JW was talking about. If you really do care so much about the planet then you would never drive a non electric car, use a gas mower and heaven forbid you would fire up the weedwacker. you could however shave your head, wrap yourself up in a nice red robe, give away your possessions, live in a mud hut and crap in the woods. that would definitely lessen the impact to the enviroment............

 

bottom line, it IS all about ME (or in your case YOU)

 

oh...and the fact that I can take 5 minutes of your valuable time to waste on a stupid topic like this!

 

 

LIGHTEN UP! take the missus in the CAR to the lake...BURN some wood to roast some marshmelows... maybe jump in the BOAT and go fishing while leaving a nice RAINBOW of fuel/oil in the water......throw your garbage in the park garbage container which will go straight to a LANDFILL... and when you get home fire up that nice GAS FURNACE to keep yourselves toasty warm through the night................

 

[Coastal]

Isn't it funny, (not really) it's all because we humans are attracted to shiny objects. :shock:

 

John

 

Yup, shiny objects with lots of fancy moving parts...I think it's safe to say that all on this site are victims of that! LOL.

 

Bell ****, interesting take. Can't say I agree with everything you said (bumper sticker), but you definitely bring up some valid points.

 

Good points from all sides. Interesting topic. Thanks for some entertainment on yet another ground day for me.

 

Cheers,

 

Coastal

[go coastal]

Huey Lover,

 

"bottom line, it IS all about ME (or in your case YOU)"

 

Well, I can't disagree with the first half of your statement. As for it being all about me too; WRONG! I actually go out of my way to try to make a difference. I can't stand the prevailing attitude out there that says "Its too big of a problem, what can I do about it?" How pathetically apathetic. What a cop out. I am very aware that what I do has an impact and as a result I feel I have a responsibility to minimize that impact when I can. Who died and made all the resources on this planet mine or yours to exploit? What about the next generation? Think they might want a kick at the cat too? I don't for a second pretend to be perfect but at least I am aware of my impact and I am actively trying to minimize it.

 

I bet that when you go to work, you work hard and put in a long day and at the end of it feel justified in making a good wage? I sure hope you do because nothing comes for free. Don’t you think that since the earth provides so many resources and benefits for all of us that you could at least show just a little bit of gratitude and give back a little? Its only fair isn’t it? Isn’t that what you expect when you provide a service?

 

The funny thing about your example of the "rainbow of fuel in the water" is that you are ruining it for yourself too. I am going to go way out on a limb here and make a guess that you enjoy fishing and hunting? Can't you make the connection here that you are spoiling it for yourself?

 

"oh...and the fact that I can take 5 minutes of your valuable time to waste on a stupid topic like this!"

 

As for wasting my time, don't give yourself the credit. If you even stop for one second and think about the bigger issues at play here then none of my time has been wasted. Call me a Crusader or whatever you want but don’t expect me to stop caring just because you don’t. The rest of the world may very well treat the Earth like a big garbage dump but I don’t see how that justifies inaction on our part.

 

By the way, I am not trying to offend you here but rather spur you into action. I just hope that it makes you kick that old bowl of soup on top of your shoulders into gear and realize that it is not “cool” or “redneck” to not care; its just stupid.

 

gc

[mg42]

if u vote for NDP maybe u shouldnt be a pilot, I'm with Reddog, WHATEVER!

[teabagger]

In the end I think it is "all about ME" for every one of us out there! We all have our own, differing, opinions and we all have a need to conduct ourselves in such a manner that we can wake up in the morning and look at our selves in the mirror. Unfortunately some of us are more apathetic than others and that will not change. It's important to have people with differing views oppinions and actions. And in one way or another, we usually end up settling on some form of middle ground.

 

I try my hardest to live my life in such a way that I have a lesser impact on the environment, and believe it or not that requires some effort. I realize that many of the things I do equates to nothing more than a piss in the ocean as far as scale is concerned. But, imagine if thousands of people were to line up on the shore line with me.

 

Unfortunately, the sizeable differences that are made on this planet revolve around political decisions not the thoughts of you and I. If you want to make that sizeable difference you better start campaining and forget about helicopters. Other wise, you can enjoy flying and provide yourself with a fulfilling life in knowing you are doing what ever you can to make a difference.

 

Two Cents

 

I think I'm going to take out the recycling now!!!

[go coastal]

if u vote for NDP maybe u shouldnt be a pilot, I'm with Reddog, WHATEVER!

 

MG42 be careful. That is a huge insult to throw at me. I wouldn't vote for the NDP if you torchered me. I'd rather cut off my boys and then feed them to the dogs than vote NDP. Call me any name in the book, just DON'T ever call me NDP!!!

 

JW, I missed the cynisism in Huey's comments. I live and breath sarcasm. It's one of my favorite tools. But I missed it if Huey was using it.

[mg42]

Go Coastal that was not a rip on you. We will have cold one one day on me. I was responding to the intial thread and a few of the bleeding hearts. I too have a conscience and try to conduct myself in a responsible manner when it comes to flying. sometimes it doesn't come across that way when i put it in words. maybe i'll shut up now. i love what i do and i love the places this line of work has taken me. we have the best job. mg

[Hueylover]

Who died and made all the resources on this planet mine or yours to exploit?

 

THE LAST GUY!!

 

Don’t you think that since the earth provides so many resources and benefits for all of us that you could at least show just a little bit of gratitude and give back a little?

 

NOPE!!

 

Its only fair isn’t it?

 

WHO SAID LIFE WAS FAIR??

 

The funny thing about your example of the "rainbow of fuel in the water" is that you are ruining it for yourself too. I am going to go way out on a limb here and make a guess that you enjoy fishing and hunting? Can't you make the connection here that you are spoiling it for yourself?

 

AH CRAP, YA GOT ME. I USE AN ELECTRIC MOTOR.

 

If you even stop for one second and think about the bigger issues at play here then none of my time has been wasted.

 

SORRY, TIME WASTED

 

 

Call me a Crusader or whatever you want

 

CAPTAIN CRUSADER?

 

By the way, I am not trying to offend you here

 

ME NEITHER, JUST HAVING FUN :boff:

[412driver]

"JW, I missed the cynisism in Huey's comments. I live and breath sarcasm. It's one of my favorite tools. But I missed it if Huey was using it."

 

boy....that last post is ooozing it!!!

 

 

on a serious note though....i have spent some time flying overseas and i agree, the rest of the world is in a very sorry state. the way the arabs are spewing #### into the air from their oil fields and not to mention asia with it's pollution :shock:

 

sorry, but i am not in a big rush to recycle anything especially after watching the garbage guy grab my blue recycle bag and throw it into the same pile as the rest of the trash

 

just call me a cynic like John