Comments for The Natural Patriot http://naturalpatriot.org In order to form a more perfect union Wed, 13 Apr 2011 06:06:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Comment on Ode to the endangered . . . house sparrow(?) by Rebecca http://naturalpatriot.org/2007/08/31/ode-to-the-endangered-house-sparrow/#comment-233680 Rebecca Wed, 13 Apr 2011 06:06:36 +0000 http://naturalpatriot.org/2007/08/31/ode-to-the-endangered-house-sparrow/#comment-233680 A pair of these sparrows nest on my patio each spring. He is very beautiful. His color is a vibrant cinnamon chocolate with the gray top. He is so pretty, and I had noticed he was different from the others around. I hadn't seen another like him and was curious to know more about what kind of sparrow he was. His beak is like a strong black full round short cone and his coloring is very profound. The brown color goes from his beak, around the sides of his head to his back like a mask over his eyes. And the gray cap is nicely tapered to the back of the head. The black beak is very dark, meeting with the brown at the eyes, and black color also descending down the middle underneath like a short narrow stripe to a small speckled black patch on the chest that slightly fans out like a mans European dress scarf with a white collar. What a pretty little bird. The female is a bit different,... not with the same color distinctions, but more dapple in color and her beak is different too. But each year they arrive here to nest. I didn't remember ever seeing one with his distinctive coloring and glad to see him each year. Sorry to hear that he will be added to an endangered list. I'd been looking for something on this bird and you have a perfect picture. I knew it was the bird when I saw this picture. Thank You. A pair of these sparrows nest on my patio each spring. He is very beautiful. His color is a vibrant cinnamon chocolate with the gray top. He is so pretty, and I had noticed he was different from the others around. I hadn’t seen another like him and was curious to know more about what kind of sparrow he was.
His beak is like a strong black full round short cone and his coloring is very profound. The brown color goes from his beak, around the sides of his head to his back like a mask over his eyes. And the gray cap is nicely tapered to the back of the head. The black beak is very dark, meeting with the brown at the eyes, and black color also descending down the middle underneath like a short narrow stripe to a small speckled black patch on the chest that slightly fans out like a mans European dress scarf with a white collar. What a pretty little bird.
The female is a bit different,… not with the same color distinctions, but more dapple in color and her beak is different too.
But each year they arrive here to nest.
I didn’t remember ever seeing one with his distinctive coloring and glad to see him each year.
Sorry to hear that he will be added to an endangered list.
I’d been looking for something on this bird and you have a perfect picture. I knew it was the bird when I saw this picture. Thank You.

]]> Comment on The search for intelligent life by The search for intelligent life | SeaMonster http://naturalpatriot.org/2009/04/11/the-search-for-intelligent-life/#comment-233676 The search for intelligent life | SeaMonster Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:59:02 +0000 http://naturalpatriot.org/2009/04/11/the-search-for-intelligent-life/#comment-233676 [...] This incident took place in April 2009, and was originally posted at the Natural Patriot. Moko was famous in the region, beginning with his role in saving two pygmy sperm whales from [...] [...] This incident took place in April 2009, and was originally posted at the Natural Patriot. Moko was famous in the region, beginning with his role in saving two pygmy sperm whales from [...]

]]> Comment on The silent world by The Silent World | SeaMonster http://naturalpatriot.org/2008/07/22/the-silent-world/#comment-233604 The Silent World | SeaMonster Wed, 30 Mar 2011 02:51:58 +0000 http://naturalpatriot.org/2008/07/22/the-silent-world/#comment-233604 [...] from the Natural Patriot blog, with apologies to faithful readers thereof who have already seen [...] [...] from the Natural Patriot blog, with apologies to faithful readers thereof who have already seen [...]

]]> Comment on Who pays for overfishing? Poor people in Africa (and elsewhere) by Who pays for overfishing? Poor people in Africa | SeaMonster http://naturalpatriot.org/2011/02/12/who-pays-for-overfishing-poor-people-in-africa-and-elsewhere/#comment-233597 Who pays for overfishing? Poor people in Africa | SeaMonster Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:49:30 +0000 http://naturalpatriot.org/?p=1020#comment-233597 [...] posted at the Natural Patriot [...] [...] posted at the Natural Patriot [...]

]]> Comment on How not to end world hunger by Emmett Duffy http://naturalpatriot.org/2011/02/23/how-not-to-end-world-hunger/#comment-232706 Emmett Duffy Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:14:06 +0000 http://naturalpatriot.org/?p=1048#comment-232706 Thanks for the comments guys. You're right, Andy -- this is clearly a sensitive issue as I find every time the subject comes up. But I honestly don't see how we make progress while the elephant is stumbling around the room unacknowledged. One important point is that dealing with population does not necessarily entail becoming a nazi or trampling on people's rights or subjugating the developing world. But that's a subject for another post . . . The analogy with energy efficiency is a really good one that I'm embarrassed to say I had not thought about. One possible (?) difference there is that we're concerned not just about the quantity of energy consumed but about the environmental degradation involved in delivering a unit of it, so if increasing efficiency is achieved by cleaner methods we contribute toward two goals at once. Thanks for the comments guys. You’re right, Andy — this is clearly a sensitive issue as I find every time the subject comes up. But I honestly don’t see how we make progress while the elephant is stumbling around the room unacknowledged. One important point is that dealing with population does not necessarily entail becoming a nazi or trampling on people’s rights or subjugating the developing world. But that’s a subject for another post . . .

The analogy with energy efficiency is a really good one that I’m embarrassed to say I had not thought about. One possible (?) difference there is that we’re concerned not just about the quantity of energy consumed but about the environmental degradation involved in delivering a unit of it, so if increasing efficiency is achieved by cleaner methods we contribute toward two goals at once.

]]> Comment on Look upon me! I am one of the world’s leading 30 intellectuals, scholars, and scientists! by yeswings http://naturalpatriot.org/2010/01/15/look-upon-me-i-am-one-of-the-world%e2%80%99s-leading-30-intellectuals-scholars-and-scientists/#comment-232617 yeswings Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:19:39 +0000 http://naturalpatriot.org/2010/01/15/look-upon-me-i-am-one-of-the-world%e2%80%99s-leading-30-intellectuals-scholars-and-scientists/#comment-232617 Not sure how or why I found this website at this time in your life and mine. It just reminded me of everything I walked away from when I moved to (Paradise) Hawaii and left the ( Intellectual ) pundit world behind. I used to say you can't kill stupidity but you can encourage it to run for office. Good luck with your essay and any new associations that come with the Rifkin knighthood. ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- Gravity *lol... What a concept. Not sure how or why I found this website at this time in your life and mine. It just reminded me of everything I walked away from when I moved to (Paradise) Hawaii and left the
( Intellectual ) pundit world behind. I used to say you can’t kill stupidity but you can encourage it to run for office.
Good luck with your essay and any new associations that come with the Rifkin knighthood.
————————————————————
————————————————–
—————————————-
Gravity *lol… What a concept.

]]> Comment on How not to end world hunger by Andrew Dessler http://naturalpatriot.org/2011/02/23/how-not-to-end-world-hunger/#comment-232549 Andrew Dessler Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:43:31 +0000 http://naturalpatriot.org/?p=1048#comment-232549 People ask the same question about energy efficiency: if we make things more efficient, won't people just consume more energy because they can? This question is often traced back to Jevons and his work on coal production in the mid-19th century. Ultimately, as you point out, there needs to be discussions of what we want for economic growth, population growth, etc. At present, however, just bringing up any of these issues actually offends many people (just like bring up evolution offends some groups). There can be no discussion until people are no longer offended by the question of whether economic growth and population growth are good things. Keep up the great blogging! People ask the same question about energy efficiency: if we make things more efficient, won’t people just consume more energy because they can? This question is often traced back to Jevons and his work on coal production in the mid-19th century. Ultimately, as you point out, there needs to be discussions of what we want for economic growth, population growth, etc. At present, however, just bringing up any of these issues actually offends many people (just like bring up evolution offends some groups). There can be no discussion until people are no longer offended by the question of whether economic growth and population growth are good things. Keep up the great blogging!

]]> Comment on How not to end world hunger by James Douglass http://naturalpatriot.org/2011/02/23/how-not-to-end-world-hunger/#comment-232485 James Douglass Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:46:56 +0000 http://naturalpatriot.org/?p=1048#comment-232485 Good job finding a quote that perfectly exhibits the inanity of our approach this problem: “Productivity growth will need to accelerate from historical trends to keep up with F.A.O.’s predictions for population and income growth.” Yikes! It's like we're trapped in thinking that the only way to deal with increasing demand is to increase supply. Really, reducing demand, or at least stopping the increase of demand, is the only sustainable solution. And that means stopping population growth. Good job finding a quote that perfectly exhibits the inanity of our approach this problem:

“Productivity growth will need to accelerate from historical trends to keep up with F.A.O.’s predictions for population and income growth.”

Yikes! It’s like we’re trapped in thinking that the only way to deal with increasing demand is to increase supply. Really, reducing demand, or at least stopping the increase of demand, is the only sustainable solution. And that means stopping population growth.

]]> Comment on Who pays for overfishing? Poor people in Africa (and elsewhere) by Tweets that mention Who pays for overfishing? Poor people in Africa (and elsewhere) | The Natural Patriot -- Topsy.com http://naturalpatriot.org/2011/02/12/who-pays-for-overfishing-poor-people-in-africa-and-elsewhere/#comment-230850 Tweets that mention Who pays for overfishing? Poor people in Africa (and elsewhere) | The Natural Patriot -- Topsy.com Sat, 12 Feb 2011 21:48:52 +0000 http://naturalpatriot.org/?p=1020#comment-230850 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Nici, David Shiffman. David Shiffman said: RT @SFriedScientist: Who pays for overfishing? Poor people in Africa (and elsewhere) http://bit.ly/g5sk6d [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Nici, David Shiffman. David Shiffman said: RT @SFriedScientist: Who pays for overfishing? Poor people in Africa (and elsewhere) http://bit.ly/g5sk6d [...]

]]> Comment on The Natural Patriot rides again by Emmett Duffy http://naturalpatriot.org/2011/01/29/the-natural-patriot-rides-again/#comment-230589 Emmett Duffy Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:51:05 +0000 http://naturalpatriot.org/?p=810#comment-230589 Thanks for visiting Eileen, and for the vote of confidence! Thanks for visiting Eileen, and for the vote of confidence!

]]>