January 19, 2007

Terra Firma

Sometimes it seems like so many things — science, technology, social organization — have shot past us, caroming out of control, beyond our understanding perhaps even to the point of our own species' destruction. But just because our mental maps have not yet satisfactorily explained modern realities doesn't mean we should abandon hope. And absent explicit supernal guidance it makes even more sense to consider survival in a positive light: when you get right down to it, survival is all we've got. Thus I found it genuinely refreshing to talk with the optimist Jonathon Porritt, Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, and for decades a leading force among British environmentalists. Jonathon is thinking his way through the problem of how to get people environmentally engaged and I'm certain that, by putting things in terms everybody can understand, he's on the right track. He's astonishingly articulate and reasonable in a persuasive, low-key way. Due to Jonathon's very busy schedule this is a shorter, more "interview-like" conversation than usual. I'm most grateful for his taking time to talk with me and I hope you find this conversation as thought-provoking as I did. Total runtime of thirty three minutes. Enjoy!

Comments

Strange signs and portents...

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/nation/16390184.htm

Posted by: David Wilson | January 19, 2007 12:22 PM

Dear George,

Not to dampen Jonathon's optimism and his hopes for a techno-fix in the near future, I'd still recommend to you and your listeners a recent article written by Milo Clark, "The Catastrophic Illusion Of Sustainability," Swans, September 11, 2006.

Clark shows the common delusions behind "Sustainable Development." He writes, "From systems perspectives, I challenge anyone to show any facet of modern economics that is sustainable even in very short range perspectives. Everything I do, everything you do, is totally encapsulated in unsustainable products and processes." And he takes the case of Hawaii to demonstrate his analysis.

The article's URL is:
http://www.swans.com/library/art12/mgc192.html

Then, I would suggest to take a look at the US International Energy Outlook 2006 (highlights) at:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/highlights.html

Keep also in mind that an average of more than 7 calories of fossil fuel is burned up for every calorie of energy we get from our food.

I'm not sure that anyone really knows the solution(s) to these immense challenges. Perhaps, economic re-localization is the way of the future. There are some interesting developments happening in the SF Bay Area...

Anyway, thinking of it, you should consider interviewing Milo Clark. He is a critical thinker with an amazing resume.

Thanks for this broadcast.

Best wishes for a full recovery.

Gilles d'Aymery
Swans Commentary

Posted by: Gilles d'Aymery | January 19, 2007 1:16 PM

Jonathon evidently has the ear of the PM...
http://newsbiscuit.com/article/blair-to-make-iraq-war-carbon-neutral

Posted by: David Wilson | January 25, 2007 5:21 PM



Home FAQ Contact Archive EP store EP Alerts © 2008 ElectricPolitics	January 19, 2007 Terra Firma Sometimes it seems like so many things — science, technology, social organization — have shot past us, caroming out of control, beyond our understanding perhaps even to the point of our own species' destruction. But just because our mental maps have not yet satisfactorily explained modern realities doesn't mean we should abandon hope. And absent explicit supernal guidance it makes even more sense to consider survival in a positive light: when you get right down to it, survival is all we've got. Thus I found it genuinely refreshing to talk with the optimist Jonathon Porritt, Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, and for decades a leading force among British environmentalists. Jonathon is thinking his way through the problem of how to get people environmentally engaged and I'm certain that, by putting things in terms everybody can understand, he's on the right track. He's astonishingly articulate and reasonable in a persuasive, low-key way. Due to Jonathon's very busy schedule this is a shorter, more "interview-like" conversation than usual. I'm most grateful for his taking time to talk with me and I hope you find this conversation as thought-provoking as I did. Total runtime of thirty three minutes. Enjoy! « V-22 Osprey: A Deathtrap \| Main \| A Republic, or A Monarchy? » Share this post: Comments Strange signs and portents... http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/nation/16390184.htm Posted by: David Wilson \| January 19, 2007 12:22 PM Dear George, Not to dampen Jonathon's optimism and his hopes for a techno-fix in the near future, I'd still recommend to you and your listeners a recent article written by Milo Clark, "The Catastrophic Illusion Of Sustainability," Swans, September 11, 2006. Clark shows the common delusions behind "Sustainable Development." He writes, "From systems perspectives, I challenge anyone to show any facet of modern economics that is sustainable even in very short range perspectives. Everything I do, everything you do, is totally encapsulated in unsustainable products and processes." And he takes the case of Hawaii to demonstrate his analysis. The article's URL is: http://www.swans.com/library/art12/mgc192.html Then, I would suggest to take a look at the US International Energy Outlook 2006 (highlights) at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/highlights.html Keep also in mind that an average of more than 7 calories of fossil fuel is burned up for every calorie of energy we get from our food. I'm not sure that anyone really knows the solution(s) to these immense challenges. Perhaps, economic re-localization is the way of the future. There are some interesting developments happening in the SF Bay Area... Anyway, thinking of it, you should consider interviewing Milo Clark. He is a critical thinker with an amazing resume. Thanks for this broadcast. Best wishes for a full recovery. Gilles d'Aymery Swans Commentary Posted by: Gilles d'Aymery \| January 19, 2007 1:16 PM Jonathon evidently has the ear of the PM... http://newsbiscuit.com/article/blair-to-make-iraq-war-carbon-neutral Posted by: David Wilson \| January 25, 2007 5:21 PM Leave a comment Name Email Address URL Remember personal info? Comments (You may use HTML tags for style)

Terra Firma

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