We are witnessing in the popular press an awakening to the fundamental conflict between economic growth and the various aspects of environmental protection. See for example the following news clips, all from the past 3 days. The first highlights Neil Dawe (Canadian Director, Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy), whose focus is on the trade-off between economic growth and wildlife conservation. The second is by George Monbiot, the leading sustainability journalist, who discusses the merits of focusing on economic growth relative to population growth for environmental protection. The third is about Bill Clintons observation on addressing climate change by slowing the economy.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/parksville_qualicumbeachnews/news/14611517.html http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2008/01/29/population-bombs/ http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009892226 No doubt the efforts of The Wildlife Society, the American Society of Mammalogists, the Society for Conservation Biologys North America Section, and other professional societies that have taken positions on economic growth are the type of efforts that have contributed to this awakening. Other professional societies such as the ESA, AFS, SRM and SCB-at-large now have the opportunity to reinforce and elaborate the message in terms more specific to the various aspects of environmental protection. Clintons observation is most interesting from a political and paradigmatic standpoint. He has finally acknowledged a truth even more inconvenient than climate change, after stating during his presidency that there is no conflict between growing the economy and protecting the environment. Not that he is advocated a steady state economy yet, but yesterday he took the first major step in that direction. This should provide us with hope that politicians will muster the integrity to acknowledge mistakes regarding the relationship of economic growth to environmental protection, when clarifying evidence is advanced by professional societies and the conservation community. Brian Czech, Ph.D., President Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy SIGN THE POSITION on economic growth at: http://www.steadystate.org/CASSEPositionOnEG.html .
