“The world is once again at a critical juncture. We are invading ourselves and attacking the ecological system of which we are a part. As a result, we now face the prospect of a kind of global civil war between those who refuse to consider the consequences of civilization’s relentless advance and those who refuse to be silent partners in the destruction. The time has come to make this struggle the central organizing principle of world civilization.” (p. 294)
I have often remembered being impressed by the book Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit by Al Gore from which the above quote was taken, especially his “Global Marshall Plan” summarizing the most critical steps that need to be taken to save our environment. Here’s food for thought on how well we might be doing on that list now.
1. Stabilize world population (by empowering women in poor countries through means such as microloans and education).
2. Rapidly develop environmentally appropriate technologies.
3. Demand broad changes in the economic “rules of the road” used to measure environmental impact.
4. Negotiate and approve a new generation of far-reaching, effective international environmental/economic agreements.
5. Develop a cooperative plan for educating the world’s citizens about our global environment.
We’ve made some progress in 20 years, but not enough. Gore’s call to action remains as critical today as when he wrote it:
“This crisis will be resolved only if individuals take some responsibility for it. By educating ourselves and others, by doing our part to minimize our use and waste of resources, by becoming more active politically and demanding change, each one of us can make a difference. Perhaps most important, we each need to assess our own relationship to the natural world and renew a connection to it.” (p. 366) Quotes from Issues 2000.