|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
|
 Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 2:35 am Post subject: |
 |
|
| nautilus wrote: |
| Japan has turned what should be an issue of co-operative conservation into a face-saving issue of patriotism. How "Asian" |
Agreed. This behaviour is best described by the Chinese (Hokkian) phrase Kaisu. KIA (as in "afraid") and SU (as in "lose"). Taken together it becomes a phrase "Afraid to lose (out)".
But I expected more of Japan. The Koreans, Chinese etc I fully expect to do stuff like this. But I thought Japanese were more concerned about the natural world. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
mistermasan
Joined: 20 Sep 2007
Location: 10+ yrs on Dave's ESL cafe
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 2:40 am Post subject: |
|
|
the japanese who like whale meat are increasingly fewer and fewer. they'll stop going out to kill more when they can't sell the ones they got.
it is a passing style. hopefully, the whales can outlast the japanese grandmas. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stevemcgarrett
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 5:16 am Post subject: |
|
|
nautilus protested:
| Quote: |
Japan is about to kill 1000 endangered Whales over the next few months. in short, they are harvesting the fruits of decades of conservation measures by other countries. A lot of the whales migrate from sanctuaries in Australian waters, that have protected them from going extinct.
But that doesn't matter to the conservative Japanese heirarchy, from a country with little environmental awareness, apparently little sympathy for animals, and with a record of outright environmental damage in their own country. |
Well said and, of course this won't stop many on the Left from harboring the perception that the Japanese are leaders in environmental management because of the Kyoto protocol.
Personally, I'd like to see the Kiwis intervene with their naval vessels but, alas, they've gone the way of weak-kneed, diversity-driven foreign policy neutralists despite the public pronouncements of their PM.
I've concluded that most Asian leaders believe that what goes into their bellies is far more important than preserving species (e.g. Chinese and traditional medicinal trade, Japanese whaling, and Korean dog farms). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 5:24 am Post subject: Whales |
|
|
| Quote: |
| I heard the Australian foreign minister saying "short of going to war with them, there's not much we can do". |
Who's the new foreign Minister, after tonight's resounding election defeat?
I'm with the OP here. Japan is in the NORTHERN hemisphere. Why do they need to pursue whales in the Southern hemisphere? Because they're extinct in the north. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 5:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| ...of course this won't stop many on the Left ... Kyoto protocol.......weak-kneed...diversity-driven...neutralists ... |
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Vicissitude
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 9:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I really don't like whales. In fact, I'm scared to death of them, especially killer whales. But my word killing 1000 whales that are on the verge of extinction is way tooo many. It's not like they can reproduce very easily. On the other hand, they are probably at least using all of the whale instead of only the fins. Don't forget about what China does to sharks... cuts off their fins and throws them back into the ocean to die a slow and agonizing death. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 11:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
Steve wrote:
| Quote: |
Quote:
Well said and, of course this won't stop many on the Left from harboring the perception that the Japanese are leaders in environmental management because of the Kyoto protocol.
|
I would say that among leftists I know, in fact pretty much among everyone, it is understood that a treaty's being signed in a particular place doesn't reflect anything about the attitudes of the people who live in that place.
Do you know anyone who thinks that people in Dayton are particulatly interested in Balkan affairs? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 3:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
Do you know anyone who thinks that people in Dayton are particulatly interested in Balkan affairs?
|
Once again, Stevie is skewered. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 8:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| deadman wrote: |
| Oh well. This is great news for krill. |
-Bad news for krill is that global warming is melting the ice that krill depend on for their life cycle. Thus krill has registered something like a 25% population crash in recent years. The food chain of the oceans is unravelling.
| Quote: |
| it is understood that a treaty's being signed in a particular place doesn't reflect anything about the attitudes of the people who live in that place. |
Sadly, too true. Korea for example signed something called the RAMSAR convention to protect each country's most important ecological environments. Since then they've concreted over virtually all of them for more office space.
The most ridiculous thing about Japan is that they complain whales kill too many fish. However fish were in incredible abundance in the oceans 200 years ago and so were whales.
the real reason Japan has no fishing industry left is not whales, its because they've systematically overfished everything that moves around their coasts. Coupled with that they've concreted over all their coastal areas (ie spawning grounds) to make more land to build on. So now theres nothing left to catch in seas around Japan, they are forced to go further afield, even to the antarctic, to find a living thing to kill. In this case, whales that have survived thanks to the committed conservation efforts of wiser nations. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stevemcgarrett
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
OTOH cautioned:
| Quote: |
| I would say that among leftists I know, in fact pretty much among everyone, it is understood |
That may be but it's still anecdotal evidence at best. Nor did I say that all Leftists subscribe to this view.
| Quote: |
| it is understood that a treaty's being signed in a particular place doesn't reflect anything about the attitudes of the people who live in that place. |
That's part of my point; it doesn't necessarily reflect local or national concerns, as in:
| Quote: |
| However, the second-largest economy in the world saw its emissions actually rise 7.8 per cent in 2005 from 1990 levels. "Under the current situation, it is extremely difficult to attain the goal of the Kyoto Protocol," Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda admitted recently. |
Earth Times, Oct. 10, 2007
or this fromthe blog of an expat EFL teacher who has spent 17 years in Japan and is fluent in the language:
| Quote: |
| ...What this reinforced to me was that, while Japanese people like to talk about how much they value nature and feel it's important to do what we can to improve the global warming situation, they are mainly offering lip service. Most of the people I've spoken with criticize the U.S. for not signing on to the Kyoto Protocol and applaud Japan's efforts in that regard but, on a personal level, do little to nothing to change their lifestyle or habits to protect the environment...What is often crystal clear to me is the Japanese are more than happy to be environmentally conscious as long as they are forced to do so by the government and when the larger issue isn't directly in their hands (as is the case with the Kyoto Protocol). When it comes to making the effort on a daily basis and scrutinizing their lifestyles, the thought doesn't even occur to most of them. |
Nonetheless, I've read many leftist media (and Japanese themselves) about the Japanese as if they're at the forefront of the environmental movement (save for the painfully obvious case of whaling).
A quick sampling:
| Quote: |
| Japan, as host country of the meeting which agreed to the Kyoto Protocol, has a special position with relation to the protocol. Therefore, the government should take the lead in ratifying the protocol and establish a domestic system to prevent climate change, the resolution states. |
Environmental News Service, April 18, 2001
But then there is this:
| Quote: |
| In Japan, a tireless supporter of the pact, the enactment was being met with a mixture of pride and worry that the world's second-largest economy is unprepared to meet its emissions reduction targets. |
USA Today, Feb. 16, 2005
| Quote: |
| As the world's most energy-efficient industrialized economy, Japan is in a position to extend technical assistance on the environment both to fast-developing nations such as China, and to prosperous peers such as the U.S. Whether it means nuclear power or fuel-efficient cars, if the entire world used energy like Japan, global carbon emissions would be lower. |
TIME, April 26, 2007
Ta-ta Boy stammered:
| Quote: |
| Once again, Stevie is skewered. |
Once again you depend on others to try to score points for you. How pathetic it is little man. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
thepeel
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 11:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
This is exactly why so many are so sick of the right-wing.
Here we have an article about a country totally ignoring the potential extinction of a species due to their actions. It is an easy topic. Should be post after post of how horrible it is and so on.
Then, Capitan Conservative shows up and all of a sudden we are talking about "leftists", diversity and a totally unrelated environmental treaty. The topic has been changed to an obnoxious discussion about the good/bad of so-and-so. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
chris_J2
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Location: From Brisbane, Au.
|
| Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Stephen Smith was promoted from education to foreign affairs Minister, on 28/11/07 by new Aus PM K. Rudd, aka K07. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:35 am Post subject: |
|
|
Will Australia protect its antarctic territory from being violated by the Japanese? We may have a whale war yet 
Rudd urged to send warships after whalers
SEA Shepherd founder Paul Watson has urged the incoming Rudd Government to honour its pre-election promise and send a warship to monitor the Japanese whaling fleet headed for the Southern Ocean.
"We're hoping that the new Labor Government will send Australian naval vessels down there to monitor their illegal activities," Capt Watson said.
"Japan is targeting an endangered species in a whale sanctuary in violation of a global moratorium.
"That's like poaching elephants for ivory. It's a crime."
Labor unveiled its plan in May for naval warships to intercept and board whaling vessels in the Southern Ocean.
"By Japan targeting humpbacks, what they're really doing is slapping Australia in the face," Capt Watson said.
"They're saying: `We're going to go down there and do whatever we want and your Government doesn't have the guts to stop us'.
"All it would take to end Japanese whaling is for Australia to demand that they get out of the Australian Antarctic Territory and back that up by sending a navy vessel down there.
"Everybody's afraid of harming trade relations with Japan. I can tell you right now Japan needs Australia more than Australia needs Japan."
Greenpeace ship Esperanza will follow the Japanese fleet south but the organisation has promised a "non-violent action" campaign.
Sea Shepherd says it will ram whaling ships if necessary to try to stop the hunt and its crew on the vessel Robert Hunter are prepared to be shot at.
"I have body armour for my crew when they're on the bridge," Capt Watson said.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22831552-29277,00.html
Protest Ship Hunts for Japanese Whalers
Greenpeace said its protest ship Esperanza was searching for the fleet south of Japanese territorial waters and would shadow the ships to the South Pacific to try to reduce their catch.
In a farewell ceremony Sunday for the four-ship (Japanese) expedition, officials told a crowd at the southern Japanese port of Shimonoseki that Japan should preserve its whale-eating culture.
"They're violent environmental terrorists," mission leader Hajime Ishikawa said. "Their violence is unforgivable ... We must fight against their hypocrisy and lies."
Families waved little flags emblazoned with smiling whales and the crew raised a toast with cans of beer, while a brass band played "Popeye the Sailor Man."
Japan says it needs to kill 50 Fin and 935 Minke Whales in order to conduct research on their reproductive and feeding patterns.
"I don't think firing a harpoon at a whale and then dragging it next to the ship is ethical," Findlay said. "You question the necessity of that. It's not research."
The Japanese hunt, which puts meat from the whales on the commercial market, is growing rapidly despite an increasingly vocal anti-whaling movement. This winter season's target of up to 1,035 whales is more than double the number the country hunted a decade ago.
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/protest-ship-hunts-for-japanese-whalers/20071119095809990001 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
