Looney Labs EcoFluxx Mailing list Archive

Re: [Eco] BS on the BS

  • From"Rick Castello" <rick@xxxxxxxx>
  • DateTue, 30 Jan 2007 00:12:35 -0800 (PST)
On Mon, January 29, 2007 9:43 pm, ginohn wrote:
> OK, so I finally watched the Penn & Teller Bullshit! show on
> uncycling, and I remain unconvinced.

     I'm not sure how convinced I am or not - I'd be interested
     in seeing more data on the net energy expenditure and net
     pollution/waste created from each of the forms of recycling
     in widespread use today.

     Emotionally, I want to keep believing that all the recyling
     my wife and I do in our household is making a difference.

     Logically, I'm willing to consider the fact that we may be
     stuck in a Catch-22.

     I'll keep recycling until I've got more evidence either way.

> Daniel K. Benjamin is a senior fellow at Property and Environment
> Research Center (PERC), a conservative libertarian think tank which
> publishes policy papers and press releases to further their agenda.

     <snip>

> Angela Logomasini works for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a
> conservative libertarian think tank which publishes policy papers and
> press releases to further their agenda.

     <snip>

> If I were to take a wild guess, I'd say Penn & Teller (or at least
> Penn) are conservative libertarians interested in furthering their
> agenda.

     <snip>

> BTW, Penn Jillette is also a research
> fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank which
> publishes policy papers and press releases to further their agenda.)

     <snip>

     While I've heard the term conservative used as a dirty curse
     word before (and liberal!), I've never heard the word libertarian
     used with such distaste before!

     I'd have guessed that most people on these lists would be *in
     favor* of "a political philosophy maintaining that every person
     is the absolute owner of his own life and should be free to do
     whatever he wishes with his person or property, as long as he
     respects the liberty of others." (Wikipedia definition)

     And for that matter... how many political organizations do you
     know that publish policy papers and press releases that *DON'T*
     further their own agenda?  Name five?

     Disputing the data is one thing.  I'm all for examining the data.
     (Statistics are just lies mathematicians and politicians tell each
     other).  Just don't hold it against someone for speaking in favor
     of their own viewpoint.  Everyone is biased in their own favor.

     -Rick

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