A fun (but serious) take on Drill, Baby, Drill...

For the cartoon lovers,

Good Deed for the Day: Fight Coal

People often ask me what they can do to create a sustainable society.  It all seems so overwhelming at times.  The issues and forces are so large what can I do as a single person?  Some days I feel that way too, but remember these wise words:

"Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can
change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead

Each week look for a new way to change your life to make the world a bit more sustainable.  Find a way to use a bit less energy.  Buy a bit less stuff.  Talk to a friend and help spread the word about what we can do.  Pick up the phone and call your senator.  Sign a petition.

With email and the internet it is easier than ever to stay connected and learn about issues and spread the word.  I have signed up with a range non-profit organizations that are fighting to make the world a better place.  Many of these organizations send out action alerts on important issues.  They often provide an easy way to send a letter to your elected official or sign a petition that will be used to persuade decision makers.

One of my favorites is Green America.  In their own words:

What Makes Green America Unique

• We focus on economic strategies—economic action to solve social and environmental problems.
• We mobilize people in their economic roles—as consumers, investors, workers, business leaders.
• We empower people to take personal and collective action
• We work on issues of social justice and environmental responsibility.  We see these issues as completely linked in the quest for a sustainable world.  It’s what we mean when we say “green.”
• We work to stop abusive practices and to create healthy, just and sustainable practice

Their current action is on sending letters to the shareholders of Southern Company -- the company that owns the largest, single most-polluting coal plant in the country.  Please follow this link to send a letter voicing your concern.  Shifting away from the burning of coal should be a national priority as the pollution from this dirty energy source kills thousands every year and the carbon dioxide produced from the combustion of coal is the driving force of global warming.

They make it super easy to allow your voice to be heard.  They write the letter for you, though you can personalize the text if you like, and with a few clicks off it goes.  Being an activist has never been easier!
Here a  few screen shots to give you an idea of what it all looks like:

Find groups that you believe in and let them help you stay informed on key issues.  Use them to expand your impact by letting our elected officials and business hear what we expect from them.  You don't have to make a contribution to join their action alert lists.  (Of course if you believe in the work they do, by all means make a donation -- that is how they survive)

At least once a week, commit to signing a petition.  Sending a letter.  Making at least one phone call.  Ask 5 of your friends to do the same.  Before you know it, we've got a movement going here....

"Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can
change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead

A Great, GoodGuide

Any life form based on exponential growth on a finite planet is doomed.  Most economies around the world are now some form of capitalism.  The foundation of capitalism is exponential growth.  The driving engine of capitalism is the corporation.  Corporations are now the epicenter of economic and political power around the world.  The cornerstone of any attempt to create a sustainable society must address the anti-social and anti-democratic behavior of these organizations.  It will require efforts at the highest level -- revamping corporate law, passing national level legislation, enlightened decision-making by the supreme court, and perhaps even an amendment to the constitution.  It will likely require massive public outcry and sustained grassroots action to overcome the corporate center of gravity that currently overwhelms our political system.

So, yes, sharpen your pens and write your elected officials.  Get those protest signs painted and get out on the street.  Vote, and vote often.

There is also much we can do in our daily lives to point corporations in the right direction.  Corporations do respond to the demands of consumers.  Look at the morphing menu found at the fast food giant Mcdonald's.  Due to rising pressure the chain did away with the "super size me" gimmick given the health implications.  Mcdonald's also responded to the public's demand for healthier foods by adding more salads, fruit, smaller sandwiches and oatmeal to the menu.  I had stopped going to Micky D's years ago but began going again (occasionally, usually when traveling) since I could now get a decent salad there or at least a lower calorie meal.

Currently, corporations are rewarded only for providing the lowest price.  The success of Walmart is the clearest indicator of this.  Many of us buy our clothes there, or our TVs, or our groceries even though we know that  walmart treats it employees poorly, and that some (many?) of the products are made by people working under deplorable working conditions.  As a consumer it is very hard to know which products were made with safe ingredients, or if they employees were paid a livable wage, or if the product was produced in a way that is damaging to the environment.  At the moment there is no easy way to reward companies for good behavior - in fact these companies are often penalized because their products may carry a higher price.

Well, help is on the way.  There is a growing movement afoot to bring this type of information to the consumer at the point of sale.  So when you are standing at the store you will instantly, and easily compare products on their social impact, their health impact, and their environmental impact.  As a first step in this direction check out the GoodGuide here.  At this website you can find the social/health/environmental rating on a growing list of products. 

I went to this website and looked up most of the personal hygiene products that I use -- toothpaste, shampoo, soap, etc.  My entire life I have used Crest Toothpaste but based on the information I found here I decided to switch.

In these screen shots I only showed the summary.  The website has detailed information for each category to indicate how the score was determined.

After I switched to my new brand of toothpaste I went to the Crest website and sent them a message explaining that I had switched and the reason why.  I mentioned that I had used their product most of my life and would be happy to switch back if they could improve their product score.  I sent them a link to their product at the GoodGuide website.  I explained that I am looking to support companies that produce products that are safe, environmentally responsible, and made by companies that treat their employees well.

I received a response from a Crest representative who explained that she will pass my concerns on to the management team.

There is another great website that focuses on cosmetics called Deep Skin, that rates skin care, makeup, hair care, nails, eye care, feminine hygiene, dental and oral hygiene, and fragrance products based on their risk to your health.

Start the revolution today.  Don't shop.

When you must buy, look beyond price, and consider the true cost to society when making a purchase.  Use your purchase to reward responsible companies and help create a world we can be proud to live in.

Looking for Leaders

Sage words from Thomas Friedman.  Where is the leadership?  Have we forgotten how to be bold?  How big of a disaster do we need before we dare to take action?



Obama and the Oil Spill

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

President Obama’s handling of the gulf oil spill has been disappointing.

I say that not because I endorse the dishonest conservative critique that the gulf oil spill is somehow Obama’s Katrina and that he is displaying the same kind of incompetence that George W. Bush did after that hurricane. To the contrary, Obama’s team has done a good job coordinating the cleanup so far. The president has been on top of it from the start.


No, the gulf oil spill is not Obama’s Katrina. It’s his 9/11 — and it is disappointing to see him making the same mistake George W. Bush made with his 9/11. Sept. 11, 2001, was one of those rare seismic events that create the possibility to energize the country to do something really important and lasting that is too hard to do in normal times.


President Bush’s greatest failure was not Iraq, Afghanistan or Katrina. It was his failure of imagination after 9/11 to mobilize the country to get behind a really big initiative for nation-building in America. I suggested a $1-a-gallon “Patriot Tax” on gasoline that could have simultaneously reduced our deficit, funded basic science research, diminished our dependence on oil imported from the very countries whose citizens carried out 9/11, strengthened the dollar, stimulated energy efficiency and renewable power and slowed climate change. It was the Texas oilman’s Nixon-to-China moment — and Bush blew it.


Had we done that on the morning of 9/12 — when gasoline averaged $1.66 a gallon — the majority of Americans would have signed on. They wanted to do something to strengthen the country they love. Instead, Bush told a few of us to go to war and the rest of us to go shopping. So today, gasoline costs twice as much at the pump, with most of that increase going to countries hostile to our values, while China is rapidly becoming the world’s leader in wind, solar, electric cars and high-speed rail. Heck of a job.


Sadly, President Obama seems intent on squandering his environmental 9/11 with a Bush-level failure of imagination. So far, the Obama policy is: “Think small and carry a big stick.” He is rightly hammering the oil company executives. But he is offering no big strategy to end our oil addiction. Senators John Kerry and Joe Lieberman have unveiled their new energy bill, which the president has endorsed but only in a very tepid way. Why tepid? Because Kerry-Lieberman embraces vitally important fees on carbon emissions that the White House is afraid will be exploited by Republicans in the midterm elections. The G.O.P., they fear, will scream carbon “tax” at every Democrat who would support this bill, and Obama, having already asked Democrats to make a hard vote on health care, feels he can’t ask them for another.


I don’t buy it. In the wake of this historic oil spill, the right policy — a bill to help end our addiction to oil — is also the right politics. The people are ahead of their politicians. So is the U.S. military. There are many conservatives who would embrace a carbon tax or gasoline tax if it was offset by a cut in payroll taxes or corporate taxes, so we could foster new jobs and clean air at the same time. If Republicans label Democrats “gas taxers” then Democrats should label them “Conservatives for OPEC” or “Friends of BP.” Shill, baby, shill.


Why is Obama playing defense? Just how much oil has to spill into the gulf, how much wildlife has to die, how many radical mosques need to be built with our gasoline purchases to produce more Times Square bombers, before it becomes politically “safe” for the president to say he is going to end our oil addiction? Indeed, where is “The Obama End to Oil Addiction Act”? Why does everything have to emerge from the House and Senate? What does he want? What is his vision? What are his redlines? I don’t know. But I do know that without a fixed, long-term price on carbon, none of the president’s important investments in clean power research and development will ever scale.


Obama has assembled a great team that could help him make his case — John Holdren, science adviser; Carol Browner, energy adviser; Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize winner; and Lisa Jackson, chief of the Environmental Protection Agency. But they have been badly underutilized by the White House. I know endangered species that are seen by the public more often than them.


Obama is not just our super-disaster-coordinator. “He is our leader,” noted Tim Shriver, the chairman of Special Olympics. “And being a leader means telling the rest of us what’s our job, what do we need to do to make this a transformative moment.”


Please don’t tell us that our role is just to hate BP or shop in Mississippi or wait for a commission to investigate. We know the problem, and Americans are ready to be enlisted for a solution. Of course we can’t eliminate oil exploration or dependence overnight, but can we finally start? Mr. President, your advisers are wrong: Americans are craving your leadership on this issue. Are you going to channel their good will into something that strengthens our country — “The Obama End to Oil Addiction Act” — or are you going squander your 9/11, too?

The Corporate Challenge

We will never succeed in creating a sustainable society until we overcome the death-star like power, and evil, represented by the modern corporation. Seem a tad extreme? Let's look at a few facts.

Corporations only make up 20% of US firms but they account for 85% of all US business revenue.

The economic power of the largest corporations boggles the mind -- of the100 largest economies in the world, 53 of them are corporations!

There are only 10 COUNTRIES that have economies larger than Exxon Mobil. Or to put it another way, Exxon Mobil is economically larger than 180 countries in the world.

We now have 63,000 multi-national corporations in the world -- huge monoliths that transcend national boundaries and operate beyond the legal jurisdiction of any national legal system.

The massive economic wealth of corporations overwhelms most political systems, including ours, and weakens democracies around the world. Our political process moves, or is blocked, at the whim of corporate sponsors and lobbyists.

We have no one to blame but ourselves -- we are the mad scientists that have created these economic Frankensteins. How so?

First, we made it LAW, that the directors and managers of a corporation have a duty to act in the best interest of the corporation, which has been interpreted as an obligation to do whatever it takes to maximize the wealth of shareholders. This, the "best interest of the corporation" principle is one of the greatest obstacles in allowing corporations to become more socially responsible institutions. 

If polluting the nearby river maximizes profit, the managers are obliged to do it. If the corporation can maximize dividends by closing a factory and moving to another country, shut her down. If carcinogenic ingredients help keep costs down, and therefore profits up, well, then a bit of cancer is the "price" of doing business.

Under our current system, a corporate manager is being UNETHICAL if they consider policies that would promote positive social, health, or environmental impacts if they would reduce profits. Really. No, really, that is the system that we created.

If an individual acted this way we would call him or her a sociopath, but if a corporation does it, it is "just business."

Second, we further encourage such diabolical behavior by limiting the liability of shareholders for the action of their companies. Limited liability is why corporations must be chartered by a government authority -- in the US the states do this. They are supposed to supervise and regulate the corporations but it is rarely done in practice. Shareholders might take more care if they were held financially accountable for the misdeeds of their companies (think BP and the oil disaster for a current example).

Third, in the US we have granted corporations "personhood" allowing them protection under the constitution just like a flesh-and-blood person. Corporations are now allowed to spend as much money as they like to influence elections.

Corporations have become not only the most powerful economic force on the planet, but the dominant political force as well. This concentration of power is increasingly unaccountable to you and me, to our government, or the planet.

How do we fix this? A few ideas:

1. Revoke corporate charters of companies violating the public trust
2. Roll back limited liability 
3. Corporate directors and top managers should be personally liable for gross negligence 
4. Extend liability to shareholders under certain circumstances 
5. Eliminate corporate personhood (Learn more here) 
6. Change the legal mandate that requires the corporation to strictly pursue its own self-interest and to give primacy to maximizing shareholder wealth.
   
   
   
   
   
   (Maryland has taken a step in the right direction by creating the legal framework for the "Benefit Corporation." (Learn more here))

Ultimately, we need to rethink the whole nature of the corporation and its role in society. It is clear that the mindless pursuit of short term profits, regardless of consequences, is ultimately doomed to failure -- not only for the company but for society at large.

What if?

The nature of our society can often make it difficult to live a lifestyle that is in balance with nature.  We develop bad habits.  Sometimes we need a jolt to think differently about how we see the world, to imagine a different way.  Most of us are inclined to resist change.  But if we are open to revisiting our assumptions, open to trying a different way, we can often make positive discoveries about ourselves, and the world.  Here is a simple tale, from a real person on the possible.
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Making Do Without the Minivan

Why do I love the high price of gas? It's helped my family stop being so dependent on our cars.

By Jennifer Perrow | NEWSWEEK 

Published Aug 9, 2008

Aug. 18-25, 2008 issue

The gas pump shuts off automatically when you hit $100, or so my sister-in-law tells me. I'm pleased to report I haven't experienced that problem. However, I hit $66 when I partially filled my Honda Odyssey, and last month our family's gasoline expenses were well over $400. My husband's 2006 Ford Explorer gets 13 miles per gallon; my minivan runs at about 16 miles per gallon around town.

As transportation expenses rose, I cut back in other ways: fewer indulgences at the grocery store, not as many trips to Starbucks. We decided not to take a family vacation to Disneyland, although explaining this to our two school-age kids was less than pleasant. We're opting instead for an in-state trip to visit relatives, assuming gas prices continue to (finally) decrease.

In spite of all this, however, I've got to say: I love the high cost of gas. It's forced our family to rethink our spending habits and our carbon footprint, and we're finding we can do much more on much less than we thought.

As a working mom with a half-time job, two kids and a busy social life, I spend a lot of time in the car. The minivan is truly our "home away from home." In the car we eat meals, do homework, make phone calls, watch movies and even change clothes. Last year I read about a prototype "car of the future" equipped with a microwave and laundry facilities, and wondered how soon I could acquire one. Last month, however, I asked myself a different question: how could we reduce our dependence on the minivan we already own?

I challenged the kids to join me in a quest to see how long we could go between tanks of gas. They were surprisingly enthusiastic. Right away we realized that while we've always carpooled on the way to school, we've never done so on the way home. When I asked my friend if she'd like to carpool in both directions from now on, she eagerly said yes. One small step.

Next up: I told the kids I was no longer providing car rides to swim practice. Yes, I'd still take them, but from now on it would be on foot or bike. I calculated that each round trip to the pool was costing 50 cents, and we often make two to three trips per day. Although their bikes were handy and ready for use, mine was dusty, and I had lost my helmet years ago. So I borrowed an extra helmet from my husband, and off we went. Added benefits: quality time with the kids, plus a decent workout.

Once we started the challenge, there was no stopping us. Why drive downtown for dinner when we have several great restaurants less than a mile from home? When I needed a book to read last week, I almost drove to the bookstore—until I remembered that my neighbor would probably lend me some books. The dog and I took a pleasant walk down the street and came home with a splendid stack of novels.

The more success we had, the more we wanted. This was getting fun. Why drive to the gym and get on the treadmill when I could go for a run in my own neighborhood? Why drive to meet my friend for coffee on Monday when I would be near her house on Tuesday and could easily stop in to see her? Why take two cars to church when we could all ride together if we coordinated departure times a bit better?

We're only beginning the adventure, but already the payoff has been huge. Gasoline usage for the minivan is down by 50 percent. I've lost nearly five pounds. The dog is happier and getting more exercise. I'm having great conversations with the kids as we walk and bike together. Perhaps best of all, life feels simpler. All along I thought my car was an essential tool for navigating my busy life; it turns out that hopping in the car every time I wanted something was making my schedule more complicated. Eliminating a few trips around town, and replacing them with a walk or run, has reduced my stress immeasurably.

Do I still need my minivan? Of course. I want to visit my grandmother 10 miles away, and I can't carry a week's worth of groceries on my bike. When the rainy season begins in earnest I'm sure I'll find the car more pleasant than the bike. Still, we're making permanent changes in our transportation habits. The high cost of gas has been nothing but good for our family.

Perrow lives in Seattle.
Find this article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/151739

A world full of Americans?

Many in the US believe that the rest of the world should follow in our economic footpath and if they do, they can benefit from the "American Dream."  Philosophical questions aside, is this even possible?  Can the planet support a world full of people who consume in the same way as a typical American?

How do Americans consume?  This slide will give you a sense.

We represent about 5% of the world population which is indicated by that blue piece of the pie.  That is our fair share of resources from the planet.  The amount we actually consume is shown in blue + purple.  As you can see, we consume much, much more than our fair share.

Although 1/20th of the world's population we consume
     1/4 of the world's fossil fuel;
     1/3 of the world paper
     1/5 of the worlds minerals

And America, 5% of the world's population produces 75% of the worlds toxic waste.

So, how many "Americas" can the planet support? 

The United States, at 5% of the world population (about 300 million people) consumes about 25% of the worlds resources.  Let's imagine that another 300 million people develop in the same manner and live a similar lifestyle.  Now we have 10% of the world consuming 50% of the world's resources.  Add another 300 million people and we have 15% of the world consuming 75% of the world's resources.  One more time and we have 20% of humanity using 100% of the worlds resources.

Hmmn.  So 1.2 billion people are living very well.  But the current global population is 6.8 billion.  What happened to the other 5.6 billion people?

Well, they are dead.  We are using up all their resources.

Following our Lead
It is clear that the world cannot even support 4 "Americas."  Turns out that the world is now following in our footsteps.  Most societies have some form of capitalism in place and they are succeeded in creating millions, and millions of new consumers.  People who are now living the same type of lifestyle we do in the US.

Let's add them up:

1. Unites States
2. Europe (that is about 300 million people who live about as well as we do)
3. China (china's economy has been booming for the last 30 years...now have at least 300 million middle class consumers)
4. India (India's economy has been booming for the last decade or so, and have created roughly another "America")
5. Asian Middle Class (Add up the middle class from Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and you get another 300 million consumers)
6. Russia/Central Europe (Add up the growing wealthy elite in these countries and you get another 300 million)
7. China@2030 (At the current rate of growth, China will add another 300 million to their middle class in the next 20 years)
8. India@2030 (At the current rate of growth, India will add another 300 million to their middle class in the next 20 years)

Sooooo, in the next 20 years we are going to have 8 Americas come on line.  There is nothing subtle about this.  No room for negotiation.  There is no technology, or "greater efficiency" or production improvement that can deal with this.  

For the current population to live like Americans, we would need five Earths.  We don't have five earths but we are hurling ahead as if we do.

This last graph says it all.  Somewhere in the 1980's we passed the carrying capacity of the earth.  The longer we stay above that horizontal line the more we are eating away at the earths natural resource capital.

Every day above that line we reduce the earths ability to support life on the planet.  For future generations to survive and flourish, we cannot take resources from the planet faster than the planet can regenerate them.

Our sense of what is a "realistic" lifestyle is simply off the charts.  We need to dramatically change our lives before mother earth does it for us.

1. Buy Less
2. Work Less
3. Drive Less (get rid of one of those cars)
4. Reduce, Re-use, Recycle
5. Buy local (when you must)
6. Live more.  Family.  Friends.  Self

Check out:
Simple Living.net

When you are in a hole......stop digging

Remember that pithy ditty, what was it again, all yeah, "Drlll baby, Drill"?  Michael Steele, the current head of the Republican National Committee came up the phrase and the party faithful chanted it gleefully at the 2008 Republican National Convention.  It made for good TV and it was kind of catchy.

It is also one of the f*%$# stupidest things I have ever heard in my life. ( I tried to find a more eloquent way to phrase my disdain, but after sitting here for 10 minutes I gave up.)  For any elected official to say such a thing reveals that s/he is unfit for any office of responsibility because s/he is either criminally incompetent or completely corrupted by special interests.

And the fact that any person, government official or just your average American can be so gleefully unaware of how the world works is, well, terrifying.

Why is the expansion of off-shore drilling such a bad idea?  Let us count the ways:

Climate Suicide
Global warming represents a profound threat to the survival of most life forms on the planet.  We need a "Man to the Moon" sense of urgency in stopping the burning of ANY fossil fuels.  ANY law, program, activity, incentive, tax break, or subsidy that promotes the continuation, or worse, the expansion of the use of fossil fuels is insane.  It represents societal suicide.

For me, that is a slam dunk, argument over.  But if you want more:

Energy Independence
Proponents argue that the United States should tap into all domestic reservoirs of oil so we can rely less on foreign oil and reduce the price we pay at the pump.  For this to make sense the US domestic oil supply would have to represent a significant percentage of the world oil supply to have any impact on price.  Here is the reality:

Do you think that little yellow slice is going to change our reality?

Simple Fact:  If you drilled EVERYWHERE in the United States that might have oil (on land, in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, and at all off-shore sites) the US, might be able to produce 3% of the worlds oil. 
 
And remember, this doesn't happen overnight.  It would take 10-20 years before that oil would come online.

And this oil is sold on the world market, not uniquely in the United States.  So the world market determines the price.

The United States consumes 24% of all the worlds oil.

So, we invest billions, wait 10 to 15 years, to add a sliver to the world's oil supply.  Saudi Arabia simply shuts off  a tap or two and the world market is now down by whatever amount we just added.  Nothing changed.  Drilling would have no impact on the price of gasoline.


Drilling does nothing to improve our energy independence.  And I would argue that following this path makes us much worse off.  Drilling is a costly and dangerous diversion.  While the rest of the world is racing ahead and creating the energy technology of the future, solar technology, wind technology, battery technology, we are investing our time and money in last century's technology.  During testimony before the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works venture capitalist John Doerr stated: “If you list today’s top 30 companies in solar, wind and advanced batteries, American companies hold only 6 spots. That fact should worry us all.” (Read his full, crisp, powerful testimony here).


Wasting time on more drilling ensures that we will simply trade one energy dependence, oil, for another -- solar, wind and battery technology.

Peak Oil
Any oil executive will tell you that the world has already reached peak oil or will do so within a decade.  Every aspect of our society is based on the premise of cheap oil.  Our food production system is incredibly oil intensive.  Our transportation system relies on the private automobile -- think about our towns and suburbs where you must use your car to go get a loaf of bread, or take the kids to soccer practice, or get to work. Most of our "cheap" products travel up to 12,000 miles from factories in China and other countries.  The world's demand for oil is growing exponentially -- the day there is not enough oil to meet demand, our deck of cards economy will be devastated.  The financial crisis of 2008 will look like a quaint garden picnic.(Think about what happens to a company when their rate of profit INCREASE is less than expected -- their stock price can plummet.  Not a drop in profits, not a loss, but just less growth in profits than expected -- chaos!).  A mere drop of 5% in oil supply can cause a global economic meltdown.  More data and details on peak oil can be found here.

Life as we know is about to change forever. The sooner we shift away from relying on oil, the better chance we have of surviving the day of reckoning from peak oil.

Human Imperfection
Stubbornly, even maniacally i would argue many still believe that we can create perfect technology.  That we can control all the risks associated with our increasingly complex world.  Get over ourselves.  The BP oil spill may not be contained for 3 months.  It may represent the greatest ecological disaster seen in modern history.

It only takes one mistake to wipe out years of perfection. 

Drill, baby, Drill, is the rant of an drug oil-addict --delirious and disconnected from reality as any heroin addict.

Given these facts, how could a rational person support expanding drilling for oil?

Think, Baby, Think!  (Now that is a ditty with a future.)

Story of Stuff

This great animated film offers some powerful insight into the nature of the society we created and the impact it has on ourselves and communities far from our own.  In just 20 minutes Annie hits all the key notes in a fun and creative way.  Check it out.  Send it on to your friends and family.  And check out her website to see other great videos and tons of education information.

If you can only read one book...

make it this one:

The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability

In just 320 pages you will get the whole package.  The book explores all of the key topics you need to understand the problems we face and the pathways toward solutions.

I think this review captures it well:

"In The Bridge at the Edge of the World, James Gustave Speth gives us new lenses with which to see what we have done to our environment and, more important, to see what we can do to restore it. He challenges us all to act not for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren. In particular, he takes on the most powerful guardians of the status quo -- our mindsets. The bridge he hopes to construct has its bridgehead firmly based in today, because Speth asks us to think about it and then to use our creativity, imagination, and the power of common purpose to act to restore the environment and create a healthier world."

-Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier, Province of British Columbia



This book might just change your life....and if we are lucky, your grandchildren's lives.

Dying to Grow....

What represents the greatest threat to mankind?  Climate Change?  A massive earthquake?  An asteroid from space?  Believe it or not the most likely candidate is this:

This is a graph of exponential growth and it represents one of the most powerful forces on the planet.  If nothing else, remember the shape of it.  Growth is exponential when it grows at a fixed rate.


Let’s say we have $1000 in savings and this amounts grows at 7% each year.  After one year our savings have grown to $1,070 (7% x $1,000 = $70).  In year two we now multiply 7% by $1,070 (7% x $1,070 = $75) and our new total is $1,145.  In year 3 we will multiply 7% by $1,145 and add $80 and our new balance will be $1,225.  Notice that although the rate is fixed the amount we add each year is getting bigger.  Anything that grows at a fixed RATE will follow this pattern.  If the growth rate is relatively small (say 1%) the flat part of the graph on the left will extend over a longer period of time.  But eventually, all exponential functions will make a dramatic turn and skyrocket upwards.  Again this is because with each year the function is adding a larger and larger amount so eventually the amounts added become gargantuan.  In the world of mathematics the function heads toward infinity.  There is no infinity in our world, and that is where the danger comes in.  Let me give you some examples of exponential growth happening right now.

Population Growth

It took humanity millions of years before, finally in 1804, we reached 1 billion people on the planet.  Miiiilllions of years.  We added another 1 billion people in just another 123 years!  We added another billion people in just 33 years.  In a mere 200 years we added 6 billion people to the planet. 

Say hello to the power of exponential growth.

The Great Collision

These graphs are from this book.

Just back away from your computer a few feet and take it all in.  James Gustave Speth refers to this as the Great Collision -- the global economy is crashing against the earth.  We are obliterating the planet's resources and life support systems.

• Half of the world's tropical and temperate forests are gone.  In the tropics we are losing about an acre a second.
• Half of all wetlands and third of mangroves are gone
• 90% of all predator fish have been wiped out
• Every 20 minutes a new species goes extinct (about 1000 times the normal rate)
• Water use is skyrocketing.  The water tables in the United States, India and China are dropping rapidly -- these are the three major food producers in the world.
• We are losing 24 billion tons of top soil each year.
• Fertilizer use is growing exponentially (much of it runs off into our rivers and streams causing massive destruction)
• Carbon dioxide concentrations are growing exponentially in the atmosphere driving global warming.
• The number of cars on the highways is growing dramatically.  China is now adding 14,000 new cars to the road EVERY DAY.
• In just the United States we used almost 30 billion (with a "B") plastic bottles in one year.  And growing.

Pick just about any material or resource that you can think of and I get you a graph that looks those above.  Pick a toxic waste, chemical or pollutant and I will find a graph that shows how we are dumping exponentially more every day.  Exponential growth is happening all around us.

In 1992 (18 years ago), 1,500 of the world's leading scientists, including a majority of living Nobel Prize winners issued a warning  (the full statement can be found here)

The earth is finite. Its ability to absorb wastes and destructive effluent is finite. Its ability to provide food and energy is finite. Its ability to provide for growing numbers of people is finite. And we are fast approaching many of the earth's limits. Current economic practices which damage the environment, in both developed and underdeveloped nations, cannot be continued without the risk that vital global systems will be damaged beyond repair.

Kenneth Boulding said it best:

Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite planet is either a madman or an economist.

Our economy is based on exponential growth.  Just listen for the word.  Growth.  In the news, in magazines, on TV.  Profits must grow.  Sales must grow.  Gross Domestic Product must grow.  Stock prices must grow.  Everything must grow for our system to function.  We have to sell more.  We have to build more factories to make more stuff for us to buy.  We have to cut down more trees, use more water, mine for more minerals...all on a planet that is not getting any bigger.  You don't need a PhD to see the folly in this.

That is the path we are on.  If we keep living our lives like we did yesterday.  If we do nothing to change this trajectory, the earth will solve the problem for us.

Solutions?

• Learn about the issues that really impact your life
• Discuss and share with others
• Take action
• Ask you elected leader what they are doing about this.  Demand action. 
• Buy less.  
• If you must buy, buy local
• Work fewer hours.  
• Drive less.  Not feasible?  Demand public transportation so it is possible.

Watch this GREAT video explaining why exponential growth is so important. (it gets a little geeky at times, but watch till the end, it has some great visuals)

Give Earth a Hand

What do we really want?





If you like this video, consider supporting the creators.

Climate Chorus Growing Every Day

Short on time today but I figured I would post a short follow up to last week's post Why Al Gore Doesn't Matter.  In that missive I tried to demonstrate why it doesn't matter what I think or what Al Gore thinks about climate change.  We should be listening to the experts, and if you cut through all the propaganda, lies and mistruths, 99% of the world's leading scientists are to put it technically, freakin out.

And the chorus of support for this concern is growing every day.  Many of the worlds business leaders are lining up demanding action.  It makes sense if you think about it.  In the business world those who thrive are the ones who do the best job of deciphering trends and predicting the future operating environment.  Some are driven by concerns over the environment while others see that the future "industrial revolution" will be an "energy revolution."  The country that makes that shift first will lead the world.

Below are several articles.  Make sure to follow the links in RED to really see who is speaking out.  You might be surprised....

Here is an article that highlights how more and more business leaders want the US government to pass climate legilsation.

• BUSINESS
• APRIL 27, 2010

Business Groups Say Climate Impasse Undermines Clean Energy

By IAN TALLEY

WASHINGTON—The Capitol Hill politics bogging down a climate bill in the Senate are also hobbling investments in low-carbon energy and prompting calls from some business groups for action.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to travel Tuesday to a Siemens Corp. wind turbine facility in Fort Madison, Iowa, Tuesday as part of the White House effort to tout the economic, environmental and national security benefits of clean energy investments. The company expanded the plant, adding more than 600 jobs with capital from the stimulus package and tax credits.

Siemens, a unit of the German parent company Siemens AG, is representative of thousands of companies looking to capitalize on a carbon-constrained economy. It is building a range of products that would be attractive if there was a cost for emitting carbon. Besides efficient motors and generators, they are also developing technology to capture emissions from coal plants, have a retro-fitting business that installs energy-efficient equipment in buildings, and plan to expand their solar power unit in the U.S.

Nearly every sector of the energy industry is in some way affected by Congressional deliberations on climate and energy policy, whether it is makers of wind turbines and solar plants, utilities planning nuclear power projects or companies that make natural-gas generators and clean-coal technology. While some want to see a carbon market that will create demand for their products, others say they want to get clarity on how the new emission rules will affect their plans.

"The U.S. faces a critical moment that will determine whether we will be able to unleash billions in energy investments or remain mired in the economic status quo," the U.S. Climate Action Partnership said after the meltdown in negotiations over the weekend. USCAP represents nearly two dozen Fortune-500 companies that have urged Congress to pass a climate bill, including General Electric Co., Duke Energy, and NRG Energy.

The American Business for Clean Energy, a group representing 3,000 businesses that support passage of a climate bill, urged lawmakers to keep pushing it as a legislative priority. "American businesses, large and small, are urging Congress to act in order to make the United States a world leader in clean energy technology, reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources, and create millions of new jobs," the group said.

Portfolio managers, investment firms and businesses have been betting that Congress would act this year on legislation that would put caps on greenhouse gas emissions, and offer incentives to companies investing in technology to produce or use energy without heavy carbon dioxide emissions.

But the latest effort to craft legislation that could pass the Senate appears to have foundered after the lone Republican working on the bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said he will pull out of the talks because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid could move a controversial immigration bill to the floor before the climate bill. Mr. Reid has suggested Mr. Graham's real problem is pressure from other Republicans to stop working on the climate measure. Sens. John Kerry (D., Mass.) and Joseph Lieberman (I., Conn.) say they will continue to work for a bill.

The impasse leaves utilities that have worked with the Senate trio to craft climate legislation, such as Exelon Corp., American Electric Power Co. and FPL Group, flummoxed.

"We are disappointed by this temporary setback. We remain hopeful that the issues will be resolved quickly, and that the U.S. Senate will make passage of an energy and climate bill an urgent priority," said Exelon spokeswoman Judy Rader.

A senior lobbyist that works for a large utility said the political intervention is frustrating because, "We thought progress had been made and we were moving in the right direction."

With businesses fearing their work on the bill will have been in vain, he said there is "an effort to try to get many people to weigh in with Graham, and say, 'please go back to the table.'"

The setback—which some say may be fatal for the bill this year—happens as the White House has been ramping up the rhetoric about how vital passing the climate bill is to invigorate the U.S. economy and compete with China. Obama administration officials have been hitting the public-speaking circuit to fan support for putting a price on carbon to stimulate clean energy investment.

Write to Ian Talley at ian.talley@dowjones.com

And this:

175 Companies Urge Senate to Move Forward with Climate Legislation

On April 28, 175 U.S. companies sent a letter to Senate leadership, urging them to continue working to enact comprehensive climate and energy legislation this year. The letter was brought together by the We Can Lead coalition, a project of the Clean Economy Network (CEN) and Ceres. The businesses come from some of the nation's largest electric power, manufacturing, and clean tech companies, including Nike, Exelon, PG&E and eBay. "Today, the United States is falling behind in the global race to lead the next global industrial revolution. U.S. businesses need strong policies and clear market signals to deploy capital, harness innovative technologies, and compete in the global marketplace," the letter stated. "Every day the Senate fails to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation is a day our economy falls another step behind and delays our ability to create millions of new American jobs. America's energy future is not a partisan issue. Now is the time to bring the parties together and finish what we started."

For additional information see: We Can Lead Letter

And another addition to the choir are leaders from our armed forces.  Many of the top brass in the US military now understand the profound threat climate change represents to the future of our country.  This community is not typically considered card carrying members of any tree hugging group.

Check this out:

33 Retired Military Leaders Call for Climate Legislation

On April 28, 33 retired military leaders issued a statement, calling on “Congress and the administration to enact strong, comprehensive climate and energy legislation to reduce carbon pollution and lead the world in clean energy technology.” The statement goes on to note that the “Pentagon and security leaders of both parties consider climate disruption to be a ‘threat multiplier’ – it exacerbates existing problems by decreasing stability, increasing conflict, and incubating the socioeconomic conditions that foster terrorist recruitment.” The statement, released in conjunction by The Truman National Security Project and Operation Free (OPFREE), is another attempt by the military community to inform the public about the national security issues connected to climate change. OPFREE says America’s dependence on oil puts money into the hands of dangerous enemies. In January, the United States imported 506,000 barrels of oil each day from Iraq, 911,000 from Venezuela and 463,000 from Russia, according to the Energy Information Administration. “At the same time, the climate change caused by carbon pollution is destabilizing nations like Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria and Afghanistan — creating safe havens for terrorists,” Operation Free campaign manager Jonathan Murray said.

For additional information see: Truman Project Press Release
Why aren't our leaders, leading?