I know we're going off topic, but to add my two cents anyway. I share
the pessimisms that has been expressed by many of the people here, but
I think there's more you can do than you think.
I think overpopulation is a big issue, but I don't think it can be
tackled head on. I'm a little darwinistic about it. Simply asking
considerate people not to have children means we'll be left with the
children of inconsiderate people. In 100 years time will most of the
young people be those that come from a long line of inconsiderate
parents? (Perhaps we're already living in that age.)
Some of the biggest challenges that need to be tackled are:
* Seeing the growth of Not Just For Profit (NJFP): enterprise that
considers the triple bottom line -- that is it measures its success in
economic, environmental and social dimensions. Start one, join one,
turn an existing business into one. I don't know.
* Economic measurements fail to include the environment. GDP, GNI,
etc, don't consider the environment. This needs to change. Hopefully
carbon accounting is only the start.
* Less corrupt, more transparent government (and industry): Bad
decisions are continuously made by government due to corruption, lack
of accountability, and lack of transparency.
In Australia our old-growth forests continue to be logged for
woodchip. Port Phillip Bay is about to be dredged despite huge
community opposition and clear environmental problems. Exmouth Gulf is
being turned into a 70-km long salt mine. And then there's the hugely
unpopular pulp mill being built in Tasmania. In many cases corruption
has been exposed (or been blatant) in giving these projects the
go-ahead. How do we end corruption in government? Larry Lessig's
fledgling fight to end government corruption is worth noting:
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/06/19/lessig-switches-from.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2007/10/14/lessigs-anticorrupti.html
* Increase our use of renewable energy and lessen our reliance on
fossil fuels.
* Higher environmental standards for manufacture: To have a bit of a
rant... My CD player uses 7 watts when playing a CD. That's fine. It
uses 5 watts when it's on and not playing a CD that's ok too. But
after you push the "on" button out, and the thing is off and there are
no LEDs lit and it cannot be awoken by a remote control.... it still
uses 5 watts. That's about 60 kilograms of greenhouse gases each year
from a device which is acting like it's off. Then there's another 60
kg for the washing machine, 60 kg each for the TV, set-top box,
microwave oven, and just about every appliance in the house. All
draining power when they're switched "off". Some of the worst
offenders in my house were the desktop computer (30 watts including
the screen when off) and a remote-controlled pedestal fan (25 watts
when on standby). I believe in Europe the maximum allowed is 1 watt
while an appliance is in stand by. This is pretty obvious stuff.
Needless to say, we switch appliances off at the wall now. And of
course this is small potatoes compared to other issues of poor energy
productivity.
* And the biggest issue (in my mind) is what has been called "Nature
Deficiency Syndrome" in children, which is countered by "Ecological
Literacy". I.e. Young children need to experience nature or they'll
never feel a reason to protect it. To quote from a review of "Good
News From a Change" (because I can't find the book itself): teaching
children from early age about the workings of nature by immersing them
in it, will enhance and spread a new sense of awe, respect and good
environmental stewardship of the Earth.
Even simply having more nature on television, in movies, and in
video games would be a huge start. I don't just mean nature docos or
eco-the-dolphin PlayStation games for nature lovers -- I believe
giving some focus to plants, animals and natural settings within
sitcoms, blockbuster all-action movies and first person shooters would
have a far reaching effect and be a huge start to curing children of
the Nature Deficiency epidemic and drawing them into the real natural
world.
* Climate change. Read the latest IPCC report. Just the summary even.
Climate change is the natural environment's biggest threat.
* Support direct action like tree sits, and confrontational
environment groups like Sea Shepherd.
End of off-topic rant.
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