FACING A NEW WORLD

Editorial by Marilyn Hempel

“We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities.” —Pogo
“ Only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

Economic news these days is not good. The U.S. is teetering into recession. We are in the process of using up all of the fossil fuels—especially oil—that have powered our growth boom. We are imperiling our lives and our civilization through global warming, the build-up of carbon in the atmosphere, which is in fact produced by burning all those fossil fuels.
Earth's natural resources cannot sustain unlimited growth. In fact, if China's growth stays on the current pace, by 2031 (only 23 years from now) China alone will consume 99 million barrels of oil per day. To put that in perspective, that's 20 million more barrels per day than the entire world uses now. That's just one example.

In short, even if we like the economy we have now, we have little chance of keeping it.

Every year since World War II, the National Opinion Research Council has asked Americans this question: “Taken all together, how would you say things are these days – would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?” Since the 1950s the percentage of people in the U.S. who counted themselves "very happy" has steadily dropped. And the number of the not too happy has increased. While reported happiness in U.S. declined, the percentage of Europeans “predominantly satisfied” with their lives increased from 79-83%.

I think Americans know something is wrong, they just don't know what to do about it. It's hard to work for a future you cannot envision.

Against this backdrop, Lester Brown generously took time out of his busy schedule to sit down with me and discuss the state of the world—and what to do about it. We agreed that increasingly people say to us, "Okay, I understand we have to live more sustainably, but won't that destroy our economy?" Lester has answered that question; he has dedicated his career to presenting a vision of a sustainable economy. We are dedicating this issue of the Population Press to his new book, Plan B 3.0 Mobilizing to Save Civilization.

Lester Brown, who started his career raising tomatoes on a farm in New Jersey, is eminently practical. His book presents the details of an eco-economy, and a blueprint for how to get from here to there. He writes, "The challenge for our generation is to build a new economy, one that is powered largely by renewable sources of energy.... And to do it with unprecedented speed." Population stabilization is an overarching goal, along with stabilizing climate, eradicating poverty and restoring the Earth's ecosystems.

Knowing what we know, continuing with business as usual, Plan A, is no longer a wise option. It is time for Plan B. Lester Brown acknowledges that his Plan B is not sacred. He says, "If anyone can come up with a better plan, we will welcome it."
The Population Press hopes its readers will respond to this challenge. This time of insurmountable opportunities is summoning us to action.