Thomas L. Friedman of the New York Times is one of my favorite journalists. During his stellar career, he has routinely tackled the thorniest issues on Earth, winning three Pulitzer Prizes along the way.
It was a good idea that didn't catch on in 2007. Now we're running out of time.
Although a very well researched piece that hopefully will generate more urgency for eliminating the world's out-of-control consumption of fossil fuels - it didn't go far enough to save our civilization. For that, I am convinced that we must completely reinvent the way we live in order to properly deal with these other four issues:
1. Green Economy. We must urgently develop a new global economy that rewards individuals and countries for less consumption. The era of eternal growth must end.
2. Eating Animals. We must get real serious about eliminating our grossly unsustainable habit of eating animal-based foods.
3. CO2 Removal. We must begin urgently removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Curbing emissions will not be enough to stop climate change. It's now been 25 years since the U.N. Climate Change pact (UNFCCC) was entered into force and global emissions have risen steadily ever since.
4. Overpopulation. As our numbers approach eight billion, we must get real serious about beginning to lower the global population to a sustainable level. I have estimated that number to be around four billion - yet we continue to ADD a net 230,000 every day.
The above four initiatives, coupled with the complete replacement of fossil fuels with renewables, are all part of what must be done in order for us to live in harmony with nature. That said, I fear that our species will not survive another century if we cannot manage to get all of those initiatives started soon.
In my "Mama Ain't Happy" BSB on 12-7-18, I focused on the W. Edwards Deming inspired process of totally reinventing global systems - followed by a never-ending effort to further optimize the way we interact with nature on planet Earth.
Dr. Deming said that if we gather enough data and learn enough about a "system," that almost anyone can improve anything. The problem is that few, if any, in power appear to be studying the "big picture" of the global "system" that sustains us.
I have been researching that "system" for six years and have concluded that if Deming were alive today, this is what he would be saying, "We must totally reinvent the way we humans are living on this planet."
What might that reinvented vision look like? Beginning with my BSB on 9-21-18, I have been describing my own vision in an effort to inspire the requisite amount of leadership, power and treasure to develop and implement a "green" human lifestyle model that will satisfy nature.
I readily admit that a future, fully-sustainable, world of the future may look nothing like the one I have described in my blogs - but hopefully the "vision" in those blogs will help inspire a serious discussion on the world stage.
Here are five of my earlier BSBs on this crucial topic. Please share them with the most influential people you know.
The Bottom Line.
There is a great deal of discussion about what must be done to make it possible for us to live in harmony with nature.
Most of that discussion is about the need to sharply reduce our consumption of fossil fuels, yet their global consumption continues to rise.
But what other initiatives are being discussed?
A few of the experts are talking about the need for a "greener" kind of global economy, a few are talking about the need to begin removing CO2 from the atmosphere, a few are talking about the need to drastically reduce the global consumption of animal-based foods and a few are talking about the need to significantly lower the world's population.
But hardly anyone, with one exception, is talking about how we're going to get ALL of that done in time to save our species. That exception is an environmental philosopher in the UK who actually talks about the need to replace our civilization. You will hear more about him in future blogs.
Finally, we must get more of the world's most influential people talking this topic, which is by definition, the most important topic in the history of humanity.
