You are certainly correct that our environmental sustainability problems are ultimately a knock on effect of overpopulation, although the earth can sustain far more environmentally frugal people than profligate ones. Right now our "only corporate social responsibility a company has is to maximize its profits" orientation of priorities i…
You are certainly correct that our environmental sustainability problems are ultimately a knock on effect of overpopulation, although the earth can sustain far more environmentally frugal people than profligate ones. Right now our "only corporate social responsibility a company has is to maximize its profits" orientation of priorities is exacerbating our impact. Yes, we will not get through this without talking about and doing something about moderating population, voluntarily, despotically, and/or catastrophically. The population crash cycles we observe in other species certainly apply to us, and our technology can exacerbate the scale, and is doing so, although we don't call it that.
There is a known way that is very effective when applied. It is used now, but requires a rethinking of how we approach economic development. Too often, our projects end up increasing wealth gap and leaving the less well-off even less well-off - and leaving women in the dust.
But time and again it has been shown that by increasing the well-being of women, and by extension, their families, that birth rates go down, and the local economy improves. The community begins to prosper in local terms, and this has a propagating effect in the culture as women become an active part of it. Perhaps we need to stop thinking in terms of western historical patterns, and take a look at supporting local processes. In many traditional cultures, women played not only a respected economic role, but were also an integral part of the decision-making process.
When Euros came in, they replaced that with the assumption that only men could be economic and political leaders, and destabilized many cultures. We should still provide ecoomic support, especially to cultures now in distress, but we also can direct it to those most likely to be in a position to change the direction of that culture so that it accommodates their needs. Women.
There are traditional cultures right now who are taking the initiative to prepare their communities for climate change. We are starting to learn from them. When we learn how to become indigenous, we will be able to make more rational decisions about how to use the technologies we develop. A different kind of future is possible-- if we are willing to find the ways that lead to it.
I did not say that, Mike. When I wrote it, I fully expected that some would misread it. Let's turn your first sentence around to get at my point: When we learn to conduct ourselves in sync with the earth, we will again become indigenous (part of the earth), and can make decisions accordingly. That is the lesson that the people we now call indigenous can teach those who have lost touch with the fact that we are of the earth.
You are certainly correct that our environmental sustainability problems are ultimately a knock on effect of overpopulation, although the earth can sustain far more environmentally frugal people than profligate ones. Right now our "only corporate social responsibility a company has is to maximize its profits" orientation of priorities is exacerbating our impact. Yes, we will not get through this without talking about and doing something about moderating population, voluntarily, despotically, and/or catastrophically. The population crash cycles we observe in other species certainly apply to us, and our technology can exacerbate the scale, and is doing so, although we don't call it that.
There is a known way that is very effective when applied. It is used now, but requires a rethinking of how we approach economic development. Too often, our projects end up increasing wealth gap and leaving the less well-off even less well-off - and leaving women in the dust.
But time and again it has been shown that by increasing the well-being of women, and by extension, their families, that birth rates go down, and the local economy improves. The community begins to prosper in local terms, and this has a propagating effect in the culture as women become an active part of it. Perhaps we need to stop thinking in terms of western historical patterns, and take a look at supporting local processes. In many traditional cultures, women played not only a respected economic role, but were also an integral part of the decision-making process.
When Euros came in, they replaced that with the assumption that only men could be economic and political leaders, and destabilized many cultures. We should still provide ecoomic support, especially to cultures now in distress, but we also can direct it to those most likely to be in a position to change the direction of that culture so that it accommodates their needs. Women.
There are traditional cultures right now who are taking the initiative to prepare their communities for climate change. We are starting to learn from them. When we learn how to become indigenous, we will be able to make more rational decisions about how to use the technologies we develop. A different kind of future is possible-- if we are willing to find the ways that lead to it.
I completely agree with your astute observation that only indigenous hunter gatherers are in sync with their environment!
Brilliant. Farming is the root cause of climate change because it enables high density living.
I did not say that, Mike. When I wrote it, I fully expected that some would misread it. Let's turn your first sentence around to get at my point: When we learn to conduct ourselves in sync with the earth, we will again become indigenous (part of the earth), and can make decisions accordingly. That is the lesson that the people we now call indigenous can teach those who have lost touch with the fact that we are of the earth.
As the GOP forces birth and denies contraception.
Yes. We are currently overshooting the earths carrying capacity for the human population.