Amazon Burning Is Mostly Farms, Not Forests

"Don't Panic: Amazon Burning Is Mostly Farms, Not Forests"
Problematic deforestation continues, but the "lungs of the earth" are still breathing.
Ronald Bailey | 8.23.2019 4:35 PM

"A 2018 study in Nature reported that the global tree canopy cover had increased by 865,000 square miles from 1982 to 2016. As Brazilians become wealthier, the deforestation trend in the Amazon will likely turn around toward afforestation, as it already has done many other countries." Most of the burning today is on land that was already cleared for farming.

Defend the rights of others

-

If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a "Mormon," I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves. It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul — civil and religious liberty to the whole of the human race. 

—Joseph Smith, 1843

Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Nauvoo, that the Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Latter-day Saints, Quakers, Episcopals, Universalists, Unitarians, Mohammedans [Muslims], and all other religious sects and denominations whatever, shall have free toleration, and equal privileges in this city ... 

—Ordinance in Relation to Religious Societies, City of Nauvoo, [Illinois] headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, March 1, 1841

From "Church Points to Joseph Smith’s Statements on Religious Freedom, Pluralism", 8 Dec 2015

Marriage and Religion are good for Us

From "‘Luxury beliefs’ are the latest status symbol for rich Americans", By Rob Henderson August 17, 2019

A former classmate from Yale recently told me “monogamy is kind of outdated” and not good for society. So I asked her what her background is and if she planned to marry. 

She said she comes from an affluent family and works at a well-known technology company. Yes, she personally intends to have a monogamous marriage — but quickly added that marriage shouldn’t have to be for everyone. 

She was raised by a traditional family. She planned on having a traditional family. But she maintained that traditional families are old-fashioned and society should “evolve” beyond them. 

What could explain this?

Some examples of 'luxury beliefs' that are harmful to those with less resources.
- monogamy is kind of outdated
- all family structures are equal
- religion is irrational or harmful

Not Yours to Give

-

The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be intrusted to man, particularly under our system of collecting revenue by a tariff, which reaches every man in the country, no matter how poor he may be, and the poorer he is the more he pays in proportion to his means. What is worse, it presses upon him without his knowledge where the weight centers, for there is not a man in the United States who can ever guess how much he pays to the government. So you see, that while you are contributing to relieve one, you are drawing it from thousands who are even worse off than he. If you had the right to give anything, the amount was simply a matter of discretion with you, and you had as much right to give $20,000,000 as $20,000. If you have the right to give to one, you have the right to give to all; and, as the Constitution neither defines charity nor stipulates the amount, you are at liberty to give to any and everything which you may believe, or profess to believe, is a charity, and to any amount you may think proper. You will very easily perceive what a wide door this would open for fraud and corruption and favoritism, on the one hand, and for robbing the people on the other. No, Colonel, Congress has no right to give charity. ("Not Yours to Give", fee.org, 18 Nov 2012)

The intro to the above article says

[The following story about the famed American icon Davy Crockett was published in Harper's Magazine in 1867, as written by James J. Bethune, a pseudonym used by Edward S. Ellis. The events that are recounted here are true, including Crockett's opposition to the bill in question, though the precise rendering and some of the detail are fictional.]

City of Surprise temporarily halts recycling program

"City of Surprise temporarily halts recycling program"Aug 14, 2019, abc15.com staff

"The problem with recycling" July 12, 2019

"America Finally Admits Recycling Doesn’t Work" By Jon Miltimore - March 22, 2019





https://youtu.be/o2v7sbdl3WA