A “Growing” problem? Yes or No?

A “Growing” Problem

Recently, I have been moved to action with this thought…  How does our generation save the world?  How does our generation learn from the past, embrace the present and live for the future?

There has been plenty of debate between thousands of scientist, geologist, theologist, politicians, community leaders, young and old, male and female. 

What is happening to our planet?

Is the world heating up?  Are we losing our faith?  Are the values of today’s youth lost?  Are we going to run out of oil or even scarier…. water?  Are we headed toward ultimate doom?  Is the world going to end on December 21, 2012. Why is it that every single one of us has this nagging feeling that something is wrong? 

I intend on using this blog as a forum to discuss these issues.  To touch on my thoughts, hopes and feelings.  Everything I write is my opinion based on research and facts of course, but ultimately, my opinion.  I am objective, open for debate, and never close my mind to the possibility that I don’t quite see the entire picture.

Now I must say in the past several years I have noticed a call to arms.  I have noticed a growing awareness of our impact and a sincere belief from the optimistic that we as individuals can make a difference.  For those of you skeptics, yes, you individually can not “Save the World”.

However, a movement begins with a thought.  A movement begins with the dreams of one person or a collective group of people.  The civil rights movement is a great example of a movement that changed the world.  It began with countless men and women who were treated unfairly in the land of the free.  This movement was championed by Martin Luther King and his contemporaries.  Though we are not completely there, one can not deny that things have come a long way in the last 40 years. This is a movement that is not stopping, has not wavered and has changed the face of our planet.

So back to the topic.  The “green movement” is growing.  This movement, much like the civil rights movement was born out of the mistakes of man.  For centuries, man has lived on this planet with the thought that resources are unlimited.  We can continue to exhaust and use our environment and it will recover, it will survive and continue to be fruitful. 

Whether it is a growing awareness or the writing on the wall,  this generation, our generation, your generation realizes, that is a fallacy. The belief that man was placed on the earth to conquer it, must not and can not persist.

So how can we spark this movement?  What should we address?  Should we all wake up tomorrow, recycle, drive less, buy Hybrids, drink tap water, use less paper, cut the six-pack plastic rings that our soda cans come with, walk to lunch, build greener, put green logos on our TV stations, watch Al Gore’s “The Inconvenient Truth”, reduce our carbon footprint?  Pardon the sarcasm!  All of those things are worth doing.  But are those things going to cause a movement, spur a revolution, save the world? 

In America, we are victims of our age.  We are living in The Oil Age.  And just like America the rest of the developed world is right there with us.  When we think Green, we are thinking of the immediate impact.  Our culture is centered around cheap, readily available fuel.  The immediate impact is as follows. 

For the last 200 hundred years we have been using and living comfortably off of the readily available fuel.  However, as the world continues to advance and become “civilized” there is a growing demand for these fuels.  China and the United States, like two fat bellied pigs are scarfing down the worlds natural resources.  Now the effect of this is world shortages, higher gas prices, increased pollution, increased demand, growing anxiety, and an imminent crisis. 

Now don’t get me wrong, this is not due to an inherent issue of the depravity of man.  Is not because the United States and China are greedy.  This is due to an increasing need to satisfy the style of life we have become accustomed too.

Thus, with that mindset.  The “green movement” aims to provide more sustainable energy, lower greenhouse emissions, advises to carpool, walk, ride the bus, ride a bike, drive cars instead of fuel sucking SUVs. 

Now when doctors diagnose an illness, they approach it much the same way. What are the symptoms, what is your family history, what have you eaten, been exposed to, is their similar case studies, etc.  After diagnosis of “the problem”, they prescribe a treatment plan.

Now we are getting somewhere.  So what is the problem?  Is the problem that we are to oil dependent? Is the problem that we can not encourage enough participation?  Or do we have a “growing” problem?

Take a look at the stats below.

WORLD POPULATION GROWTH IN FIGURES

(source : http://www.optimumpopulation.org/opt.earth.html)

Mid-Year	Population	Growth over five years	Source
2050*	9,191,287,000		UN World Population Prospects 2006
2040*	8,823,546,000		UN World Population Prospects 2006
2030*	8,317,707,000		UN World Population Prospects 2006
2020*	7,667,090,000		UN World Population Prospects 2006
2007	6,700,000,000		UN World Population Prospects 2006
2006	6,610,000,000		UN World Population Prospects 2006
2005	6,514,751,000	390.6m	UN World Population Prospects 2006
2000	6,124,123,000	405.1m	UN World Population Prospects 2006
1995	5,719,045,000	424.2m	UN World Population Prospects 2006
1990	5,294,879,000	439.6m	UN World Population Prospects 2006
1985	4,855,264,000	403.8m	UN World Population Prospects 2006
1980	4,451,470,000	375.4m	UN World Population Prospects 2006
1975	4,076,080,000	377.4m	UN World Population Prospects 2006
1970	3,698,676,000		UN World Population Prospects 2006
1960	3,031,931,000		UN World Population Prospects 2006
1950	2,535,093,000		UN World Population Prospects 2006
1927	2,000,000,000
1900	1,656,000,000
1850	1,265,000,000
1804	1,000,000,000
1750	795,000,000
1650	500,000,000
1200	450,000,000
1 AD	300,000,000
8,000 BC	5,000,000		From 50,000 BC

So….even if 1 out of 3 people lived “green”, at the rate our population is increasing by 2050 we would have 3 billion conscious consumers and 6 billion (the world’s current population) users. 

People we are back at square one.  Do you think the undeveloped countries are practicing green initiatives?  So if we are doctors, what is the real “problem” and how do we treat it?

On that note I will leave it up for discussion and my next post will continue to address the “growing” problem.