Monday, June 23, 2008

Recommended Reading: Healing the atmosphere means bring on the recession

“To begin healing the atmosphere, the average reduction in carbon emissions by industrialized countries would have to be about nine times greater than the average reduction recommended by the Kyoto Protocol.” [Dr. R. Nielsen, The Little Green Handbook: Seven trends shaping the future of our planet]

Globally, carbon emissions are beyond a healthy point (350 parts per million) and rising faster that the healthiest savings account and, individually or collectively, most countries will not trim their economies back to a healthier scale.


Governments seem to choose Market First over Sustainability First models of growth every time.

George Monbiot, author of ‘Heat: How to Stop the Planet From Burning’ (see Recommended Reading - right hand margin) wrote the following last October in a less than popular article:


“However hard governments might work to reduce carbon emissions, they are battling the tide of economic growth. While the rate of growth in the use of energy declines as an economy matures, no country has yet managed to reduce energy use while raising gross domestic product.”

His very unpopular recommendation was detailed in an article entitled ‘Bring on the Recession’.

As carbon emissions and global temperatures rise so will the popularity of a down and dirty recession.

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