🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3v6oh0$1nm@lehua.ilhawaii.net>, jhanson@ilhawaii.net (Jay
Hanson) wrote:

> In article <mh-2607951322400001@ip200.sna.primenet.com>, mh@primenet.com
says...
> ->
> ->In article <3v412g$l6g@lehua.ilhawaii.net>, jhanson@ilhawaii.net (Jay
> ->Hanson) wrote:
> ->
> ->> What is "unfounded panic"?
> ->
> ->"Founded panic" is the state of mental and emotional confusion and turmoil
> ->when you discover yourself locked in a cage with a large, hungry,
> ->carnivorous animal.
> ->
> ->"Unfounded panic" is the same state when the animal turns out just to be a
> ->very lifelike picture of that same large, hungry, carnivorous animal.
> ->
> ->Got it?
> 
> By your definition, fear of death or mutilation is "founded" if it
> could happen and "unfounded" if it could not.
> 
> Is that it?
> 
> If so, is panic concerning ozone depletion founded or unfounded?
> How do you know?

You don't - you can only go with your best information.

Jay raises a very good point; although there appears to be a correlation between
depletion of ozone and some activities of mankind, it's hard to really KNOW
for certain.  All we can really do is ASSUME that the danger exists ("that's
no picture, that's a hungry carnivore!"), act to minimize the danger ("Run
away!"), and (now here's the hard part for many) test to make sure that
what we're doing is really keeping the danger from getting any worse ("It's
not chasing me - maybe it WAS only a picture.").

I don't think that PANIC about something is ever a good idea.  However, the
quick action to reduce the release of chlorofluorocarbons worldwide was
probably a good idea anyway, even if it does nothing about the ozone depletion.
After all, now we can test the hypothesis.

It might be a good idea, however, to get people working on the premise "what
if it's something ELSE that we're doing that's causing the ozone depletion?"
After all, if it turns out to be something else, we ought to fix it quickly.
======================================================================
Mark Hartman Computer Solutions - specializing in all things Macintosh
   C  C++   4th Dimension   Networking   System design/architecture
tel +1(714)758.0640 -+- fax +1(714)999.5030 -+- e-mail mh@primenet.com
     "But it's not a fair test!  People LIKE to use the Macintosh!"
======================================================================
"If war is ever lawful, then peace is sometimes sinful." --C. S. Lewis