Roody

Declining birth rates are already looming as a bigger problem than overpopulation in some parts of the world, notably Japan, Korea, and most of Europe. Birth rates in the developing world are higher, but also declining.

But the best way to get low birth rates is to make people more prosperous, and get them off farms. If that happens, they will be consuming more (and polluting more) per person, even if there are fewer people. So the big challenge now is finding a path to sustainable prosperity. This might require big progress in social justice and economic equality. Do you think we (human species) can accomplish this?

Machka 

I hope not!

I don't know about you, but I like to eat now and then.

gerv 

Care to give us the title? We should all be reading this stuff.

gerv 

Agree, but this link you provide doesn't do a whole lot more than propagate a myth... which is that by making tweaks you can reduce carbon footprint to a level that is acceptable.

Of course, this is false. A better approach would be the outline a series of measures that would reduce carbon footprint to more sustainable levels. For example:
- get rid of your car
- stop eating meat
- stop traveling by air
- turn the heat down to where you wear a heavy sweater in winter
- turn the air off in summer

... that sort of thing.

dynodonn 

I consider myself somewhat fortunate in being in the position to to better insulate my home's walls for sound, but installing an anti barking device on side of my house, adjacent to the neighbor with the barking dogs, has proven to be the most effective. Installing the device has caused the dogs to bark on the other side of the neighbor's property, and if they do bark near my house, they don't do it for very long.

Back on topic, I hope that you and your fiance can embrace a car free life style, but since it was taken from her suddenly and was not done on a gradual process of elimination, chances are that she may end up replacing the stolen vehicle at a later date.

dcrowell

She was going to replace the car. She doesn't view car-free as a viable option.

Last night we were riding home from a night out, and she was swearing about the cold and that she wanted her car. Her wish came true. We got a call from the police. The thief was arrested, and the car recovered. It's mostly undamaged.

It would have been better to let insurance replace it, but now that it's been recovered, that's not an option. It needs tires and suspension work (that was before it was stolen).

dcrowell

On another note, I like how LCF posts usually go very off-topic. It keeps things interesting.

Astrozombie

Both times my uncle's Civic was stolen, he found it nearby pretty much undamaged

Artkansas 

Yeah, I just grabbed the first thing I found on the net that was headed in the right direction. And most people will likely read it, go yeah, yeah and implement a few things, feeling like they are doing well until they are distracted.

You've got a good start. Keep going.

Artkansas 

Living in San Diego, both my ex's car and my car got stolen at different times. Her car was recovered and totaled. She had been in the midst of getting the car ready to sell. The insurance company gave her twice what she had been planning to ask for the car. My car, a '63 VW van, was never seen again. My guess is that it headed straight across the border.

Rowan

I can't. It didn't register as well as "50 Bike Designs that Changed the World" and something like "50 tours by bicycle you have to do". I will be back in that part of town sometime soon. I will have another look for you.

I should add, you might have said: "We should all be doing this stuff". Reading is irrelevant if you aren't prepared to do it.

gerv 

This stuff needs to be taught in our schools and drummed into our heads from radio and tv ads.

Most people see it as optional, feel-good activities like giving a can of beans to the food bank.