1 Discovering Enough: The Perfect Storm
Background
The Industrial Revolution of the 1800’s and the development of fossil fueled society of the 1900’s have shaped the economic and social development of our planet. Fossil fuel provided the ability to provide for society’s basic needs - food, clothing, shelter - with fewer people and less time. Rather than accepting a way of life based upon enough, the availability of cheap fossil fuels and its inherent energy potentials has resulted in exponential economic expansion, natural resource over-consumption, species mass extinction and explosive population growth beyond the limits of the planet’s natural systems.
Ironically, with the advent of economic globalization, the less developed populations and areas of the planet who did not benefit from earlier economic growth are now poised to import the over consumptive lifestyles of the more affluent countries.
The Industrial Revolution of the 1800’s and the development of fossil fueled society of the 1900’s have shaped the economic and social development of our planet. Fossil fuel provided the ability to provide for society’s basic needs - food, clothing, shelter - with fewer people and less time. Rather than accepting a way of life based upon enough, the availability of cheap fossil fuels and its inherent energy potentials has resulted in exponential economic expansion, natural resource over-consumption, species mass extinction and explosive population growth beyond the limits of the planet’s natural systems.
Ironically, with the advent of economic globalization, the less developed populations and areas of the planet who did not benefit from earlier economic growth are now poised to import the over consumptive lifestyles of the more affluent countries.
The human populations of the world have created the perfect storm.
We also have the knowledge and opportunity to rediscover enough ...
if we choose to do so.
One of a series of personal opinion pieces as to where New Brunswick could head in the future. Now that the citizens of New Brunswick have spoken through the ballot box that they are not in favor of unconventional hydraulic shale gas exploration or development (fracking), these opinion pieces will put forth alternate ideas for job creation within a sustainable economy. Richard Lachance
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