# Halftime, sponsored by Al Gore **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 5, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251 "2007-11-05T03:05:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251/161 "2007-11-08T18:21:17Z")
[QUOTE=brazil84] Actually, I was somewhat skeptical about HIV/AIDS until somebody pointed out to me that there was a big waive of blood transfusion recipients in the 1980s who ended up being HIV positive and who also died of immune system failure. Once the blood supply started being screened for HIV, the problem subsided. To me, this is a powerful piece of evidence that HIV causes AIDS. (However, if it turns out that the HIV explanation is incomplete or even wrong, I would not be terribly surprised.) [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=brazil84] I think it’s greater than that, if you are willing to wait 20 or 30 years. [/QUOTE] And this is why I’m going to trust the experts for now. It certainly would have sucked if we had never screened the blood supply to this day, because someone wanted to wait until we had proven to your satisfaction that HIV was the cause of AIDS. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251/162 "2007-11-08T18:25:58Z")
[QUOTE=brazil84] In that case, there should have been plenty of actual facts available by 1968 and 1969: > **[The Population Bomb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Population_Bomb)** > > The Population Bomb is a 1968 book co-authored by former Stanford University professor Paul R. Ehrlich and former Stanford senior researcher in conservation biology Anne H. Ehrlich. From the opening page, it predicted worldwide famines due to overpopulation, as well as other major societal upheavals, and advocated immediate action to limit population growth. Fears of a "population explosion" existed in the mid-20th century baby boom years, but the book and its authors brought the idea to an The b... How about you quote the part of the article you think is relevant? [/QUOTE] Did an international group of scientists write that book? Because otherwise, that’s a pretty fucking stupid argument. It must be comforting not having to think to form your opinions. Just choose the ones you like the best and bullshit about the justification. Go you! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251/163 "2007-11-08T18:46:27Z")
[QUOTE=brazil84] In that case, there should have been plenty of actual facts available by 1968 and 1969: > **[The Population Bomb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Population_Bomb)** > > The Population Bomb is a 1968 book co-authored by former Stanford University professor Paul R. Ehrlich and former Stanford senior researcher in conservation biology Anne H. Ehrlich. From the opening page, it predicted worldwide famines due to overpopulation, as well as other major societal upheavals, and advocated immediate action to limit population growth. Fears of a "population explosion" existed in the mid-20th century baby boom years, but the book and its authors brought the idea to an The b... How about you quote the part of the article you think is relevant? [/QUOTE] How about you educate yourself, I don’t give a shit about one book written 40 years ago, I recommended a good source to learn more about the Green Revolution. The article went into scientifically supported pros of it and some of the dangers of it. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251/164 "2007-11-08T20:48:32Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] How about you educate yourself, [/quote] How about you do your own homework? You stated that the Green Revolution occurred in response to well publicized predictions about overpopulation I had heard. By your own statement (and according to Wikipedia), the Green Revolution started well the predictions I referred to were made. Looks like you are clearly in the wrong on that point. I don’t see how some magazine article or book is going to rescue you. And even if it could, it’s not my problem to go looking for it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251/165 "2007-11-08T21:00:41Z")
[QUOTE=brazil84] How about you do your own homework? You stated that the Green Revolution occurred in response to well publicized predictions about overpopulation I had heard. By your own statement (and according to Wikipedia), the Green Revolution started well the predictions I referred to were made. Looks like you are clearly in the wrong on that point. I don’t see how some magazine article or book is going to rescue you. And even if it could, it’s not my problem to go looking for it. [/QUOTE] I never said that, I said that GR happened and thus we did not have mass starvation. I am not citing anything you idiot. I was suggesting a location where you could learn about GR a lot better than a wiki article. I don’t really care what you do with it. That was the point of saying educate yourself. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251/166 "2007-11-08T21:02:48Z")
[QUOTE=Lobohan] Did an international group of scientists write that book? Because otherwise, that’s a pretty fucking stupid argument. [/quote] Why? I referred to the book to show that predictions about overpopulation/starvation were being made AFTER the “Green Revolution” > [@](#): > > It must be comforting not having to think to form your opinions. I accepted AGW without a lot of thought back around 1990. I didn’t change my mind until I gave the matter some thought. Neither viewpoint was particularly comforting. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251/167 "2007-11-08T21:19:53Z")
[QUOTE=DMC] It certainly would have sucked if we had never screened the blood supply to this day, because someone wanted to wait until we had proven to your satisfaction that HIV was the cause of AIDS. [/QUOTE] And it also would have sucked if some other cause of AIDS were ignored because people were too wedded to the HIV/AIDS hypothesis. Or if HIV had been ignored because people refused to consider the HIV/AIDS hypothesis. Anyway, I’m certainly not arguing that no action should ever be taken on the basis of an unproven hypothesis. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251/168 "2007-11-08T21:23:14Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I never said that, I said that GR happened and thus we did not have mass starvation. [/quote] If that’s what you really meant, then your statement in Post #147 was a non-sequitur. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251/169 "2007-11-09T02:16:01Z")
[QUOTE=Kimstu] Okay; thanks for the clarification. snip Now that you’ve explained it, I understand, and I’m glad to see that you’re not actually advocating leaving unused lights burning just to enjoy wasting electricity. [/QUOTE] Well fine…dammit. You shouldn’t be allowed to post in the Pit. We don’t need this calm and rational crap. Now give me a damn brownie. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251/170 "2007-11-09T04:16:10Z")
> [@Klaatu](#): > > Now give me a damn brownie. Here you go: made with fair-trade organic chocolate, by the way! 🙂 Mmm I love baking brownies. It’s a pity I’m allergic to chocolate, but I guess it just leaves more for everybody else! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halftime-sponsored-by-al-gore/425251.md?page=8)