Lets go back to the 1940's!!

Absolutely 100% right. Pity the human being is so stupid and greedy and selfish for most of its life. I'd recommend replacing our species with something sensible, like dinosaurs. They lasted 150 million tears and it took a meteorite to wipe them out.

Reducing waste is the right thing to do UNLESS you do not stop population and consumption growth at the same time (i.e. no population or economic growth). If you allow population and/or economic growth to continue on the back of efficiency gains due to reduction of waste then you eventually end up at the absolute limits of your resources with no way of reducing consumption - this makes collapse a certainty. It is simply suicidal to talk of increased efficiency/reduced waste without stopping growth.

Alzo may be trying to be clever rather than helpful but we could all do with a reversion to the 1940's and wartime austerity habits. Many of us haven't found it hard to become waste conscious again and some of us have never stopped.

There are some amazing plusses in health and general well being in following just a few bits of Valerie's advice. Particularly the hand held lawn mower if one has a small enough patch of grass. Better still do away with the lawn altogether and grow veggies, in beds or stylish tubs on brick paved areas, which are easy to weed and water leisurely by hand in a few minutes of quiet contemplation, another plus for well-being, to say nothing about getting a daily helping of hand-picked, chemical free greens.

The writer says little about water. I've found my upper body strength has improved amazingly since I took to re-cycling the run-off water from my washing machine after using a cold water, phosphate-free detergent. Busy working people can simply organise to have their grey water plumbed into reticulation nowadays. By the way it's raining here in Fremantle - what a sweet sound after weeks of sweltering heat - and rainwater is running cheerfully into my gutters and down into my new water tanks. Last year it literally went down the drain while governments spent billions on re-cycling sea water.

Using the car for only essential trips to round up business like library, weekly shop and dentist etc when dress and transport requirements generally coincide saves money and energy consumption, and in saving time reduces stress. On other days a walk or bike ride to the corner shop to buy the paper and other odd items will give a minimum amount of exercise and perhaps encouragement to do more. It's not quanitifiable but I imagine there would be huge savings in hospital overheads and prescription drugs if we all had to slow down, walk more, eat home grown food and generally consume less of the planet's limited resources.

Fantastic article!

We can write it off as taking us 'back to the 1940's' but if we don't get on board with this type of approach life in the 2040's will be unbearable in many respects, and life in the 2140's as we know it now simply won't exist. We have no choice but to reduce wastage. Lots of people are adopting these ideas and it doesn't mean having to eke out some sort of Spartan existence. I live very well and wouldn't go back to the old patterns of wasteful consuming if you paid me.

Western capitalist societies are locked into a self-defeating cycle where we all have to consume madly just to provide employment and sustain living standards. And we're now taking the rest of the world with us.

There has to be another way. Ted Trainer is one economist/academic who has been advocating zero growth for years now. He ideas have usually been dismissed out of hand but in time they will eventually come into their own. Let's just hope it's not too late by then.

Meanwhile, let's take up the challenge thrown down by Valerie and share good ideas such as those she and also Patricia have offered.

One area where I'm yet to really make a difference is with the car. Unfortunately, I live in a semi-rural area where I can't easily walk anywhere much at all. I've been waiting for cars like the Prius to receive some sort of government subsidy and reduce in price, but I think I'll be waiting a while. I just heard this morning on Radio National about the availability of a conversion kit to allow cars to run on filtered cooking oil, so will now look into that I think.

Bronwyn-if you have a diesel car you can run it on diesel with mixtures of vegetable oils. Rabaul Shipping in PNG are using coconut oil mixed in with diesel for their ships. The University of Tasmania Engineering Department has developed a gadget that can bolt on the side of a standard truck/car diesel engine to inject hydrogen into the cylinders. It gives a cleaner burn, less CO2 and reduces fuel consumption.There is no reason why a similar adaptor could not be built for petrol engines. Problem with any hydrocarbon fuel is that you have to burn the carbon to get your power. And it takes a set amount of carbon to get the power to get the thing moving. Any vegetable oil will still produce CO2, as does ethanol and natural gas. Hydrogen is the only way for the future, but making the stuff still costs carbon unless you have hydro power.

Sadly it is mass insanity that prevents solutions to combat global warming being embraced. How many times have we been told we cannot continue to consume and procreate at present levels or risk devastating consequences? No one it seems is willing to even countenance a reduced standard of living? This new government will find it impossible to tell the punters they cannot have whatever they want. The credo, 'if I can afford it I'll have it' is now an inalienable right of private individuals to have or do whatever they choose with their money regardless of the consequence to others. Whether that is having 5 children, spending millions on a Macmansion on the Gold Coast or buying a Hummer for use as a suburban runabout. I doubt any government will have the ability or courage to impede people's rights and survive. The cards have been dealt and no one is willing to hold or fold.

While making changes to reduce waste, the real problem is overpopulation and unless we address this issue all other actions are just bandaid solutions.

No-one seems to want to tackle this issue, some say because we depend on population growth to sustain economic growth ie. higher consumption means a strong economy.

Maybe we are tied too strongly to the idea of capitalism and consumerism. It is a mad system when you think about it, the government on one hand tells us to curb spending to stop inflation and rising interest rates which will only affect small to medium and large businesses which will then have to sack people and lead to a rise in unemployment. You get the drift.

Maybe if we get away from the idea of obscene profit making and being beholden only to shareholders we can talk of reducing waste which would include meaningful talks about population sustainability. This would have to include the developing world where larger families take the place of a social welfare system.

The issues are large and far-reaching and I am not sure the world is ready to make major changes to solve the problems of the environment but we can hope.

HenryVIII

Thanks for the info. I can see I've got a bit of a learning curve ahead of me here!

Good article.
The problem is a big one: Our economy is based on growth and individual wealth. Both will have to be modified in the society that survives. (The ones that don't *will* collapse, sooner or later.)
History shows us that most humans will follow the tendencies that evolution has endowed us: Hunger for safety/Power and suspicion of "others".
Imagine for a moment that zero growth is achieved: As technology improves it wil be harder and harder for the next generation to "compete" with established wealth because capital assets are more productive. (e.g. 50 years ago 10 farmers could feed 50 humans, now 1 can do it with tractors, fertilisers, high yeild crops, etc). When houses are pre-fabricated in factories, robots make the cars, 3D printers mature so any plastic object can be downloaded from internet and printed in your own home....Is the 40 hour week, "you have to earn a living" society going to work? No.
We are already seeing the symptoms of the coming crunch in middle man syndrome: cheap, easy, fast things are costly, complex and late. Consultants, middle-management and councils are great examples.
In short: waste is necessary to keep the labor market balanced.
A lot of "employment" is adult day-care.

“Bronwyn-if you have a diesel car you can run it on diesel with mixtures of vegetable oils” (Henry VIII)
Sometimes. It depends on where, when, the vegetable oil, and what sort of banger is burning it. Modern diesel engines depend upon ultra-fine filters to disperse the fuel for the burn-mix. And oils-aint-oils when it comes to getting gluggy – stuff such as Canola, Eucalyptus, form waxes under cool conditions. The biofuels industry has attempted to address this by pleading for lowering of existing fuel standards. Even conventional diesel has special grades for places that get frosty weather, and some grumpy farmers, with summer-grade fuel in their tanks, have had to wait until after sun-up for tractor mobility.
But, from his long-time experience, Henry V111 would already know that waste is not our fundamental problem: Other than being less than couth, there is nothing wrong with throwing dinner scraps over the shoulder to be mopped up by the waiting dogs; and their scraps by rodents working a later shift. Like money and manure, the problem is - too much in the one place at the one time. Spread around thinly it might even have some benefits.
Why should we scrimp-and-save, when that serves no purpose other than to prolong the agonies associated with our false economic dream: everlasting growth in our finite world? There is some argument to be made to “eat, drink, and be merry” so that we will come up against the limits of finite resources sooner. Under the present economic paradigm, that limit would then be reached with less numbers of people than there would be if we were careful and canny; less people in utter desperation; less needy among whom to distribute the insufficient resources.
Valerie Yule’s essay is excellent for training purposes. It is long past time that such training started: get us ready for the time when the fundamentalists’ urgings to fornicate without forethought are in the dustbin of history. Training for when our numbers are being stabilized. Our great human feast has already thrown too many scraps into the atmosphere, oceans, etc..

These suggestions are all very worthy, however, they remain insufficient when our governments continue in their pursuits for economic growth, increased immigration and remain fixated on maximum profits alone.

One needs a better understanding of the state of the eco systems in Australia to realise that all past governments have failed abysmally in sustaining a healthy environment for their people. Politicians are indeed an ignorant lot.

Successive governments must take a good deal of responsibility for the present state of our environment when they have deliberately ignored and exploited the EPA statutes.

Governments remain captured by the market and are adept at instilling guilt in the common folk whilst encouraging pollutant industries to pump it out by the truck loads - out of control and unregulated thereby seriously affecting the health of communities in close proximity and beyond (Australia emits more mercury than does 90% of all North America.)

Those citizens who reside far from mining or heavy industy communities have little idea of the enormous drain on our resources. One company alone uses a mere 35 million litres of water per day and free of charge for the next 70 years.

The use of energy in the resource industries is obscene and reveals the vast inequalities between our fragile environment and industry. Pollutant companies continue to encroach on residential lands forcing citizens to relocate or suffer the consequences.

One is not about "destroying economies", however, the inequality between pollutant industries and the environment should be addressed and it should be addressed quickly. Enough of the rhetoric

An interesting article but as Pelican rightly suggested no-one really wants to address the most significant factor in human development and planetary destruction- classical Malthusian over-population. Nothing short of a massive radical paradigm shift of consciousness is needed to divert this planet and its inhabitants from its current course and even then it may well be far too late. If this sounds rather negative you are right, but humanity has no 'handbrake', business demands only an accelerator and no government would dare use a brake anyway as it would spell political suicide. So buckle yourself in as its going to be one very bumpy ride down.

"Pollutant companies continue to encroach on residential lands forcing citizens to relocate or suffer the consequences." (Dickie)

Following is a copy from today's Australian (headline news):

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23183753-601,00.html

Passed on by request:

Subject: Feb 22nd DONT BUY PETROL DAY

IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN AUSTRALIA DID NOT PURCHASE A DROP OF PETROL FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES.

AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OVER 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL COMPANIES.

THEREFORE FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22nd HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED STICK IT UP THEIR ASS' DAY

AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF PETROL THAT DAY. THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT.

WAITING FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES ? IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES THE ARAB NATIONS PROMISED LONG AGO?

THE PRICES JUST KEEP GOING UP AND WE NEED TO STOP IT

PETROL PRICES ARE CAUSING OTHER EFFECTS; AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, AS ARE TRUCKING COMPANIES . THIS INCREASES PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING SUPPLIES MEDICAL SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO!

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY,WE WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD.

FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND
MAKE FEBRUARY 22nd THE DAY CITIZENS OF AUSTRALIA SAY 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'

"The mine that's swallowing a town"
Hello.....the mine/s were there first. Nobody would be living in Kalgoorlie if it wasn't for the mines. The place is a hole and I'm not talking about the super pit. Most of the affected resident most likely work for KCGM. Dickie you need to get out more.

"DONT BUY PETROL DAY"
I have 6 of these a week already....

"Hello.....the mine/s were there first. Nobody would be living in Kalgoorlie if it wasn't for the mines. The place is a hole and I'm not talking about the super pit. Most of the affected resident most likely work for KCGM. Dickie you need to get out more.

The mine (KCGM)was not there first Alzo and I'm afraid you are wrong on all counts. That is not surprising since you're renowned for making things up as you go along.

However, I can't be bothered debating with you.

Why don't you challenge the Australian newspaper with your "expert" knowledge of the WA Goldfields where five generations of my family have resided?

"The mine (KCGM)was not there first ...."
D'uh...really. KCGM is simply a super pit that takes in a lot of the old gold mines in the Kalgoorlie township area. I reiterate for the slow ones if you live in a town founded on gold mining expect mines to be located nearby or....leave. You're like one of these clowns that buy a cheap house near a busy airport and then spend the next 20 years complaining about the aircraft noise. There is no fool like an old fool.

Cutting waste without destroying econmics needs further clarification. Waste is a by product of somebodies product. When we reduce waste we also reduce the ammount of product or energy used and therefore somebodies econmics are harmed. This has happened since before Christ got attached to a tree.

Cutting waste energy by more efficient technology has never been more important than now, Global Warming is a direct product of waste.

Those somebodies most effected by cutting waste in energy provision are Oil and Coal.

Any switch to greater energy efficiency reducing waste will effect their economics.

Governments of all persuasion have economics reliant on the greatest amoumt of Oil and Coal being consumed being best for their revenue base.

Australian technology already can cut in half the energy requirements for base load electricity, and further reduce water consumption to zero thereby providing further cuts in waste.

The average joe blow's economics both domestic and industrial improves with having their electricity tariff halved.

Such an increase in disposable economics increases prosperity to more people than just those wasting the energy now at hand.

Government research ABARE September 2007 points out the effort currently taken by Government to supress new efficient energy to replace Oil and Coal.

In a free market country where the Government is interfering in the free energy market by use of subsidy and and grant to inefficient energy is a Government opposed to the best for the people in large to profit a small group in whole.

It is the peoples choice wether or not to continue to allow this to happen. Perhaps when enough homes are put to mortgagee auction and food prices increases to such a point we eat less we shall have our voices heard by Government.