In my previous post, I brought up the sustainability prism and the link between personal happiness or peace and the other three, traditional components of sustainability theory — economy, equity, and ecology. In this article, I explore the link between personal happiness and the economy in greater depth. Of course, this is just a taste of the full connection between the two since there are enough layers here to write a book on it all, but here is a start and there is plenty of comment space below!
Economy is at the forefront of society’s consciousness these days. It is always a, if not the, major societal issue for most people. With the current economic crisis, it has stepped up even another level of importance. We all have to wonder, these days, if we will be able to return to the affluence of just one or two decades ago, or, if, on the other hand, the whole economic system of America, and the world that depends on it, will collapse as a house of sand built on a thin board of wood on the ocean’s waves.
We can look to the specific failures of banks and immoral business practices to explain all of this. But these failures, and much more, were built on much more widespread and much less questioned norms than these.
The state of economics and print journalism have converged to send Plenty Magazine (tagline: “The World in Green”) into the it-was-fun-while-it-lasted category. Plenty published not only the hard copy version of the magazine, but had begun a digital version, as well.
Not all is lost, though. Plenty RSS feed subscribers are now automatically receiving content from Mother Nature Network.
As for those who, like me, had just subscribed to the
In France, the Old Left is rising again. Working people are becoming angry that bankers are being bailed out to continue to pay obscene bonuses while ordinary peoples’ jobs go to the wall. Governments are under pressure to limit mass unemployment as a result of the recession. But this cannot be done by propping up environmentally-dangerous industries. They must be required to change. It’s a story of danger – and of opportunity.
In a wide-ranging interview with PBS’s “Nightly Business Report” on Jan. 22, Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett addressed the economy, credit crisis, government stimulus bills, the Madoff scandal and his own investing strategy.
Schwarzenegger asked President-Elect Obama to waive the National Environmental Policy Act requirements to help jump start the Nation’s flailing economy. He claims this could create 800,000 jobs for the Golden State alone.
Letting the auto industry go to hell in a handbasket is probably not an option. The impact on the economy would be one thing. But the direct and indirect human impact would be terrible.
That leaves us wondering how to square this particular circle. We are faced with a powerful combination of crises, both economic and environmental. Is there a way to address both at once? Well, yes.
A study commissioned by the bank HSBC which set out to gauge public opinion about climate change in nine of the world’s major markets reveals that people in developing countries are more concerned about the potential impacts of climate change, and more willing to do something about it.
The study, which questioned a thousand people in each of the nine countries (UK, France, Germany, USA, Mexico, India, Brazil, China and Hong Kong) reveals much about how people perceive the threat of climate change, and the role of government and the individual in addressing the problem.
“Concern about climate
change is high, especially in
developing economies, and
so is people’s individual
commitment to address it.” - HSBC Climate Confidence Index
The difference in opinion can be stark. For example, in the United States of America where per capita CO2 output is very high, only 23% of people questioned believed they were making a significant effort to help reduce the effects of climate change. Contrast this with 43% in Mexico which has less than 1/4 of the CO2 output per capita.
While some companies are backing off the development of shale oil due to the economic crisis, there are still those who are cautiously continuing with the development of this domestic energy source.
San Francisco’s Prop H is taking on their biggest opponent today - PG&E! The utility company has spent more than $9.9 Million to prevent San Francisco from having cheaper and renewable energy.
Come join the rally at: PG&E’s downtown headquarters at 77 Beale St at noon.
They’ll be erecting three twelve-foot “Yes on H” wind turbines and showing support for green jobs and an affordable green energy future. They’ll have signs ready for you to carry if you want to protest!
In my previous post, I brought up the sustainability prism and the link between personal happiness or peace and the other three, traditional components of sustainability theory — economy, equity, and ecology. In this article, I explore the link between personal happiness and the economy in greater depth. Of course, this is just a taste of the full connection between the two since there are enough layers here to write a book on it all, but here is a start and there is plenty of comment space below!
