I think a generation had to go by first though. "Give a hoot,
   don't pollute" was still a thing in the 80s when the
   hot-and-heavy research-in-this-one-direction began. So people
   would've thought about owls. But if we can blame the weather on
   pollution? Well, EVERYBODY complains about the weather, and NOW
   FINALLY somebody's gonna _do_ something about it. So it was a
   practical angle for a number of years, psychologically. == The
   whole global warming/climate change/greenhouse effect angle
   means I've spent 1/2 my life so far hearing, "WE HAVE TO DO
   SOMETHING BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE" and I'm like.. ok, well, go
   ahead if you want. I put my recycling in the recycle bin most of
   the time. My sphere of influence is limited and I do what I can
   where I'm at. But I don't like being a mouthpiece for others in
   general. I have to really be into an issue for that. This one?
   I'm really not that into. Never was. Somebody else's religious
   fervor to convince everybody but not mine.   =   Well, here's
   the way I see it: The earth is tough. If we screw up the climate
   for our needs, the earth will survive, thrive and change and
   life will continue. Will we be a part of it? I dunno. I suspect
   we will. I tend to be very skeptical of apocalyptic viewpoints
   generally, no matter how much data is behind it, so that might
   be a point where we differ. == Well, it's a tough situation:
   When we're SUCCESSFUL at making change happen, people always
   say, "See, there was never a problem in the first place -
   everything's fine". So I dont' want to do that. I'm usually the
   guy that has to work in the background and FIX everything so it
   appears there was never a real problem in the first place. == I
   spend my life hearing people say, "I don't know what you're so
   stressed about - it would've worked out fine even if you did
   nothing". I've learned to ignore those people through the years
   because they'll never 'get it' - that it takes a lot of work to
   keep things working. ==
   Well, it's practical when paired up with, "And here's what we
   can do about it: Reduce pollution, invent new technologies which
   can reduce the effects... create new legislation to.... issue
   sanctions against countries who do [x]... support homegrown
   efforts to...."and stuff like that. What you've said, when
   paired with, "...and here's what we humans can do about it". is
   practical.I don't have to believe to know what's practical smile
   emoticon Even if it's "keeping people busy until The End" -
   that's practical.
   Chat Conversation End
   ==
   *"Where there's life, there's hope". That's my overall view of
   things. Even if 98% of the population goes away and there are
   pockets of livable space underground and we have to eventually
   recolonize elsewhere in hundreds of years and eeek out our
   survival in the meantime, I'm ok with that possible future as
   well.
   =
   Quite true. I mean if ppl wanna do something about it, I'm ok
   with it. I'll analogize: During the Serbia/Kosovo war/conflict,
   there were people they (somebody did I forgot who) called the
   "white shirt brigade". They put on their suit and ties and went
   to work everyday. They avoided areas of conflict when they
   drove. They did their jobs. They came home, fed their families.
   Same happens in Syria today. Everywhere there's war, people
   continue leading normal lives. Most people aren't fighting or
   bombing. They are the people who save things. I believe that
   100%.
   Chat Conversation End
   ==
   *They are. Crossing borders, dealing with the BS of war by
   working around it, they carry on. Theme of WWII "Keep calm and
   carry on". Theme of Post 9/11 USA. Its true. It's my approach
   with global warming. I do what I can but beyond that, if I want
   civilization to continue, I remain civilized smile emoticon
   ==