permaculture

["Greg Moeser" <gregmoeser@hotmail.com>]

"The developed countries need to reduce their level of energy
consumption and learn to live without excessive consumerism."

What is excessive consumerism?  People will consume less only when they 
don't have the money to spend; they will buy as much crap as they can 
afford. They will drive less only when the cost of driving exceeds the 
benefit of getting where they want to go.   You might get a few people on 
board with the whole "we need to consume less" mantra, but you are not going 
to make a dent in the public at large.  They need incentives to consume 
less.

The incentives often exist in the problems themselves.  The rising cost of 
oil will eventually decrease demand.  People will drive less, carpool, etc.  
It will also spur innovation, making alterntive choices more appealing.  We 
don't need to solve the oil problem, the very problem will bring the 
solutions.  Things will change, but nothing is going to come to a grinding 
halt.  Just as much as people are consumers, they are creative.

Will there be pollution involved with the next big whatever it is?  
Probably.  But don't throw the baby out... there are solutions to those 
problems as well.  If the new technology causes pollution, the producers and 
consumers can/should be taxed to pay for it its remediation.  The solutions 
need to come from both the policy level and the design level.  That is, make 
economic incentives for people to consume/pollute less, and that will also 
spur greener innovations.  I believe there are ways to design products and 
services that are less damaging to the environment.   It takes creative, 
holistic thinking, but it can be done.  If not, we are f'd.