To:    The Times: Comment
Re:    Sustainability: what went wrong - and why?
Date:  Friday 8 September 06

In response to "We're all dead against global warming. But when it comes to the crunch . . ." by David Aaronovitch in Tuesday's London Times.

I remember becoming aware of the SUSTAINABILITY PROBLEM more than 30 years ago, when publications such as the Club of Rome's "The Limits to Growth" first brought it to wide public attention. It was obvious to me then that there would have to be radical changes to our economy and lifestyles (and lifestyle aspirations) and was naive enough to assume that those in positions of power and authority would provide the necessary leadership. After all, the alternative to achieving a sustainable economy and ways of life (for 4, now 6, soon 8 billion people) would be catastrophe on an unimaginable scale.

 
For the next 20 years I watched and waited (while doing what I could myself to save energy and recycle materials, and encouraging others to do the same), until slowly it dawned on me that essentially very little was changing, that - incredibly and terrifyingly - those in power and authority (in politics, the media, the economy, academia), collectively, had somehow failed to understand the situation, the imperative of achieving SUSTAINABILITY as soon as possible, and instead of leading us there, were holding on to an economy and way of life (along with the values, attitudes and aspirations which underlie them) that can only lead to disaster - if not for ourselves, certainly for our children and grandchildren.
 
Over about the past 5 years I've been developing an understanding what has gone wrong - and why?
 
The insights and ideas that I have come up with can be found on my homepage at www.spaceship-earth.org.
 
I hope that others will take an interest in themso that they can be further developed and help us reduce the impact of the fast approaching catastrophe, which is now virtually unavoidable, while facilitating the creation of a sustainable economy and ways of life for those who survive for generations to come.
 
 
 



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