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<td>[California Greening] What's growth got to do with it?</td>
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<td>Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:51:34 -0800 (PST)</td>
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<th align="right" nowrap="nowrap" valign="baseline">From: </th>
<td>Wes <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:wrolley@charter.net"><wrolley@charter.net></a></td>
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<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wrolley@charter.net">wrolley@charter.net</a></td>
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<br>
I had an interesting exchange with Grist's David Roberts on twitter
tonight. It began when @drgrist came through with this tweet.
<blockquote>Dear Beltway journalists: economic slowdown, not increased
spending, causing current deficit. Solution not less spending, but more
growth.</blockquote>
I could not pass up the opportunity to question this chase after
growth, and so I responded using the Green Party CA id, GPCA....
<blockquote>@drgrist Isnt' the need for growth at all costs part of the
problem? Energy? Population? Water? Food?</blockquote>
Roberts was attentive enough to reply.
<blockquote>@GPCA We need to decouple growth from resource consumption
in long-term. Short-term, we need to save O's political bacon...or Pres
Palin.</blockquote>
And there you have the Democratic Party platform if the race were being
run now… and in many ways it is. Anybody but Palin. <br>
<br>
This still sidesteps the basic question of when, if ever, will it be
proper to talk about this decoupling of growth from resouce
consumption. I listened to a piece on NPR about <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2009/11/climate-change-example-of-tragedy-of.html">climate
change and the tragedy of the commons</a> this AM. That is what seems
to be playing out here. We all know what is good for everyone. But our
fears keep us from doing it, whether it is Roberts's fear of a
President Palin, the Obama - Summers - Geitner group <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7943794.stm">fear
of an economy without growth</a> to pay off our debts, or the
Republican's fear that someone else will have the economic magic for
the 21st Century. <br>
<br>
So we muddle along. Politicians preen in public but compromise, shave
the results, are satisfied with mincing little steps in the right
direction because "that is <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29491.html">what we
can do this term</a>." <br>
<br>
Well, I am not satisfied and neither should you be. If politicians are
not going to deliver a sustainable future, if they are only using that
word "sustainable" to make us believe, then maybe we need to go watch <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://theroad-movie.com/">The Road</a>
to get a reminder what what can happen. I have not seen that movie. I
did read the book. The <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/25/AR2009112501106.html">review</a>
in the Washington Post seems to remind us of just why Washington seems
not to understand.<br>
<br>
If leaders will not lead, then we need to elect new leaders. If some
corporation would sell us the koolaid, then it is time to just stop
buying. If growth would bring the end, then start planning for a steady
state economy. It is no longer up to them. It is up to us. <br>
<br>
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--<br>
Posted By Wes to <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2009/11/whats-growth-got-to-do-with-it.html">California
Greening</a> at 11/27/2009 08:51:00 PM <br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="80">--
"Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don't, then you are wasting your time on this Earth" Roberto Clemente
Wes Rolley
17211 Quail Court, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.refpub.com/">http://www.refpub.com/</a> -- Tel: 408.778.3024</pre>
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