Spot on John. This has surely got to be the most important subject of our time; our absolutely mad addiction to continuous growth.

Nothing befuddles me more than this.

We have major problems with water in southeast Queensland, Sydney, Perth, etc, and yet there is practically no suggestion that population growth or any other aspect of human expansion even be slowed, let alone stopped, in these places!!

We have become aware of the paramount importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But bizarrely, we in Australia can all see the need to reduce per-capita output while the vast majority of us at the same time just blithely accept and ever-increasing number of ‘capitas’!!

We’ve become aware of the need for sustainability, but both Howard and Rudd have us hooked into rapid continuous unending expansion, which is going to take us directly away from sustainability! Practically no one is objecting to this!!

This is insanity at its greatest level!

Ditto Ludwig.

Unfortunately, our society is driven by consumerism and self-interest. Political parties dangle the carrots that the people want for their own back pockets, with disregard for the wider issues.

It's a societal problem and one would have hoped that our leaders could have lead us - they haven't. They too are driven by their own self interest.

They may be intelligent, they may be knowledgeable - they certainly have not been wise. Humanity deserves better

An excellent essay, stating the case succinctly while repeating the hundreds of warnings of dire consequences unless we change our ways, that have been offered humanity since the early 1970's with such publications as "The Doomsday Book", as well as all those hundreds self-sufficiency publications exhorting us to live sustainably. Everyone with a modicum of intelligence has understood the idiocy of growth in a finite, closed system since the 1960's... but therein lies the archilles heel of democracy. As soon as the first politician opens his/her mouth democracy becomes demagoguery and susceptible to the votes of the uninformed.
We cannot expect to be well governed by a tri-annual popularity poll... that is as stupid as government by lottery.
The lesson to be learned by considering human history and the last thirty years of inaction, is that human societies respond only to catastrophe. The only thing those of us who think about such things can do is sit tight, take what precautions we can, and try to avoid the worst of the horrors to come.

"A difference of Opinion" on the ABC last Thursday said it all NOT. The first half hour was a completely pointless discussion on Kyoto. Not a word was said about sustainability or population control. No one suggested that a responsible government should spend its surplus on research into renewable energy. We are all waiting for someone else to do something first as we don't want to be economically disadvantaged. In another 50 years time our farmers are going to be producing food without the addition of artificial fertilisers and our nutrient poor soils are not particularly good at that as I have found from personal experience. Add a shortage of water to the mix and we will be lucky to produce food for 6 million, let alone 60 million. We might all have to change our diet to include a fair amount of goat meat, the same as a large percentage of the world's population. Fortunately, there seems to be no shortage of these animals in the back blocks of NSW and Queensland.

David

John Coulter - going to battle again for a rational approach to global warming and all those other problems resulting from our culture's philosophy of mindless growth!

It is remarkable to see the resurgence of rational battlers like John Coulter. Twenty, thirty years ago they were arguing the case for a "conserver society" rather than a "consumer society". So many people of vision are back in the fray again - now that their message is so desperately needed.

Just for one example - the musicians - Jackson Borown, Bonnie Raitt, Harvey Wasserman - again making loud and influential noises in the U.S. in favoutr of conservation, renewable energy, and a stop to the mad push for nuclear power and unbridled growth and consumerism.

I have been so often reminded lately of Schumacher's seminal book of the 1970s - "Small is Beautiful". It's time too, surely has come.

The grandiose plans for energy growth through "clean coal", and nuclear power, should be discarded. Even Concentrated Solar Power is questionable, compared to the opportunities now for small scale. decentralised solar power. And of course - a cultural movement towards a conserver lifestyle and the recognition that "small" truly is beautiful. Christina Macpherson www.antinuclearaustralia.com

"there's nothing we can do". that sums up every discussion in oz. and it's precisely accurate. all the levers of power are in the hands of the politicians guild, none in the hands of the people.

so, like the good subjects you are, you turn to the sports pages, and await disaster with a clear conscience.

yet there is something you can do, and it's not even hard. just admit that the structure of your society is killing you, and you have to change it. how to change it? (kevin's got me doing it now) very simple, it just takes patience and persistent pressure on the people who have power now, the pollies.

withdraw their legitimacy by withdrawing your vote. notify the candidates in your electorate that you will only support those who will enable democracy through legislation. that's probably none, this time. so don't tick any boxes, just write in "democracy".

form groups of like-minded people for mutual encouragement. publicity is necessary, a group can get it's op-eds published. stick to a simple message:

1. direct election of ministers.

2. open administration of public affairs.

3. primacy of citizen initiative legislation.

see, i told you it was easy. it just needs people wanting to do something effective about the oncoming resource and environmental disasters. otoh, if you're used to having your ass wiped by pollies, maybe not so easy. still, consider the consequences of inaction.