Comments on: Private: Cities best for Earth in 21st century, says expert http://earthsky.org/human-world/george-martine-ubanization-environment A Clear Voice for Science Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:28:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Steve Salmony http://earthsky.org/human-world/george-martine-ubanization-environment/comment-page-1#comment-3465 Steve Salmony Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:53:11 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2714#comment-3465 <p>The leaders in my not-so-great generation wish to live without having to accept limits to growth of seemingly endless economic globalization, increasing per capita consumption and skyrocketing human population numbers; their desires are evidently insatiable; they choose to believe anything that is politically convenient and economically expedient; and they act accordingly; but, despite all their shared fantasies and soon to be unsustainable activities, Earth exists in space-time, is relatively small and bounded, and has limited resources upon which the survival of life as we know it depends. Whatsoever is is, is it not?</p> The leaders in my not-so-great generation wish to live without having to accept limits to growth of seemingly endless economic globalization, increasing per capita consumption and skyrocketing human population numbers; their desires are evidently insatiable; they choose to believe anything that is politically convenient and economically expedient; and they act accordingly; but, despite all their shared fantasies and soon to be unsustainable activities, Earth exists in space-time, is relatively small and bounded, and has limited resources upon which the survival of life as we know it depends. Whatsoever is is, is it not?

]]> By: Steve Salmony http://earthsky.org/human-world/george-martine-ubanization-environment/comment-page-1#comment-3462 Steve Salmony Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:41:38 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2714#comment-3462 <p>What worries me is this: one day, sooner than many of us imagine, we and our children could unexpectedly and suddenly come face to face with threats to human and environmental health that are derived from converging global challenges, because our leaders have remained adamantly and relentlessly in denial of human-driven, fulminating ecological degradation. One noticeable consequence of our leaders willfully denying emerging global threats is that we will likely have extraordinary difficulties responding ably to that with which we could soon be confronted. That is to say, people will not even know what “hit” them, much less why it is happening.</p> What worries me is this: one day, sooner than many of us imagine, we and our children could unexpectedly and suddenly come face to face with threats to human and environmental health that are derived from converging global challenges, because our leaders have remained adamantly and relentlessly in denial of human-driven, fulminating ecological degradation. One noticeable consequence of our leaders willfully denying emerging global threats is that we will likely have extraordinary difficulties responding ably to that with which we could soon be confronted. That is to say, people will not even know what “hit” them, much less why it is happening.

]]> By: stevenearlsalmony http://earthsky.org/human-world/george-martine-ubanization-environment/comment-page-1#comment-2817 stevenearlsalmony Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:56:02 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2714#comment-2817 <p>Dear George Martine,</p> <p>Thanks for your great work.</p> <p>Perhaps my brief message above does not adequately say what I am trying to communicate. </p> <p>At least to me, the forbidding situation presented to humanity by the giant, ever-expanding business conglomerations underpinning the civilization now overspreading the Earth may not be as difficult to address as it appears on first sighting. </p> <p>For example, the creeping degradation of the environment resulting from the infinite, pernicious activities of these corporate entities could soon cause people to enjoin their leaders to radically redefine what it means to be a good “corporate citizen” in a small, finite, frangible world. Once that redefinition becomes law, then the corporations will be held to different standards and better business practices associated with whatsoever is found to be sustainable. </p> <p>At the current scale and growth rate of the global economy, the spectacularly sucessful increase of human enterprise on Earth runs the clearly unacceptable risk of becoming patently unsustainable soon. </p> <p>Corporations are created, designed, organized, managed and grown by human hands. Those leaders who are responsible for catering to the unsustainable behavior of these business entities can change them.</p> <p>The time is coming, I believe, when people will do just as we have to do. Parents as well as children. And by so doing, we will help our brothers and sisters who are the business tycoons and their bought-and-paid-for politicians to reform the institutions of big business enterprise. People everywhere are beginning to see and understand that there can be no such thing as a successful man-made economy without viable conditions for life as we know it on the surface of this planetary home God has blessed us to inhabit.</p> <p>Always,</p> <p>Steve</p> <p>PS: Thanks for your capable comments to those who have been engaged by the Population and Environment Resaeach Network (<span class="caps">PERN</span>) in discussions intended to protect the future of life and the integrity of Earth.</p> Dear George Martine,

Thanks for your great work.

Perhaps my brief message above does not adequately say what I am trying to communicate.

At least to me, the forbidding situation presented to humanity by the giant, ever-expanding business conglomerations underpinning the civilization now overspreading the Earth may not be as difficult to address as it appears on first sighting.

For example, the creeping degradation of the environment resulting from the infinite, pernicious activities of these corporate entities could soon cause people to enjoin their leaders to radically redefine what it means to be a good “corporate citizen” in a small, finite, frangible world. Once that redefinition becomes law, then the corporations will be held to different standards and better business practices associated with whatsoever is found to be sustainable.

At the current scale and growth rate of the global economy, the spectacularly sucessful increase of human enterprise on Earth runs the clearly unacceptable risk of becoming patently unsustainable soon.

Corporations are created, designed, organized, managed and grown by human hands. Those leaders who are responsible for catering to the unsustainable behavior of these business entities can change them.

The time is coming, I believe, when people will do just as we have to do. Parents as well as children. And by so doing, we will help our brothers and sisters who are the business tycoons and their bought-and-paid-for politicians to reform the institutions of big business enterprise. People everywhere are beginning to see and understand that there can be no such thing as a successful man-made economy without viable conditions for life as we know it on the surface of this planetary home God has blessed us to inhabit.

Always,

Steve

PS: Thanks for your capable comments to those who have been engaged by the Population and Environment Resaeach Network (PERN) in discussions intended to protect the future of life and the integrity of Earth.

]]> By: Steven Earl Salmony http://earthsky.org/human-world/george-martine-ubanization-environment/comment-page-1#comment-2810 Steven Earl Salmony Thu, 02 Aug 2007 11:23:00 +0000 http://208.96.63.114/?p=2714#comment-2810 <p>Dear George Martine, </p> <p>I agree that “the problem is the kind of civilization we are promoting.” Could you comment about how the Earth can be realistically expected to support the seemingly endless growth of human enterprise. Given our relatively small, finite, noticeably frangible planetary home, the current gigantic scale of the global economy appears to be growing at a rate that could soon become patently unsustainable. What do you think?</p> <p>Sincerely,</p> <p>Steve</p> Dear George Martine,

I agree that “the problem is the kind of civilization we are promoting.” Could you comment about how the Earth can be realistically expected to support the seemingly endless growth of human enterprise. Given our relatively small, finite, noticeably frangible planetary home, the current gigantic scale of the global economy appears to be growing at a rate that could soon become patently unsustainable. What do you think?

Sincerely,

Steve

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