China's "American Style" Development Means Ecosystem Collapse
Lester Brown eloquently provides the rationale for all of Ecological Internet's work in his comprehensive environmental sustainability essay entitled "China forcing world to rethink its economic future". In it he states "global civilization today is on an economic path that is environmentally unsustainable, a path that is leading us toward economic decline and eventual collapse." There are simply not enough resources or ecosystems in the World for China, India and other developing countries to follow the Western economic model without utter ecological collapse and social mayhem. There can be no economy without ecological systems as an underpinning.
"The fossil-fuel-based, auto-centered, throwaway economy--is not going to work for... developing countries who are also dreaming the 'American dream.' China is helping us see that the days of the old economy are numbered... Sustaining our early 21st-century global civilization now depends on shifting to a renewable energy-based, reuse/recycle economy with a diversified transport system." Brown identifies three broad imperatives to address the global ecological crisis including restructuring the economy to sustainability, eradicating poverty while reducing population, and restoring (and protecting) natural ecosystems.
Ecological Internet exists in order to promote, inform and actively pursue these policies. Finding a way to achieve just, equitable global ecological sustainability is the challenge of all of humanity's remaining time. Ecological Internet is providing information and action opportunities to promote necessary policy to begin this transformation. We are currently 25% of the way towards raising the funds necessary to allow our work on behalf of your Earth to continue for the next six months. Please support us now!
Comments
Dear Dr.Barry :
Lester Brown is focussing on sustainable behavior patterns with regard to taking care of the environment and the supplies of the earth.....he is right, of course, but does he re-invent the wheel....? The indigenous people in the Amazon River forests had explained towards "Western Civilization" people already long time ago that they would never touch things or sources that are not growing back....so the question is - can we learn from them or are they really supposed to learn from us.....?
Best regards,
Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus
Posted by: Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus | May 14, 2006 11:24 AM
One important change we can make is: becoming vegetarians!!
Ria
Posted by: Ria | May 14, 2006 5:14 PM
Hi,
Read your entire article, and at the end, was motivated to take action.
Couldn't find a link that helped me send an email/fax or make a call to make
a difference.
Please build in an action point, your excellent writing inspires people to
take action - and this is what we need to bring about change. Help us to
help the earth. Start an initiative, or piggy back on other organisations'
initiatives.
Best,
Calum
Posted by: Calum | May 16, 2006 1:25 PM