Thorne: The definition of ECO-TERRORIST I was thinking of is one who attempts to panic people by proclaiming the end of the world as we know it due to ecological disasters, in this case a disaster supposedly caused by mankind.
OK - I can accept that: I'll settle for environmental terrorism to cover my concept.

Thorne: For as long as mankind has had language there have been those doom criers who predict the end of civilization, or the end of life as we know it, or the end of the world. Civilization, life and the world are still here.
This is true: Look at Christianity: Armageddon hasn't yet happened, and who's to say it ever will? But Cassandra also springs to mind. Her predictions were always right, but no-one ever believed them.

Or to be more realistic, it's possible that those forecasting global extinction due to a collision with an asteroid/comet/giant meteorite will be proved correct before global warming has a chance to affect us. Or that a rampant epidemic will wipe out half the population. Or a psychopathic terrorist will palnt dirty nuclear bombs in every capital city in the world. The thing is, all these predicitions are likely to happen (OK, maybe not the terrorist bombing EVERY capital). Do these possibilities - no, probabilities - justify doing nothing about global warming?

Thorne: But they have changed, and ultimately that is what those "prophets" feared: change. The world is going to change, whether we like it or not. To survive, an individual, a nation, must adapt. Trying to hold it back will only lead to extinction, for the individual, the nation and the human race. (Emphasis supplied.)
Precisely! And wouldn't it be wiser for everyone to combine resources when taking on something as massive as climate change? An individual nation can do little. An individual person can probably do nothing except trust to luck. If he happens to live in a place that will not be too badly affected, he will be luckier than most.

Thorne: Something I just thought of, though. It would be interesting to find out whether any individuals or corporations are trying to acquire large tracts of land in areas of the world which are currently not usable as farm land. As the world grows warmer the best farm land will move north and south, farther from the equator.
That would be interesting to find out! Wouldn't it be even more interesting if any of them turned out to be publicly suggesting there is no need to fear global warming?


TYWD

PS - I know Cassandra was mythological, but the point is, her warnings were right but were disbelieved.