Sustainability

Sustainability is not going to be easy. Yes, there are those who say the only way is to destroy any sign of an industrialized social structure and begin again. But China, India and many other developing countries are trying to adopt the wasteful way of life favored by most Americans. It's true this won't work long term. We all need to find simpler ways to live and enjoy life. If we don't, we won't be around much longer. We need to change now.

I'm reading a new book by Jeffrey Sachs, Common Wealth. Sachs outlines a detailed plan to deal with some of the most serious problems of global warming. In this sobering but optimistic manifesto, Sachs argues that the crises facing humanity are daunting—but solutions to them are readily at hand. Sachs focuses on four challenges for the coming decades: heading off global warming and environmental destruction; stabilizing the world's population; ending extreme poverty; and breaking the political logjams that hinder global cooperation on these issues. The author analysis economic data, demographic trends and climate science to create a lucid, accessible and suitably grim exposition of looming problems, but his forte is elaborating concrete, pragmatic, low-cost remedies complete with benchmarks and budgets. Sachs's entire agenda would cost less than 3% of the world's annual income, and he notes that a mere two days' worth of Pentagon spending would fund a comprehensive anti-malaria program for Africa, saving countless lives. Forthright government action is the key to avoiding catastrophe, the author contends, not the unilateral, militarized approach to international problems that he claims is pursued by the Bush administration. Combining trenchant analysis with a resounding call to arms, Sachs's book is an important contribution to the debate over the world's future.

SORRY MY VIDEO AND THIS DESCRIPTION ARE SO LONG. THANKS FOR WATCHING!

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• yt:crop=16:9
• future
• sustainability
• change
• survival

[bharadrm]

Extraordinary video ... Message is clear and loud, easy to bring into practice. 

[2bsirius]

@bharadrm

Thanks and thanks for watching it btw.

[docsea]

I like your message. I like the way it's presented. Maybe, someday, if enough people subscribe to it, it will make a difference for our planet. But to be honest, I've been hearing these suggestions for decades, our planet is resilient enough to still be a pretty wonderful place to reside, and everybody, even those who change, end up dead.

[2bsirius]

I agree in theory, but I if all planetary life, including human life, continues and grows more resilient and wiser, isn't that a kind of survival for all of us?

[bbbleaver]

one vital element for something to be sustainable that we are not mentioning (ever, or i have yet to hear it said explicitly) is that WE NEED ONE ANOTHER. we need the support of our communities our friends our families. this is not a cavalier or individuals game... not a game at all. though humor is needed. the earth is a self-sustaining entity because all it's constituent parts act together unlike our culture that is at cross purposes and the enemy of all life (humans and all).

[2bsirius]

Excellent point...Agreed!

[Spiritobliss]

This is a wonderful video and I thoroughly support what you say. However, I am bothered by the fact that we're all banging on about how we can all make a difference while the huge corporates continue to light up the skies with their neon advertising in most major cities in the world. Surely until they begin to the take the issue seriously there is little hope for our planet?

[jak1428]

amen.

[2010vinyl]

Vinyl 2010 has launched a multimedia competition as part of its Sustainable Thinking Platform and we think this is a cool video that could be posted there. Registration is free and we have more than 2,000 euros in prizes!

Check it out at sustainablethinking.eu

[pgm98387]

The stills were great! I was reading all the panels, timely message.

The volume got loud half way thru.

Most videos have somewhat poor sound quality.

I leave the volume up on my speakers.



[webermsu1]

You people take this way too far.... Global warming is a natural cycle in the worlds history. I don't have a problem with your video but you should focus on the real problemm which is sustainable agriculture.

[enviu]

At Enviu we believe strongly in this message and we are about Innovating towards a sustainable future.

Take a look at our projects and start contributing. Check our videos on our channel and visit our homepage for sustainability in a working business environment.

[pkscolax]

I'd certainly like to see that happen, thanks LZ!

[LZX27Y]

I'd like to, at least, introduce a term into this discussion. Forget ecofascism. Forget ecocapitalism. Forget deep ecology. In my view, only within the parameters of a classless democratic society of freely associated producers can we assure that there is a possibility of overcoming the barriers that block the flourishing of both a humanly liberated and an ecologically sustainable society.