Another Earth Needed to Meet Human Demand for Resources

Started by Seze Mune, May 15, 2012, 10:32:51 AM

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Seze Mune

We are running full tilt into a brick wall, sustainably speaking.

The World Wide Fund For Nature warns the world is consuming more of the Earth's resources than the planet can bear.  Fortunately, the WWF's Living Planet Report is being issued only five weeks before nations gather at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) So there will be some pressure on political leaders there to promote action to protect the earth for future generations.

According to their research, says WWF Director-General Jim Leape, the demand for natural resources since 1961 has grown so much that "...we are using 50 percent more resources each year than the Earth can replenish...We are living as if we had one-and-one-half planets to support us.  ... So, while we are now 50 percent over the earth's capacity to support us, by 2030 we would need two planets to support the way we are living - [and] by 2050, almost three planets. So, we are on a track that is clearly by any measure unsustainable," he said.

The root of the problem is population growth and over-consumption, according to the report, resulting in a biodiversity loss of almost 30 percent since 1970 and by more than 60 percent in the tropics.

Weighing the carbon footprint of nations against the amount of land and sea available and the amount of resources used, the WWF reports that wealthy countries use five times more natural resources than do poor countries.  The US ranks fifth, after Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE and Denmark in terms of its over-consumption.

All is not lost, Leape said, although time is running out.  Each action an individual takes will help promote the planet's sustainability.  Individuals can choose to walk or bike rather than drive to their destinations.  They can choose food produced closer to home to reduce the impact of transportation, and they can make a point of voting for politicians who actively espouse and promote sustainability and stewardship of the environment.

Land must be set aside to maintain the health of the larger system, and certain ecosystems must be protected for the sake of all, said Leape.

"It is also important that we are restoring native ecosystems and managing them in a way that sustains the basic integrity of those systems. So you will see this in the report: If countries step up and end net deforestation by 2020 - and many countries have already pledged to do this - then you could save 180 million hectares of forest by 2050, compared to business as usual," he said.

The WWF calls for better water management, an end to over-fishing and more energy efficiency as well as development of renewable sources of energy. 


For the WWF report and ways to help:  2012 Living Planet Report

World Wildlife Organization

Tsanten Eywa 'eveng

I saw a link from CNN of this report, it's really terrible


Overpopulation is the cause of this, we're getting soon to many here



Earth is like a cup, you know that proverb that the cup is full, you can't have more in the cup when it is full

Seze Mune

Quote from: Tsanten Eywa 'eveng on May 15, 2012, 11:31:29 AM
I saw a link from CNN of this report, it's really terrible


Overpopulation is the cause of this, we're getting soon to many here



Earth is like a cup, you know that proverb that the cup is full, you can't have more in the cup when it is full

When the cup is full, it is blood which will be spilled?   ???  :o

Tsanten Eywa 'eveng

Quote from: Seze Mune on May 15, 2012, 11:46:12 AM
Quote from: Tsanten Eywa 'eveng on May 15, 2012, 11:31:29 AM
I saw a link from CNN of this report, it's really terrible


Overpopulation is the cause of this, we're getting soon to many here



Earth is like a cup, you know that proverb that the cup is full, you can't have more in the cup when it is full

When the cup is full, it is blood which will be spilled?   ???  :o


What?

do you mean about that?

Seze Mune

What happens when resources become scarce and people become afraid?

The world is looking for leaders, ma tsmukan. 

Let me use a metaphor.  We look to leaders for direction the way the body looks to the head.  We want to be led out of the desert the way Moses led his people....or actually, BETTER than the way Moses led them.

That is because when global issues arise which are this consequential, we are conditioned to looking for an external locus of control.  That is to say we don't believe we as individuals can have any effect on such a global problem, because we are only one of many, as cells in the body are one of many.  We believe ourselves helpless as persons.

We want someone to serve as a leader, a lens, a focus for action.  The time has come when the species is calling forth certain attributes of leadership and guidance to ensure its survival.  It is a time of deep challenge, opportunities and danger.

Stay focused on the positive and stay alert for the kind of leadership we as a species need. But be wary, because there will be those who will present themselves as leaders, who will not have The People's best interests at heart.  Hone your own deepest and best values, and place one foot firmly in front of the other and above all do not despair, for that is the path to the dark side...

...and visit this for more ideas on what you can do:  The Brazilian Rainforest initiative.

ExLibrisMortis

Necessity is the mother of invention/innovation. Can't wait til we get to the brink to see what kinds of technologies we'll bring. But for now, the brink is a few decades off, or even a generation away. Until then, let's watch and see.

DJ Makto

Quote from: ExLibrisMortis on May 16, 2012, 12:48:21 AM
Necessity is the mother of invention/innovation. Can't wait til we get to the brink to see what kinds of technologies we'll bring. But for now, the brink is a few decades off, or even a generation away. Until then, let's watch and see.

Necessity is also the father of conflict and war unfortunately. Throughout history most wars, conquests, and other conflicts were generally over one scarce resource or another.

Meuiama Tsamsiyu (Toruk Makto)

People will literally only be afraid the instant any sources of fuel are gone: Oil, wood, natural gas, so forth.

I read about a decade ago that we are actually beyond the point of the need of FOUR planet Earths to sustain our current population.

Humanity is far too wasteful. There is so much more that a person can recycle to help this issue. Instead of tearing down and scrapping and garbage dumping a house or office building, tear apart the wood from the other stuff... tear the re-bar from the concrete wall. the concrete can be flood control rip rap... the wood can be pulped... just an example.

As far as Brazil goes, it is up to their people to fix the issue. As much of a global issue this is, it is their economy and country. Sadly. Same goes for China that is nearing the end of their putting one coal-fire power plant a week online for the last seven years. Do the math. That is a LOT of crap put into the air.

Depressing.



"He who destroys a good book kills reason itself." -John Milton

"Mathematics is the gate and key to the sciences." -Roger Bacon

"There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." -Socrates

Tsmuktengan

Be cautious. This is not new. Look at ecological footprint worldwide data: this depends on the country. The USA has the worst score.


Seze Mune

Quote from: Tsmuktengan on May 16, 2012, 07:44:02 AM
Be cautious. This is not new. Look at ecological footprint worldwide data: this depends on the country. The USA has the worst score.

"The U.S. has the fifth largest ecological footprint in terms of the amount of resources each person annually consumes. We rank only behind Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Denmark in the global rankings of the Ecological Footprint." ~ 2012 Living Planet Report by WWF

At least in 2008 France had made some admirable progress along several ecological biomarkers, but Germany seems to have done the best overall from the quick glance I gave the material.

Seze Mune

Quote from: DJ Makto on May 16, 2012, 02:57:56 AM
Quote from: ExLibrisMortis on May 16, 2012, 12:48:21 AM
Necessity is the mother of invention/innovation. Can't wait til we get to the brink to see what kinds of technologies we'll bring. But for now, the brink is a few decades off, or even a generation away. Until then, let's watch and see.

Necessity is also the father of conflict and war unfortunately. Throughout history most wars, conquests, and other conflicts were generally over one scarce resource or another.

As they are now in Africa, I believe, and in the Middle East.  Other justifications are used of course.  There must always be a seemingly objective excuse.  But in these terms, it appears that "Might makes Right", and it would be those with the superior firepower and the means to deliver it, which will win the wars...Avatar notwithstanding.

But, considering the root of the conflict, there is no winning should this come to pass.  There is only the race to the end, and who will make it furthest to the goal posts.

The only real hope as I see it is for humankind to realize that they must consciously become shepherds of the earth, with a kind regard and love for all beings which exist upon it. 

There is a forked path before us.  If we continue to believe that we are separate from all life and are justified in using it wantonly, we will extinguish humankind and much else besides.  The other alternative is to take the next evolutionary step and become a different kind of creature, one with a true ability to connect intuitively with different forms of life - something like they do on Pandora with their ability to connect through neural whips, but without the physical apparatus.

In other words, we believe human consciousness developed from the consciousnesses which were once protozoa and primates.  It is time to take the next evolutionary step, whatever that might be, if we are to survive.  At some levels, I think James Cameron's Avatar is an intuitive portrayal of this.

Tsmuktengan

Ma Seze, you forget that most humans just ask to live their life as normal as possible. Many struggle, and most do not really have the time to take care if themselves. Be conscious that what you ask here us likely to be too eco-religious and potentially exaggerated. Not necessarily my feelings, but when looking to people outside, in the streets, around me...

I would rather suggest defining responsibilities and good actions based on clear, proved and scientific stuff, as any kind of eco-religious stuff should be avoided... Every though a good spiritual mind can be very helpful. You can't force people to have that.


Seze Mune

Quote from: Tsmuktengan on June 11, 2012, 06:23:37 PM
Ma Seze, you forget that most humans just ask to live their life as normal as possible. Many struggle, and most do not really have the time to take care if themselves. Be conscious that what you ask here us likely to be too eco-religious and potentially exaggerated. Not necessarily my feelings, but when looking to people outside, in the streets, around me...

I would rather suggest defining responsibilities and good actions based on clear, proved and scientific stuff, as any kind of eco-religious stuff should be avoided... Every though a good spiritual mind can be very helpful. You can't force people to have that.

Ma Tsmuktengan, you are a good example of what I mean.  You seem to be a person of kindness, thoughtfulness and sensitivity. What made you this way?  It is your 'way of being' and I would say it does not come from your mind, but from your heart and from your intuition.  Perhaps I am wrong?

Anyway, I am talking about more people being in tune with their hearts and intuition rather than in tune with their egos. This is not something which can be forced, which is what religion unfortunately tries to do.  I think it develops from deep within, and it can be nurtured by one's culture, which supports certain frameworks of belief and perceptions and relationships with everything one considers 'not-self'.

I don't feel like I'm explaining this well and I'm tired tonight. Perhaps I will try again tomorrow.  Regardless, I am pleased to see you once again though our fabulous Learn Na'vi website. :)

Meuiama Tsamsiyu (Toruk Makto)

I agree Seze Mune. He has a kind and sometimes fearful and respectable heart.

Unfortunately, unless the masses make a severe 180 on their practices, specifically, America, China and India... we will lose this world. People simply care too much about themselves and their possessions and families to sacrifice for the greater good. I seriously think that if human kind does not make a change, and fast, we will lose more than half the life on this world, most cities and eventually our own race. Once we fall out of knowledge and into the dark ages nuclear radiation will finish off the remaining.

Sad. Really hope that does not happen, cause if so, waht was it all worth?

The first place we need to go is politics. Oust the destroyers and bring in the good. Not the overly liberal kind that make a species of fish or bird more important than progress, but still.

Anyways, have a good night.



"He who destroys a good book kills reason itself." -John Milton

"Mathematics is the gate and key to the sciences." -Roger Bacon

"There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." -Socrates

Seze Mune

Ma Meuiama Tsamsiyu, I do not believe in such darkness.  I believe in choosing between strands of probabilities and I will not be choosing to go where there is such darkness.

Remember: if you are concentrating on the problem, you are not involved in finding the solution. Which is more important, and a better way to spend your time?

Meuiama Tsamsiyu (Toruk Makto)

I am trying to have a glass half full attitude but everyone else makes that hard :P

Still, trying.



"He who destroys a good book kills reason itself." -John Milton

"Mathematics is the gate and key to the sciences." -Roger Bacon

"There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." -Socrates

Tsmuktengan

Meuiama Tsamsiyu is, in my opinion, exposing a quite cynical view. No offense. ;)

He however does make a big point here : although most Europeans and several Americans (let's say occidental people then) and Japanese people are really getting very sensible to these issues, despite significant progress, the emerging states increase highly their footprint and consume more than ever. And usually, many of these people who never had an occidental education, have generally never bothered of the environment outside their own garden. You can find many people who do care of these issues in Beijing, Shanghai, Beyrouth, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and South Africa (for other social issues though)... but they aren't a majority of people there.

In Europe, people are in majority sensible, and my generation has been educated to take care of the environment. Yet, there are very few measures (or ineffective) to help up making the difference and allow us reducing the impact of our lives. In Paris for example, nothing is really done to encourage effective recycling, and dry evacuation columns are still allowed in flats and discourage residents to classify. And anyway, the collecting of the bins is so bad that part of what should be recycled goes to the incinerator... it is as disorganised and unlegislated as this.

So Meuiama marks another point when he says the place to go is politics. This is partly why I am active in my local arrondissement of Paris. I am participating and understanding how things work to help making a change. This is possible in Europe.

In the US, entire habits would have to be changed... Europeans are already massively using public transportations that are in very good shape. This would be very difficult in the US. Yet, efforts can be done to encourage residents and companies to reduce their footprint at home or office. :)

Once Europeans have really made a difference, I guess other states could more easily take that path. Ones must start for others to follow. Not everyone would be happy with this, not all states would follow, but this would be much better than nothing, and it would in fact be very positive where it is applied.

I think it is entirely possible to evolve, without being radical and even taking other aspects of a society such as economy.

So taking in account this, it isn't that cynical, rather more realistic. :D

...and yes, if possible, I'd like to influence politics and participate.


Meuiama Tsamsiyu (Toruk Makto)

Quote from: Tsmuktengan on June 13, 2012, 04:02:04 AM
Meuiama Tsamsiyu is, in my opinion, exposing a quite cynical view. No offense. ;)

He however does make a big point here : although most Europeans and several Americans (let's say occidental people then) and Japanese people are really getting very sensible to these issues, despite significant progress, the emerging states increase highly their footprint and consume more than ever. And usually, many of these people who never had an occidental education, have generally never bothered of the environment outside their own garden. You can find many people who do care of these issues in Beijing, Shanghai, Beyrouth, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and South Africa (for other social issues though)... but they aren't a majority of people there.

In Europe, people are in majority sensible, and my generation has been educated to take care of the environment. Yet, there are very few measures (or ineffective) to help up making the difference and allow us reducing the impact of our lives. In Paris for example, nothing is really done to encourage effective recycling, and dry evacuation columns are still allowed in flats and discourage residents to classify. And anyway, the collecting of the bins is so bad that part of what should be recycled goes to the incinerator... it is as disorganised and unlegislated as this.

So Meuiama marks another point when he says the place to go is politics. This is partly why I am active in my local arrondissement of Paris. I am participating and understanding how things work to help making a change. This is possible in Europe.

In the US, entire habits would have to be changed... Europeans are already massively using public transportations that are in very good shape. This would be very difficult in the US. Yet, efforts can be done to encourage residents and companies to reduce their footprint at home or office. :)

Once Europeans have really made a difference, I guess other states could more easily take that path. Ones must start for others to follow. Not everyone would be happy with this, not all states would follow, but this would be much better than nothing, and it would in fact be very positive where it is applied.

I think it is entirely possible to evolve, without being radical and even taking other aspects of a society such as economy.

So taking in account this, it isn't that cynical, rather more realistic. :D

...and yes, if possible, I'd like to influence politics and participate.

I have been to Spain, Italy, Malta, Croatia and Crete in Europe. Let me say, Italy was filthy. They do not care one bit for their country or land. I went on a Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius tour and Pompeii was filled with garbage. They will need to re-excavate it in a few years if it keeps getting worse. And the road up Mt Vesuvius has a ditch to the top of the mountain that is about 6 feet across and almost that deep filled to the brim all the way to the top of the mountain. Just horrible. Old Naples too, filthy. People urinating in the alleys and worse.

Spain was fairly clean. Though I was only in Valencia, Tarragona to the north and Palma. Stayed near the beaches so I imagine they would keep those areas much cleaner. Croatia, not a scrap of garbage and similar in Crete. Malta was a BLAST though at night it gets destroyed with the city wide night party. They run the street sweepers around 4AM to clean up all the broken glass.

As far as America and public transportation, I think New York is a pinnacle. And many cities are modeling their light rail after my own city of Portland, Oregon and the bus system as well... though admittedly, we need a new bus fleet. Most are over 18 years old. Read that in an article not too long ago.

Speed trains are out. Our politicians have seen to it that the cost to build the system will be far too high to make it a feasible option, pity. China will go broke with their raised rail system.

I am of the opinion that developed nations need to back pedal from their exports of natural resources to developing nations, like the recent agreement of Australia to export coal from a newly opened mine to India.

Brazil is poised to make leaps and bounds great decisions, yet they are going the cheap and destructive route by building the Belo Monte Dam Complex. A series of dams on the Amazon. Essentially creating an inland sea in the middle of South America. We will lost millions of hectares of rain-forest, change global weather patterns, possible increase desertification along the edges of the equatorial rain zone and displace millions of indigenous tribesmen. Instead, they should build tidal turbines instead to generate power. They are a sugar cane producing country as well and therefore poised for cleaner bio-fuels similar to the corn that the United States tried 5 years ago.

And lets not forget that 'civilized' nations like America and Japan and Germany can actually learn things from other countries.

Thank you for seeing my post as more realistic than cynical.



"He who destroys a good book kills reason itself." -John Milton

"Mathematics is the gate and key to the sciences." -Roger Bacon

"There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." -Socrates

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä

I think the place to start is by making small changes in our habits, many of which I have already done. By being more frugal here and there, conserving where practical, reusing/recycling where you can, it will go a long ways towards making an improvement. If everyone did judt enough to make a 5 percent difference, the cumulative effect would be huge. Enough that it might buy us the time to make inroads into technogy and practices that would be more sustainable for the future.

A few words about transportation. Here in the US, things are spread out a lot more than in Europe. Cars are more important for transportation because everything is further apart, and mass transit cannot be made all-encompassing enough to even cover most places efficiently. Studies have shown that making more efficient vehicles saves more energy in the long run than trying to pack people into cities (the Agenda 21 idea). The freedom to have your own transportation is also much more appealing to people than sharing rides in mass transit situations. That said, in big cities, mass transit could be MUCH better than it is today. In those environments it makes sense, and should be practical enough that people can rely on it 24/7. It also needs to be safe, a problem is some locales. (And I agree that New York City is a good model, and I enjoy using mass transit there when visiting.)

High speed rail should be a national priority, and legislative steps should be taken to lower the barriers to its adoption. I have just started using the train to go long distances for travel, and absolutely love it. Sooo much more relaxed than air travel! (I'm coming to Na'viCon by train in July). It needs to be intelligently thought out to benefit the most people in the most practical way. There should also be 1-3 traisn that cross the US in evacuated underground tubes. They could travel faster than aircraft and consume significantly less energy in the process. Other surface trains would connect to this for cross-country travel. The cost to build this would be simply enormous, but it would be a huge source of technological triumph, and  national pride at a time when we could really use it.

Yawey ngahu!
pamrel si ro [email protected]

Meuiama Tsamsiyu (Toruk Makto)

Quote from: `Eylan Ayfalulukanä on June 13, 2012, 03:14:44 PM
I think the place to start is by making small changes in our habits, many of which I have already done. By being more frugal here and there, conserving where practical, reusing/recycling where you can, it will go a long ways towards making an improvement. If everyone did judt enough to make a 5 percent difference, the cumulative effect would be huge. Enough that it might buy us the time to make inroads into technogy and practices that would be more sustainable for the future.

A few words about transportation. Here in the US, things are spread out a lot more than in Europe. Cars are more important for transportation because everything is further apart, and mass transit cannot be made all-encompassing enough to even cover most places efficiently. Studies have shown that making more efficient vehicles saves more energy in the long run than trying to pack people into cities (the Agenda 21 idea). The freedom to have your own transportation is also much more appealing to people than sharing rides in mass transit situations. That said, in big cities, mass transit could be MUCH better than it is today. In those environments it makes sense, and should be practical enough that people can rely on it 24/7. It also needs to be safe, a problem is some locales. (And I agree that New York City is a good model, and I enjoy using mass transit there when visiting.)

High speed rail should be a national priority, and legislative steps should be taken to lower the barriers to its adoption. I have just started using the train to go long distances for travel, and absolutely love it. Sooo much more relaxed than air travel! (I'm coming to Na'viCon by train in July). It needs to be intelligently thought out to benefit the most people in the most practical way. There should also be 1-3 traisn that cross the US in evacuated underground tubes. They could travel faster than aircraft and consume significantly less energy in the process. Other surface trains would connect to this for cross-country travel. The cost to build this would be simply enormous, but it would be a huge source of technological triumph, and  national pride at a time when we could really use it.

Firstly, a pipe-dream unless laws are enacted on a regionally government level. People are simply too stuck in their ways. I wish it were different.

One of your inroad technologies is being developed right here in a Portland, Oregon suburb. They have found a way to turn plastic back into it's oil form for reuse. THIS could be the doorway that opens allowing it to be an actual profit to both clean plastics out of our landfills and also dredge that twice the size of Texas mat of plastic floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

As far as the rail system, again, it is the simple cost, far too expensive. Best platform model would be for a test line between Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Maryland and New York City, New York. From there there are many many cities that it could expand to, if put into practical use. Many people travel that rail pipeline everyday to commute anyways.

They are also talking rail lines in Florida which I think would work locally. There are several other proposed lines in the Midwest and east coast but one in particular of interest to me is in California. The geology is not the best for it, so I think altering that line to between Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, BC, would be better. Not much in elevation rise and fall so a better line.

Your tunnel plan, wow, impressive and expensive. I watched a program on future tech I think on History a LONG time ago. They did various programs such as building a bridge that could stand against the ice waters in Glacier Bay, Alaska for a faster transport route along the coast. The one I recall however was an underwater floating subway line between New York and England or France. The sheer size of this project states that it would take every metal works factory and refinery 2 solid years to build the material for this. And I cannot even think of the time necessary to dig these tunnels. How long did it take to make the Chunnel between England and France?




"He who destroys a good book kills reason itself." -John Milton

"Mathematics is the gate and key to the sciences." -Roger Bacon

"There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance." -Socrates