There is an enormous paradox confronting us –

The planet's ecosystems are in terrible shape, and this is widely believed to have negative consequences for humanity. And yet, at the same time, human wellbeing has never been better. People are living longer, healthier and richer lives. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/were-going-over-that-cliff-in-style/story-e6frg6ux-1225914476437

So what gives? Why the disparity? And does this mean that we shouldn't worry too much about global warming, ocean acidification, and other ecological crises-in-waiting, since it looks like we'll just continue to get richer even as we cause irreversible damage to the planet?

How do we reconcile this greatest of paradoxes?

This really is the question of our generation, "the great morale dilemma".

We are getting richer and living longer because we are destroying the environment. This maybe a big statement but follow the thinking.

We rape the environment for all sorts of things, minerals, fish, food, timber products we also pollute it with our waste products. These activities are what makes us rich and as we have made it clear by our attitude towards any action on the environment that requires us to make a sacrifice, we don't really care if we destroy it. These riches that are made from raping the planet are what allows us to develop medicine and automation that is allowing us to live longer, pollute more and consume more.

Man will come up with ways of surviving, be it terraforming, bio-spheres or even as Stephen Hawkins suggested colonising outer space.
The question is;

Do we want to live on a waste land devoid of the rich blend of forna and flora that we currently enjoy?

Is the current standard of living destroying our quality of life?

How do we want the future generations to live and do we really care?

@nairbe, “We rape the environment for all sorts of things, minerals, fish, food, timber products we also pollute it with our waste products.”

Basically, I agree with you, though one does not automatically mean the other…though we do rape the planet and that allows us to develop technologies and live longer, in itself is not the cause of the pollution, but the pollution is caused by our attitude of endless “clean” water, clean air etc. and our traditional lack of concern of polluting anything…nature will take care of our mess. Yes, and it may well take care of us at the same time.

Here in Sydney, is a classic example…we pump sewerage out to sea, polluting a resource, instead of spending a bit more on pipelines and pumping it in-land to reclaim lost lands as fertilizer. It’s a double whammy! Our management is dumb! So we lose the opportunity of reclamation, while polluting our immediate ocean resources, and when the wind and tide is right, our beaches!! Most of the arable land around Sydney is now zoned residential. We’re killing our market gardens, and placing dwellings on arable land, instead of utilizing that land for its best purpose….food production. No, we change it to people production, and decrease the capacity for food production, pushing it further out from the city to lands that are not as arable, or large distances to increase transport costs and create “freshness” issues in the products. We’re so smart that we can put a man on the moon, but not feed and water a city from mismanaging resources.

TBC...

I watched a docco whereby in the rag-trade, dyes have become an issue due to their pollutants. So a company in Europe spent a lot of time and money developing new dyes that are environmentally friendly, but still are able to produce the vibrant colours. That was about 10 years ago…what’s changed? Nothing, that I can see. The rag-trade still uses the pollutant dyes instead of the now developed non-pollutant ones. People that have developed whatever systems for whatever reasons, are reluctant to change. It’s not that we can’t develop better technologies, systems and attitudes, but that we are reluctant to as a species. We change when we are forced to, and basically, not before. It’s an unfortunate human trait.

About 5 years ago, Warragamba Dam got down to about 27% capacity, which apparently means only about 12% useable water due to pressures and sludge. In real terms, that’s but a pubic-hair short of disaster, but has anyone suggested that Sydney look at building another dam or two? Of course not!! That would be prudent planning rather than reacting when it’s too late! But our population grows, food and clean water resources diminish, and we do nothing…not even talk about it.

It’s not that I hate politicians, for “hate” is too insipid a word to describe how I feel towards their self-serving incompetence on all sides of the political arena. Let’s just agree that they’re all lower than whale excrement, and could crawl under a snake’s belly wearing ten-gallon hats, unnoticed. But that’s my measured opinion, let me know when you want to hear what I REALLY think. :-) :-) :-)

global..warming...it..was said..to us..in adverts..decades-ago
is..[if anything]...a lie

see how..before..the scare..was the OZONE_HOLE
now its carbon...[but remember..them cfc's]..
many times worse..than co2

then there are so/many..others
methane/benzines/ethinol

but you cant tax them
but we/.can tax...co2 emission

[but thats not..the real-cause]
thus the cure..isnt..the real-cure

we should tax..home-composting.../ethinol/benzine
or those..scientists..doing tricks..with pure co2[dry-ice]

we are being conned..big-time
if it/is heating..its the other..worse* gasses

but there is another point

we see industry..shuting down..globally
so then..co2 will reduce...naturally*

but gearing..it back-up...
[to build..new cars..new solar-cells..new wind/turbines...
will only demand ever-more..co2 to be produced..to BUILD...it]

thats what/they* need..the new tax for

to close down...a steel-producer..in briton
then build a new*..steel-producer..in china..or india
many times..bigger*

come-on..people..its a con*

see how..ross/garnishu..runs..his gold-mines..in papua
pumps..tioxin..directly..into the deep-sea

he is an ECONO-mist..
for egsample
he has an economic..cure..

to make more industry
to get the next-phase..of polution...going

who...has the GOVT-subsidies,,solar-cells..on their roofs?
you know..the cleaner..used to make..them
is 200..times worse*..than co2..!..!

then all that carbon..mining/making..them
ITS A CON>>FOLKS
wake-up

they tricked..the data
bought-out the media

bribed..the greenies...[funded/them]
own..all the carbobn-trading..houses
and waste..your super/contributions

they are directly about making..you peons..in your own land
they will gradually increase..the private/tax burden..
while coping govt hand-outs/govt subsidy/bail-outs

its time you recalled..all the media scares
and stopped believing everything you read
or hear...

you know its all tested..
in work-groups..then/that..which works..

is given to..the decieving media..
either as a survey..or
special feature

or to your local-member..to make it law

Human beings are destroying the environment. They are noxious pests who should be machine-gunned (except me).