by Steven Birdwell
5. September 2010 16:30
Sustainability of our Environmental Policy is complex to say the least, but clearly there is a reality that many in the movement either are ignorant of or chose to ignore. The simple truth is that there is a limited amount of capital that can be expended on the environment. This limited amount of capital increases for a given nation as that nation’s GDP increases. For example over the past 10 years China’s GDP has grown, and they have drastically increased their expenditures on the environment. Corporations struggle with the same reality. The decrease in income over the past 18 months has caused companies to slash their budgets for environmental projects.
The question that must be asked in development of a Sustainable Environmental Policy is “What is the best and highest use for this limited capital?” Is the best use of this limited capital, to decrease the emissions of CO2 by increasing the cost of energy derived from fossil fuels? Is the best use of this capital supplying clean drinking water to the 1/3 of the world population that does not have this basic necessity?
This blog will attempt to ask these hard questions, and present the data that will hopefully result in a more responsible formulation of an Environmental Policy.