How can you change anything when the economy depends on growth?
Peter Shute
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [birding-aus-
> On Behalf Of Richard King
>Sent: Thursday, 23 August 2012 11:15 AM
>To:
>Subject: [Birding-Aus] future prospects for the environment
>
>Hi All,
>
>
>
>I know I'm probably opening a huge can of worms and may get my arse
>kicked,
>but here we go.
>
>
>
>We often seem to get upset with governments (or other groups) who don't
>protect the environment and rightly so, and I do agree that most of the
>time
>much, much more can be done! I also see that all governments in
>Australia
>and worldwide are under huge pressures from citizens and other countries
>to
>provide resources and facilities (I in no way support hunting in parks
>or
>other areas). The real issue, especially now, is our ever increasing
>human
>population in Australia and again worldwide. A recent article I read,
>said
>that now the world population is increasing by about 200 new humans born
>each second (that's after human deaths per second are taken into
>account).
>We have already passed needing 1.6 planets to survive, totally
>unsustainable!
>
>Resources (mineral, water, food) are dwindling and any areas, including
>national parks, will have to be destroyed if it is necessary to get
>them.
>Every one of those new 6000+ humans (by the time you read this email)
>will
>need more new resources and facilities. Perth, I've heard last week is
>going
>to increase by at least 500 000 in the next ten years, a city that is
>already severely short of water, bad transport and the list goes on. We
>live
>in a desert continent, so for us in Australia, water, food and
>resources,
>not to mention providing all the facilities people want, is going to be
>a
>nightmarish problem!
>
>Sorry to sound so dark, but there does not seem to be any quick solution
>to
>these problems, the wonderful natural areas we love will have to be
>destroyed or at least modified and degraded. Our protected and loved
>natural
>areas can only exist if we have a 'comfortable' modern life, think of
>it, if
>Coles or Woolworths ran out of food, wouldn't you go hunt as much native
>wildlife as you can find, even in national parks, to provide food for
>yourself and family? I believe this is already happening on a subtle
>worldwide scale, resources are running out and the world is hungry, time
>to
>plunder what's left, unfortunately it's often in our 'protected' areas.
>It
>will only get worse and faster.
>
>Generally most people only care about the environment (if at all), when
>there bellies are full and other needs met. We are only able to spend
>time
>birding and enjoying the natural environment, because we don't have to
>spend
>all our time growing food and trying just to use the environment (eg.
>hunting birds) to survive.
>
>Over population is the real problem (look at the extinct civilization of
>Easter Island) for many of our environmental and other problems, but I'm
>not
>sure if we will deal with it or are even able to. How do you tell
>members of
>your own family to stop having more than 2 kids, or other families
>wanting
>to? How do you stop immigration or genuine refugees? The answer is you
>really can't (for moral, freedom of choice or other reasons), so the
>environment and our lifestyles will have to change and probably degrade.
>Sadly, I think the 'big crunch' for humanity will come (fairly soon and
>very
>rapidly) and the last remaining natural environments will be the first
>to
>go.
>
>
>
>Regards (I won't say cheers),
>
>
>
>Richard King
>
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