Earth Day Predictions from 1970....

Polls show that the number of people who believe in 'man-made' global warming (nowadays being referred to as "Climate Change" since its actually getting colder instead of warmer, go figure) is dropping dramatically. Reading these dire predictions from the first Earth Day in 1970 kind of helps put in perspective the dire predictions we're hearing today, despite all observable evidence to the contrary. Enjoy!

Some of my personal favorites:

“Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years.”
• Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

“Scientists have solid experimental and theoretical evidence to support…the following predictions: In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution…by 1985 air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half….”
• Life Magazine, January 1970

“Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, believes that in 25 years, somewhere between 75 and 80 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct.”
• Sen. Gaylord Nelson

I've come to the conclusion that the people (politicians) making important decisions -- decisions that will cost us billions if not trillions of dollars -- have no real clue what they are even doing. Take lightbulbs, for examples. Incandescent lightbulbs are made in Kentucky, but apparently they are not "green" enough, so legislation has been passed requiring us to use fluorescent bulbs, which contain toxic mercury and are so dangerous that they cannot be disposed of, but must be recycled. Not only that, these lightbulbs are not made in the United States, so they have to be shipped as freight from *China*. Can someone explain to me how it is somehow more green to have lightbulbs shipped from China than to buy ones made in the U.S.? It also turns out that in colder climates, households using fluorescent bulbs require more energy to heat homes, so you don't really get any benefit at all. Things that make you go 'Hmmmmm....?'