Maiken Winter addresses the common argument that "we cannot afford to do=
anything" about climate change. I agree wholeheartedly with her. If a=
nything, we cannot afford to not do anything. The Stern report is of so=
me value in pointing that out. =
However, in no way does the Stern report suggest that there is no confli=
ct between economic growth and environmental protection. Nor does the f=
act that, as Maiken says, it is supposed to take only about 1% of GDP, a=
nnually, "to develop and set up the technologies we already have." For =
what happens when those technologies are developed and set up? We then =
have, as David Ehrenfeld would put it, "friendlier fire" or, as I've put=
it elsewhere, a bigger gun to continue shooting ourselves in the feet w=
ith. Except for the matter of climate change - just one among a long lo=
ng list of environmental problems - it doesn't really matter how clean t=
he energy form gets: its the sectors and infratructure powered by that e=
nergy that expand at the competitive exlusion of nonhuman species in the=
aggregate and at the expense of numerous other facets of ecological int=
egrity. Not to be self-promoting, but it's handy to cite two of my own =
articles on this topic that go straight to the issue:
Czech, B., P. R. Krausman, and P. K. Devers. 2000. Economic associatio=
ns among causes of species endangerment in the United States. Bioscienc=
e 50(7):593-601.
Czech, B. 2005. A chronological frame of reference for ecological inte=
grity and natural conditions. Natural Resources Journal 44(4):1113-1136=
.
It is hard to argue with Maiken's argument because it is hopeful and is =
a step in a better direction than most. It reminds me a lot of Al Gore=92=
s language on this topic. However, when we stick to the standard and po=
licy-relevant definition of economic growth - the definition that means =
something to the public and policy makers - there really is no credible =
disputing the fundamental conflict between economic growth and environme=
ntal protection. ("Fundamental" meaning based in core principles of eco=
logy and physics.)
As for Al Gore, while in the White House he got pressured into the liter=
ally incredible rhetoric that "there is no conflict between growing the =
economy and protecting the environment" (which brought a pall over a hug=
e audience at his 2000 Earth Day talk in Washington, DC!). But now that=
he's out of the White House there is no such talk in An Inconvenient Tr=
uth. Unfortunately we can=92t expect him to talk explicitly about a con=
flict between economic growth and environmental protection, either, not =
after the political expedience he went on record with in the =9190s. Ye=
t Earth in the Balance reveals that Gore knew about the conflict all alo=
ng. =
In any event, for more on the trade-off between economic growth and envi=
ronmental protection, I'd refer Maiken and others to the technical revie=
w on economic growth published by The Wildlife Society, and to the vario=
us positions on economic growth taken by the likes of The Wildlife Socie=
ty, the Society for Conservation Biology - North America Section, the Am=
erican Society of Mammalogists, the U.S. Society for Ecological Economic=
s, and smaller orgs like the British Columbia Field Ornithologists. The=
se and other orgs are taking positions to refute the politically expedie=
nt but exceedingly dangerous rhetoric that there is no such trade-off.
<?xml:namespace prefix =3D o ns =3D "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:o=
ffice" />
=
Brian Czech, Visiting Assistant Professor =
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
National Capital Region, Northern Virginia Center
7054 Haycock Road, Room 411
Falls Church, VA 22043 =
Brian Czech, Ph.D., President
Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy
SIGN THE POSITION on economic growth at: www.steadystate.org/PositiononE=
G.html .
EMAIL RESPONSE PROBLEMS? Use [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-- Maiken Winter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
There are all kinds of types of deniers.
There are those who don't believe cc exists, some believe it is not
human-caused, some believe the main cause is population growth, some tha=
t
it is too expensive, some that they don't have time to do something, som=
e
are scared of loosing scientific credibility,...anybody who denies that =
we
have a serious problem that each one of us has to help solve immediately=
or we are going to face dramatic consequences is - to me - a denier in
various stages.
A short comment about the common argument that we cannot afford to do
something:
Check out the Stern report for the effects on the effect of climate chan=
ge
on the world's economy.
(http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economic=
s_climate_change/stern_review_report.cfm)
Basically, it would take about 1% of the gross domestic product of our
planet per year to develop and set up the technologies we already have.
That is a very small amount of money compared to the expenses for war on=
the entire planet. This is a matter of priorities and will of politician=
s
and the citizens of the earth, not a matter of ability. That is one reas=
on
why I think it is so essential to speak up.
Also, combating climate change will not put an end on economic growth, i=
t
could very likely increase it through development of new technologies.
Look at which car companies are making profit - not the American gas
guzzlers. And about renewable energies. It IS possible to have 100%
renewable energies in Germany, if every house had solar panels. Why
shouldn't every house have a solar panels? With government subsidies thi=
s
is absolutely in the realm of true possibilities. We just often lack the=
imagination and energy to push for those things that are needed and
achievable.
Maiken
PS: Please check out these webpages to find a description, and how to de=
al
with them:
http://gristmill.grist.org/skeptics
http://www.skepticalscience.com/
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/dn11462
http://scholarsandrogues.wordpress.com/2007/07/23/anti-global-heating-cl=
aims-a-reasonably-thorough-debunking/
http://denial.nodvin.net/
