what’s best for poor people

On April 15, 2008January 11, 2010 By Rick McIn economics, education, humourLeave a comment

White people spend a lot of time of worrying about poor people. It takes up a pretty significant portion of their day.

They feel guilty and sad that poor people shop at Wal*Mart instead of Whole Foods, that they vote Republican instead of Democratic, that they go to Community College/get a job instead of studying art at a University. …

original – flickr

… It is a poorly guarded secret that, deep down, white people believe if given money and education that all poor people would be EXACTLY like them. In fact, the only reason that poor people make the choices they do is because they have not been given the means to make the right choices and care about the right things.

Stuff White People Like – #62 Knowing what’s best for poor people

things I care about MORE than global warming

On December 15, 2007January 11, 2010 By Rick McIn anti-smoking, bad news, education, health & fitness3 Comments

• nuclear war
• civil wars worldwide
• potential pandemics
• child hunger
• overweight and obesity
• increasing gap between richest and poorest

I would spend time and money NOT on solving global warming, but rather:

• education of girls and women
• population control in those parts of the world that need it
• making available safe water to those who need it
• youth work experiences in the developing countries
• anti-smoking measures (those proven to work)
• protecting wilderness
• promoting “voluntary simplicity” and “reduced consumption”
• improving migration of workers to parts of the world that need workers

My main motivation in writing this post is:

“the hypocrisy of western concerns over future global warming disasters, while ignoring the extreme misery and suffering being endured right now in developing countries.”

This guy agrees: Priorities – Can you worry about global warming while your children are dying? » Celsias

Global warming may or may not exist. May or may not have been caused by industrialization. May or may not be changed by future technology.

Don’t talk to me about it until these greater, more urgent global needs are getting more attention.

I’m especially ticked off with those making MONEY by being global warming alarmists.

Those are just a few of the issues more important than global warming to me. Leave a comment if you want to add to the list. Or refute me with hard, reputable scientific evidence that I am wrong. (Don’t mention Dr. Suzuki, please.)

Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre

On June 29, 2007January 11, 2010 By Rick McIn education, travel, traveloguesLeave a comment

I lucked into a tour of the fantastic Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.

It’s a world-class, award winning educational facility owned by 5 universities.

Bamfield is a great, remote location for researchers.

Many of their buildings were originally part of an undersea cable system connecting the British Empire.

In 1902, the Bamfield Cable station was constructed as the western terminus of a worldwide undersea cable called by some the All Red Line as it passed only through countries and territories controlled by the British Empire.

The cable initially went to Fanning Island, a tiny coral atoll in the mid-Pacific, and from there continued to Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. …

In 1953 the cables were extended up the Alberni Inlet to Port Alberni and station closed on June 20, 1959.

Bamfield – Wikipedia

old cable used in monument

The highlight of the tour for me, however, was the processed wood used in construction of the newest building. Huge beams had been pressed in an eco-friendly process. Gorgeous material.

photos – Mexico City

On January 7, 2006April 2, 2016 By Rick McIn Art and beauty, education, photos, travel, travel Mexico, traveloguesLeave a comment

The reputation is a polluted, dangerous mega-city.

But I find Mexico City to be tourist friendly & easy to navigate via the third busiest subway system in the world. (Stay out of the cabs.)

Having seen most of the tourist attractions in the past, this time I wandered some of the major green spaces including the largest university.

I arrived in Mexico City on Jan. 5, 2006. To my surprise the holiday lights were still up in the main square.

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