Sustainability is not possible in an environment of economic growth
The best way we can keep our ecological footprint from taxing more and more of the the planet .... is to stop growing our ecological footprint. Economic growth must stop. Lose the illusion, you simply cannot flaunt supposed "sustainability" PR in a city whose economy depends on perpetual economic growth, this is an oxymoron.
Mark Cunnington
shared this idea
This is very important context in which to think about our greenest city work, however it is difficult to figure out how to integrate this into a 10 year greenest city action plan in one municipality. This idea has been shared with our green economy working group as well.
-
NOTE: Erik's idea "deemphasize growth"
"Mustel Group's recent survey, and this website, reference building, adding, growing providing, and encouraging green activities. Fair enough, but we have too much stuff, our houses are too big, and we have too many energy-hogging "necessities". Before we build more green apartments and add more green cars, how about just planning (individually + municipally) to hog less, regardless of miraculous new technologies? e.g. we don't need to add solar cells and dam more rivers (greenly or not) if we do without doorless supermarket freezers/fridges, excessive street lighting, 4000 ft2 houses, and air conditioning. (just to give a few examples of pointless luxuries)."
-
Drive More
commented
What you are saying is too stop the exponentional population human growth of the world.
The world CO2 is rising because the Tropical Rainforests of the world especailly the largest in the Amazon and SE Asia are being destroyed to grow food crops.