Originally Posted by
JeffS
Well, when the foundation of your argument is that people will not accept change, you've doomed yourself to a bleak outcome.
Yeah, especially when change is inevitable. The only way to prevent change in lifestyle is to live sustainably, which is physically impossible when one's lifestyle is dependent on finite resources.
Top Five Things Non-Environmentalists Need to Learn
1) We have to change, be it now or later, whether we like it or not. Non-acceptance of this fact simply isn't an option.
2) It takes energy to change. Namely, implementing alternative sources of energy; all methods of energy production require an initial energy investment.
3) It will be much easier
and less expensive to change now, while the energy infrastructure is reasonably stable, than later when the energy infrastructure is chaotic, rendering alternative sources of energy much more difficult and expensive to implement.
4) Much of the economy is contingent on the environment being in good order. Polluted water, soil erosion, reduced soil quality, flooding, pollution-induced illness, extreme weather etc. all harm the economy.
5) Untold billions have been spent fighting over oil supplies necessary to support the current Western energy infrastructure. (oh yeah, and many lives have been lost too)
Those who argue that environmental conservation "destroys the economy" are myopic to the extreme. Environmental conservation actually benefits the economy in the long-term. The first nation to become mass producers of alternative energy production equipment will have a competitive advantage in the global marketplace when these things become more necessary - which they will. Continuing to put off the inevitable change to the energy infrastructure may keep the economy relatively stable for now, but will eventually lead to serious problems.