NYCkayaker NYCKayaker Digest, Vol 22, Issue 33

[Geoff K.]

Tom,

Thank you for identifying how absurd this sounds. It was meant that way, 
to mimic the premise to which I was responding. I was trying to be way 
off-base.

My point was this: If we want to stop the speed boat races on such soft 
grounds, then who knows what else could be stopped for such similar 
reasons? Where do we draw the line? None of us paddlers -- including me 
-- likes or wants these events to continue to occur, but who are we to 
say they should stop based on the something as broad and 
all-encompassing as the global warming argument? I was being facetious 
about the notion of the global warming defense. I hold no ill will 
against the ferries or the barges or the subways. If there is a good 
reason to stop the race event, such as the safety issues raised, then by 
all means let's follow that path.

If it were as simple as saying we don't like it so it must stop, then 
there would be many other folks who could say the same about kayaking, 
commercial traffic, any number of things. If it were an easy problem we 
would have solved it by now. We all agree that the river is a resource 
worth sharing. But we need to share it responsibly. If there's a good 
motivation to stop the speed boat races, then let's identify it and make 
it known. Saying we don't like it or painting it with the broad brush of 
global warming isn't going anyone any good; it's a distraction. It's an 
interesting discussion, but it doesn't further the issue much.

They got Al Capone on tax evasion because it was the only procedural 
issue that could make stick. Nobody liked him or what he was doing, but 
that's just not enough. It sounds like the safety issue raised regarding 
the speed boat races could be the procedural issue needed to put an end 
to this event.

The idea that the races are totally unnecessary only holds some water. 
The same could be said about auto racing, but I'll say it again, that 
little green Prius on the road owes a lot of its design to cutting-edge 
racing technology from years past, as the boating world owes a lot to 
high-end speed boat technology. Also, I could argue your point about 
factory farming practices being a necessary part of our modern 
existence, but that's better held over a couple of beers at the local 
watering hole...

-- Geoff
>
> Geoff Ks  post was way off base.  Ferries, along with subways and 
> other forms of mass transportation, reduce the greenhouse gas 
> emissions and other pollutants that  private vehicles would 
> generate  Barges, replace transportation by a whole fleet of trucks, 
> again reducing greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. Furthermore, 
> transportation, farming etc are a necessary part of modern life, while 
> cigarette boats are an unnecessary cause of pollution, (both noise and 
> air) and serve only to inflate the already giant egos of their 
>  owners. While kayak manufacturing does contribute to pollution, at 
> least kayaks and canoes are  environmentally friendly in use. We need 
> to make choices in life that have the least negative impact on our 
> environment. 
>  
> Tom
>