In the spirit of eco-steps, there are many seemingly small, easy things we can all do that can add up to have a collectively large impact on our health, our lives and our environment. But maybe there aren't enough of us doing them. And maybe we could all do a little bit more. I think both statements are true. With June of 2010 being the hottest on record, and terrible things like the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, flooding in Pakistan, and drought and wild fires in Russia, I think it's time that everyone start paying a little closer attention.
In his book, Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Lester R. Brown of the Earth Policy Institute skillfully brings to the forefront the interconnected global issues of poverty, food insecurity, population growth and natural resource exploitation. And while this may seem like gloom and doom (and much of it is-- and much our own doing), Dr. Brown offers some clever and practical solutions.
The basic answer is that we must DO SOMETHING and QUICKLY. We must mobilize, as he says, and begin changing the way we do things. Otherwise, we can expect more of the disasters, hardships and crises mentioned at the beginning of this post. Chapter 10 details the massive systemic changes that need to rapidly take place, but it also details the smaller, more manageable things (eco-steps, if you will) that you and I can do to make a difference and help turn things around and be part of the solution.
So I encourage you to download his book (it's free!) and read it, share it with your friends, family, neighbors, even people you don't like all that much. I would also encourage you to share it with your governmental representatives, wherever you may live.
If you live in the U.S., the following are the links to contact your Congressional Representatives and your U.S. Senators.
We have to start paying attention. We have to start doing something to change our course.
“Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -- Margaret Mead
It looks like Lester Brown and the Earth Policy Institute are spot-on with their assessment of the food insecurity.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/07/20/un.africa.food.crisis/index.html?iref=obinsite
On the flip side, there are people who are developing innovative responses-- to both hunger and obesity:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/08/10/gustafson.hunger.obesity/?iref=obnetwork
An excellent and very timely article on Food Security:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/09/22/un.food.security.poverty/index.html?hpt=C1
Also, check out World Hunger, Be the Solution on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/World-Hunger-Be-the-Solution/154897284525497
The Earth Policy Institute has released this today: Food (?) for thought...
ReplyDeleteRising Temperatures Melting Away Global Food Security
www.earth-policy.org/book_bytes/2011/wotech4_ss3
From an adoring fan...
ReplyDeleteto Eco-Steps
show details 7:55 AM (33 minutes ago)
So if this is true
Crop ecologists have found that each 1-degree-Celsius rise in temperature above the optimum can reduce grain harvests by 10 percent.
Shouldn't the prudent person....try to procure land (arable) in parts of the earth where conditions will be more favorable for growing FOOD?
Like Canada, Russia in the Northern hemisphere and New Zeland and Southern Peru Chile S Africa