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A Sticky Situation: Protesters glue themselves to top of train

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A Sticky Situation: Protesters glue themselves to top of train
Posted by zardoz on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 2:06 PM

Protesters glue themselves to the top of a train

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/17/uk/extinction-rebellion-london-train-gbr-intl/index.html

This action is really stupid, unless the protesters want zero transportation, and thus bring the world to a halt. They are protesting the most efficient method of transport, except perhaps for floating down a river (with the environmental risk to the water). 

The changing climate is a very serious situation. And whether human activity is mostly responsible or it is a natural variation, the results are what we need to concerned about. Do we alter our entire system of energy production and use, or do we start preparing for mass migrations as vast parts of the globe become inhabitable for mammals and/or unsuitable for agriculture?

Of course, we could (and likely will) do nothing, and let our fate be in the hands of whatever forces shape our destiny (not that has worked too well in the past).

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Posted by mudchicken on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 2:14 PM

zardoz

Protesters glue themselves to the top of a train

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/17/uk/extinction-rebellion-london-train-gbr-intl/index.html

This action is really stupid, unless the protesters want zero transportation, and thus bring the world to a halt. They are protesting the most efficient method of transport, except perhaps for floating down a river (with the environmental risk to the water). 

The changing climate is a very serious situation. And whether human activity is mostly responsible or it is a natural variation, the results are what we need to concerned about. Do we alter our entire system of energy production and use, or do we start preparing for mass migrations as vast parts of the globe become inhabitable for mammals and/or unsuitable for agriculture?

Of course, we could (and likely will) do nothing, and let our fate be in the hands of whatever forces shape our destiny (not that has worked too well in the past).

 

zardoz

Protesters glue themselves to the top of a train

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/17/uk/extinction-rebellion-london-train-gbr-intl/index.html

This action is really stupid, unless the protesters want zero transportation, and thus bring the world to a halt. They are protesting the most efficient method of transport, except perhaps for floating down a river (with the environmental risk to the water). 

The changing climate is a very serious situation. And whether human activity is mostly responsible or it is a natural variation, the results are what we need to concerned about. Do we alter our entire system of energy production and use, or do we start preparing for mass migrations as vast parts of the globe become inhabitable for mammals and/or unsuitable for agriculture?

Of course, we could (and likely will) do nothing, and let our fate be in the hands of whatever forces shape our destiny (not that has worked too well in the past).

 

Sounds like the next generation of EarthFirst nuts from the late 80's. Southern Pacific handled those nuts in the great granola bowl with the appropriate response.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by zardoz on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 2:26 PM

mudchicken
Sounds like the next generation of EarthFirst nuts from the late 80's. Southern Pacific handled those nuts in the great granola bowl with the appropriate response.

In the article there are quotes from some of the protesters....one of them said he came down from Wales. How much pollution did the protests around the world contribute to the problem? Sure, in comparrison to the global output of pollutants it was a miniscule amount; however it does somewhat reveals the hypocricy of the granola crowd.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 2:40 PM

OK, the next time this happens the police should just step aside and let the angry commuters deal with these Gaia The Earth Mother Goddess worshipers.

Won't happen again, I guarantee you.

Listen, back in the "Dubya" Bush years there was an anti-Iraq War protest on Route 4 eastbound in Northern New Jersey at the beginning of rush hour.  The protesters thought blocking the highway was a good attention getter.

Bad move.  The found themselves dragged off the road by angry commuters and duct-taped to nearby telephone poles, light poles, and street signs.  The duct tape came courtesy of some contractors on the way to a job.  Goes without saying this was before the cops showed up.  

They didn't try it again.

I should add that those angry Jersey commuters covered all points of the political spectrum.  Conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat, it didn't matter, unlike the protesters they had real jobs to get to.

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 4:29 PM

A bunch of loonies who just want to be heard for the sake of being heard.

Krakatoa dropped the average temperature of the earth by something like three degrees for several years.

It's man's conceit to think that mankind is solely responsible for climate change, as these loonies would have you believe.

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Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 4:36 PM

mudchicken
Southern Pacific handled those nuts in the great granola bowl with the appropriate response.

But what's the modern equivalent now that heating steam is no longer available?

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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, April 18, 2019 6:33 AM

Overmod

 

 
mudchicken
Southern Pacific handled those nuts in the great granola bowl with the appropriate response.

 

But what's the modern equivalent now that heating steam is no longer available?

 

The SP guys had encountered kooks at Pittsburgh, CA that had chained themselves to the track. To protect the chain and frustrate the local authorities, they did this under a giant box with EarthFirst plastered all over it with the rails passing through notches on the sides of the box.. SP track forces showed up with a track panel and a boom truck. Square cut the closest joints outside the box, the boom truck lifted the panel - box/people inside and all, dropped-in new panel. After the panel with the box was set aside, the sheriff waited for the thwarted contents of the box to get out. Problem solved.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by Shadow the Cats owner on Thursday, April 18, 2019 7:09 AM

These morons have nothing on the Vegan protestors that OTR drivers have to deal with going in and out of meat plants in some areas.  Heck my own drivers have been stepped in front of delivering resin to meat plants.  We haul the resins and the cryovac bags that are used to seal in the meat cuts after the animal is processed.  

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Posted by Murphy Siding on Thursday, April 18, 2019 8:13 AM

mudchicken
 
Overmod

 

 
mudchicken
Southern Pacific handled those nuts in the great granola bowl with the appropriate response.

 

But what's the modern equivalent now that heating steam is no longer available?

 

 

 

The SP guys had encountered kooks at Pittsburgh, CA that had chained themselves to the track. To protect the chain and frustrate the local authorities, they did this under a giant box with EarthFirst plastered all over it with the rails passing through notches on the sides of the box.. SP track forces showed up with a track panel and a boom truck. Square cut the closest joints outside the box, the boom truck lifted the panel - box/people inside and all, dropped-in new panel. After the panel with the box was set aside, the sheriff waited for the thwarted contents of the box to get out. Problem solved.

 

 

Some years back a woman chained herself to a backhoe to protest some work going on in her neighborhood. The construction crew cut the chain and reconnected it and her to the nearest tree. Then they went about their work. This was pre-cell phone and she had to do a fair amount of yelling to get someone's attention to get the police and fire department out to free her. The construction company said they would forego tresspassing charges if she just left, so she did.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, April 18, 2019 10:23 AM

The woman who chained herself to a backhoe certainly outsmated herself.

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Posted by rrnut282 on Thursday, April 18, 2019 12:37 PM

Degg, I don't think I would use the word smart in any form in that sentence.

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Posted by zardoz on Thursday, April 18, 2019 1:38 PM

Shadow the Cats owner
These morons have nothing on the Vegan protestors....

While I believe that climate change (whatever the cause) is a serious issue, these protesters did nothing to help the situation; indeed, all they did was to show people that those with climate change concerns are a group of loony extremists--not the best way to convince others of the legitimacy of your cause.

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, April 18, 2019 2:13 PM

rrnut282

Degg, I don't think I would use the word smart in any form in that sentence.

 

She thought she was smart. Often  people who think they are smart in what they are doing show that they are not as bright as they thought they were, and often making great mistakes--as this woman found out.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Thursday, April 18, 2019 2:25 PM

Well folks, a long, long time ago Teddy Roosevelt said that any organization, cause, or field of endevour is going to have it's "lunatic fringe."  

And that was over 100 years ago.  The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

The problem now is the loons get all the press, seemingly to the exclusion of the more rational, and all that does is encourage more lunacy.

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, April 18, 2019 3:09 PM

Flintlock76
The problem now is the loons get all the press, seemingly to the exclusion of the more rational, and all that does is encourage more lunacy.

Perhaps it's something of a corrollary of "if it bleeds, it leads..."

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Posted by SD70Dude on Thursday, April 18, 2019 3:36 PM

Deggesty
rrnut282

Degg, I don't think I would use the word smart in any form in that sentence.

She thought she was smart. Often  people who think they are smart in what they are doing show that they are not as bright as they thought they were, and often making great mistakes--as this woman found out.

It is better to protest behind the yellow line and be thought a fool, instead of sticking yourself to the train and proving it to everyone!

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Thursday, April 18, 2019 3:48 PM

tree68

 

 
Flintlock76
The problem now is the loons get all the press, seemingly to the exclusion of the more rational, and all that does is encourage more lunacy.

 

Perhaps it's something of a corrollary of "if it bleeds, it leads..."

 

That's it brother.  It may not be good journalism, but it's good television, if you know what I mean.  

Hey, I even see it with those dopey "click-bait" headlines that have nothing to do with the substance of the story.

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Posted by Chris30 on Saturday, April 20, 2019 3:33 PM

Whether or not you agree with the protesters, you certainly have to admire the effort. Seemed like a good idea, gluing ourselves to the top of te train, until we encountered that low tunnel... Indifferent

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Saturday, April 20, 2019 4:03 PM

Climate change is very real, but the cause is still in question. If we are not the cause, or the primary cause, there is likely little we can do as a cure.

Meanwhile the alarmists and extremists would have us undo civilization "just in case"?

What exactly would we be saving if we undo all we have accomplished to stop climate change?

If you believe in God, then you believe he has a plan. If you don't, then we are just really smart animals who may come and go like any other life form on this planet.

In either case it is likely out of our control.

My view, protesters don't have any right to interfere with peoples daily lives. If they do, they get whatever they get - injured, in jail, whatever.

Sheldon 

    

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, April 20, 2019 8:21 PM

Where is another Krakatoa eruption when you need to cool things off!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by SwampCreature on Sunday, April 21, 2019 5:08 AM

Chris30

Whether or not you agree with the protesters, you certainly have to admire the effort. Seemed like a good idea, gluing ourselves to the top of te train, until we encountered that low tunnel... Indifferent

 

 

...fortunately the protesters haven't tried gluing themselves to the roofs of trains where there are 25,000 volt OHLE cables about ('Extinction Rebellion' would certainly apply in that case!)

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Sunday, April 21, 2019 8:51 PM

Welcome aboard Swamp Creature!

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Posted by zardoz on Monday, April 22, 2019 4:30 PM

BaltACD

Where is another Krakatoa eruption when you need to cool things off!

 

Be careful what you wish for...

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, April 22, 2019 4:55 PM

zardoz
 
BaltACD

Where is another Krakatoa eruption when you need to cool things off! 

Be careful what you wish for...

As long as the 'Ring of Fire' keeps on keeping on - all things are possible - good, bad or indifferent.  If the Earth ever stops 'quakeing' we will be in BIG TROUBLE.

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Posted by 54light15 on Monday, April 22, 2019 5:48 PM

Wasn't it a chilly, wet summer after Mt. St. Helens erupted? I notice that the protesters glued themselves to the top of Docklands Light Railway cars. The DLR is all 3rd rail, so no chance of electrocution, especially for the first responders who have to deal with those idiots. I think climate change is real but protesting at an electric railway is totally stupid. They should have glued themselves to some diesel-burning HGVs (heavy goods vehicles which is the limey term for an 18-wheeler.) 

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Posted by GERALD L MCFARLANE JR on Friday, April 26, 2019 7:36 PM

So, instead of thinking up new ways to use the carbon we produce, they'd rather just create more CO2 on their own.  What I'm surprised the most about is that so far no industry has tried to create more items from carbon fiber, such as shoe shanks, replacing the steel shanks in shoes with carbon fiber ones would create huge demand for carbon fiber, much more so than is used now.  I think even enough demand that it would be plausible for an electric utility to explore capturing the output of coal fired power plants, separating the carbon from the CO2, releasing the pure oxygen into the atmosphere...manufacture carbon fiber and still have a negative carbon footprint even with all the additional manufacturing operations, but what do I know, I'm only a normal civilian.

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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, April 26, 2019 8:45 PM

GERALD L MCFARLANE JR
So, instead of thinking up new ways to use the carbon we produce, they'd rather just create more CO2 on their own.  What I'm surprised the most about is that so far no industry has tried to create more items from carbon fiber, such as shoe shanks, replacing the steel shanks in shoes with carbon fiber ones would create huge demand for carbon fiber, much more so than is used now.  I think even enough demand that it would be plausible for an electric utility to explore capturing the output of coal fired power plants, separating the carbon from the CO2, releasing the pure oxygen into the atmosphere...manufacture carbon fiber and still have a negative carbon footprint even with all the additional manufacturing operations, but what do I know, I'm only a normal civilian.

I don't have the details on what is required to create carbon fiber that is used in 'making things'!  What I do know from my association with carbon fiber products from my racing.  Carbon Fiber anything is multiple times more expensive than the 'same object' manufactured from other materials.  Lighter but more expensive.

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Posted by seppburgh2 on Friday, April 26, 2019 9:50 PM
Railroad knowhow at its best.
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Posted by seppburgh2 on Friday, April 26, 2019 9:53 PM
Provine fact. Tomorrow morning the sun will rise in the East. The earth will warm. The sun sets in the West, night comes and the earth cools.
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Posted by BaltACD on Friday, April 26, 2019 10:11 PM

seppburgh2
Provine fact. Tomorrow morning the sun will rise in the East. The earth will warm. The sun sets in the West, night comes and the earth cools.

And there is snow in Chicago & Milwaukee

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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