This is vaguely why I remain passionate about transition into a truly sustainable economy that supports life as we know it and life as we need it.
Because, everybody is so keen on explaining it in terms of planets and resources we need, if this scenario or that scenario of development and resource intensity happens. And lay people are much to eager to just accept what is being said. Partly, blame resides on global and local media, as they gulped the news down, some years ago - and now it is stale bread. Partly, the scientists, who, from their ivory towers still somehow thought the "scare people into action" logic of the 70s and 80s will work again. In the age of digital consumption and no-time-to read, nah-ah, it's not going to work.
When we hear: UN/World Bank population projection for 2020 ... 2030 ... 2050 is some bilion, we don't really think of it in terms of how much can I consume in 2050? How much can other consume, if I consume this per cent of the planet's resources. No, we don't as ourselves this, because we've been trained by the media and advertising (Relax... and shop, shop to relax, live better: consume more!), from politicians (We will fix this in our mandate! (If you vote for us.)) and each other (Meh, I'm just one guy and our neighbourhood doesn't even separate waste!). We've been trained that everything is going to be just fine. Well, I'm not so sure about that. Maybe it's going to be sort-of fine for Europe, Japan, USA and Canada, but what happens when 20 million people suddenly want to move their homes, because their homeland has been made unlivable? What happens to Australia with rising temperatures and increased precipitation abnormalities?
I foresee some strife.
And I look at the world and I wonder: why don't people start running down the streets in utter panic, when they hear about stuff like this? Obviously, we discount the value of the future; we put today before tomorrow. But that's the basic animal need and instict. We're better than that, we should be better than that! If the loss of life (err... massive extinctions of other species) dosen't convince us, maybe an economic logic should.
If we make the planet unlivable, where do we live? Surely, number of people still entertaining the notion of just reaching for the stars - flying away (where?) on a spaceship is incredibly small. Right? I mean, we can't simulate the ecological system in a controlled environment, never mind have the means and energy to produce food for so much (how much) people that would embark on the Noah's Ark 2050XYZ. I mean, yes, a laboratory produced burger today costs $332,000 (or just about € 250,000) and it will probably cost less in 2050, but ... do we really want to risk it like that? Risk the lives of your kids, your sister's kids, cousin's kids, your own life, as the date is just 37 years away. God, never thought I'd have to make sure to be in shape at the age of 65 to be able to run onto a spaceship.
When we hear: UN/World Bank population projection for 2020 ... 2030 ... 2050 is some bilion, we don't really think of it in terms of how much can I consume in 2050? How much can other consume, if I consume this per cent of the planet's resources. No, we don't as ourselves this, because we've been trained by the media and advertising (Relax... and shop, shop to relax, live better: consume more!), from politicians (We will fix this in our mandate! (If you vote for us.)) and each other (Meh, I'm just one guy and our neighbourhood doesn't even separate waste!). We've been trained that everything is going to be just fine. Well, I'm not so sure about that. Maybe it's going to be sort-of fine for Europe, Japan, USA and Canada, but what happens when 20 million people suddenly want to move their homes, because their homeland has been made unlivable? What happens to Australia with rising temperatures and increased precipitation abnormalities?
I foresee some strife.
And I look at the world and I wonder: why don't people start running down the streets in utter panic, when they hear about stuff like this? Obviously, we discount the value of the future; we put today before tomorrow. But that's the basic animal need and instict. We're better than that, we should be better than that! If the loss of life (err... massive extinctions of other species) dosen't convince us, maybe an economic logic should.
If we make the planet unlivable, where do we live? Surely, number of people still entertaining the notion of just reaching for the stars - flying away (where?) on a spaceship is incredibly small. Right? I mean, we can't simulate the ecological system in a controlled environment, never mind have the means and energy to produce food for so much (how much) people that would embark on the Noah's Ark 2050XYZ. I mean, yes, a laboratory produced burger today costs $332,000 (or just about € 250,000) and it will probably cost less in 2050, but ... do we really want to risk it like that? Risk the lives of your kids, your sister's kids, cousin's kids, your own life, as the date is just 37 years away. God, never thought I'd have to make sure to be in shape at the age of 65 to be able to run onto a spaceship.
"If there is one day that all of humanity can recognize together, it would be that of Earth Overshoot Day. That is the day that global resource consumption for the year exceeds the planet's ability to replenish its natural capital.
"Or to put it another way, it is comparable to living off of your credit card, except in this case humanity is living off of its ecological credit card and using more than nature can keep up. Currently we are using about 50% more resources each year than the Earth can replenish. We would need 5 planets if we all lived like the average American and 3 planets as a European, according to the Global Footprint Network, which along with the new economics foundation conceived of Earth Overshoot Day.
"There is no date-specific day for overshoot, though Global Footprint Network estimates that it usually takes approximately 8 months and then the planet goes into ecological debt, using more than what the Earth can provide in a given year. This year it hit on August 20th."
See more, or a 2 min video if you prefer, at: http://blog.wiser.org/blowing-the-budget-overspending-natures-wealth/#sthash.Uq4Wdj9k.dpuf
via @WiserEarth
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