Chris -- I applaud the newer airplanes being built; however, unfortunately, the US has a vast, aging fleet (many more than 30 years old). I cannot imagine these are good for the ozone layer.

Olivia -- I agree; however, until and unless, we get everyone marching in the same direction, the prognosis sounds pretty grim.

I second Barbara's remark except that I think it'll take more than grounding all the commercial airlines. Maybe if we all started living as the Amish do and gave up all modern conveniences.... and that is definitely not going to happen, either....

Barbara, Commercial airliners are marvels of incredible technology. In the next two years the GEnx will be flying on Boeing's 787. It will not only cut noise by +30% it will also cut CO2 emissions by 94%! Airliners are most fuel conscious than your average hybrid economy car driver. When we realize that BIG BUSINESS is often doing their part (because it SAVES THEM MONEY), we have NO excuse not to do our part.

Global warming will never be brought under control until all commercial airlines are permanently grounded. That is not going to happen, so I guess we need to start planning for the worst case scenarios we hear about.

Thanks for the segment on environmentalism John! I more than realize how appalling the image of environmentalists can be at times. People need to realize that environmentalism isn't just about global warming, however. There are in fact many reasons to live more efficiently including for our health, the beauty of the natural world, an improved national security derived from energy independence, and for our own pocketbook. In the end, aren't wastefulness and carelessness morally wrong?

If I were to take out my pocketknife and carve my initials into a beautiful hardwood desk at a library, everyone would rightfully think I was an arrogant SOB who only thought of myself, right? Yet, this is exactly how society treats the natural world as they slap up one-level shopping malls in every town. Because of our social blindness (our status quo that we must maintain in our battle with the Jones’ next door), we don’t see how our owning an SUV or sports car is wasteful. We don’t identify how having second formal living and dining areas, which are only used on the holidays, as being just a bit much. In a world with so many problems, such excess is—to me—more a mark of arrogance than of success.

In essence, it is important to realize that we are all environmentalists. If any one of us were to turn on the water only to find it brown and cloudy, we’d complain! If we were to go to the grocery store only to find that there were no more fresh vegetables because people had long since paved over the farmland, we’d complain! If there was no civil planning whatsoever (where city dumps and sewer plants were intermixed with residential areas and where red lights lasted five minutes), again, we’d complain! why live in a garbage heap when we can live within an old-growth forest or by a beautiful national park?

Good Evening Mr.Seigenthaler, Tom Aspell's report on more violence in Iraq proves that everytime a small step in making any sort of progress towards peace occurs there are several steps backward. This conference on trying to stop the violence just happened yesterday and these people are out there killing again. If these people keep up with all their violent actions against eachother eventually they will destroy everything and everyone around them leaving nothing left but rubble. I would really like to understand why they must act this way. What will it possibly take for them to quit causing this violence? If they have an answer then please tell us so we can work on the progress towards achieving the goal of peace. Thank you for your broadcast Mr. Seigenthaler.