Sustainable Society

The Earth is huge, but it has limits. Many people are working on more efficient ways to live comfortable lives, resulting in increasing productivity. This is a good thing. But in spite of these efforts we continue to cut down more forests, making less space available for other life forms. We are using many natural resources faster than they are being created. Our consumption increases faster than science can increase the efficiency of production. Like the tragedy of the commons, our current course could lead to disaster.

If we plan in the long-term - that is, hundreds, even thousand of years into the future - it is apparent that we must find ways to live that can be sustained.

What we should do:

• Use scientific evidence to determine the optimum population level the Earth can sustain.
• Using voluntary methods, control population so that we stay within the limits of available resources. A population matched to available resources could continue to thrive forever.
• Develop resource systems that are "closed loop", that reuse a product at the end of it's life.
• Continue working to increase production of resources, but do this in an environmentally friendly way.

More Information:

• Yahoo: Sustainable Development, Population
• Empowerment Resources -- Resources for Building An Ecologically Sustainable Society
• Zero Population Growth
• Envisioning a Sustainable Future - An excellent article on sustainable economics.
• The Tragedy of the Commons - Garrett Hardin, 1968
• Tragedy of the Commons - Another commentary on this subject.