Nice article, well written, though I sometimes wonder how much of the 1960s style utopia is a product of boomers remembering the time through a prism of youth, thus remembering the time they were young rather than the period itself.

Indeed, consumption is something that we need to look at, though whether people will be willing if they're not forced... something in me is rather cynical at the prospect.

Dear Readers,
This article, while perhaps reflecting some contemporary factors of great importance, is desperately defeatest and not balanced. It destroys hope for the future and the drive for constructive and innovative solutions. Perhaps it is meant to be an awakening call. But a more positive view of the future would be far more appropriate and more likely to result in positive progress. Sure there are profound challenges ahead, that is not new, but the means for overcoming the obstacles are improving all the time. There is both a downward graph and an upward graph at work, and at some point they will intersect and lead to profound insights, new perspectives and visions of the future. The future is a global one, of that there can be no doubt, and when that is accepted by many people then new possibilities for humanity emerge, latent human capacities will be brought to light and old prejudices cast aside. Hope is essential for the human condition to flourish. Lets not kill it prematurely. The long termn future of humanity is very bright.
Graham N

As noted, the problem is a global one, but every one of them can be traced back directly or indirectly to over population. When will people realise this, although I fear it is too late now.

G.R.
You just don't understand what the good doctor is telling you do you? We must take action NOW not tomorrow, next week, next year but NOW. Listen to what the scientists of the world have been telling us since 1991, unless you are more qualified than they are of course. And just as important is Earth's over population many answers have to be answered politically if we are to survive as a species, here today gone in 50 years it's up to the ignorant to think about this.

I am one of those people who sees the science of climate change as convincing: it is evidenced that the earth is warming. We should be taking action. However that is where the facts end and the speculation begins. As someone who would like to see more action I get dismayed when statements like "climate changes threaten to end civilisation itself" are trotted out. They seem in the same basket as the right-wing US Christians who look forward to climate change and see it as fulfilling biblical prophesy. It's scare mongering and allows oxygen to the naysayers.

In the next 20 years we will probably see 'peak oil' and need to adjust for that. About 80 years later climate change might be really kicking in but what we 'know' will happen comes only from models. As the head of Scripps said recently on the ABC, just try and get a grant for research for a model that doesn't show catastrophic outcomes. Peter should distinguish between what he knows and what is speculation before laying on the shrill observations.

In the meantime millions live with HIV/AIDS or are dying of hunger or diseases or being killed in wars. This is a fact happening now, as you read this. Multiply the deaths today by 365 then by 100 and we see just where civilisation is threatened. But of course, it isn't us in that particular lifeboat.

Reclaiming the Meaning of Human Life.

This article is not defeatist as some might percieve.

If we don't ask ourselves the right questions then how can we ever problem solve.

What is alarming is how many feel that balance must always be about feeling UP. This impedes or prevents entry to valuable discussion and is why the depth of the world problem gets deeper.

As Peter McMahon states; "

a) Most importantly, we need to start talking to each other again and we need to reclaim our time.

b) We have become functions of our possessions, driven by the need for more and better, but losing our emotional and social meaning along the way.

c) Mass-industrial society delivered us from want and disease, but it has become a mad religion that is about to cost us everything.

And for a developed nation this next para is most critical;

"The western lifestyle has become increasingly absurd, resulting in growing mental illness, widespread depression, poor health, social alienation, and it turns out, environmental catastrophe", midst other things!

Who could be affronted by this truth?

I feel this present election is the most important one we have experienced for a long while.

Why?

Because it has synthesised a unifying agenda. It is a chance to move forward by affirming the hope we all have, and gives us all the opportunity to participate and to problem solve.

For me it is not about the leaders and the political parties.

It is about self governance.

It is about each and everyone of us ALL taking "responsiblity, by doing what is required and learning more about HOW.

Well Done Peter these articles are never easy to write. Thank You.

http://miacat.com
.