What our civilization needs most is:
- clean air and water
- healthy ecosystems, especially forests and oceans
- energy independence
- livable cities
- healthy people
And these will be the results of transitioning to a green economy. Poisoning the earth's air and water is catastrophic for the health of all species that share this planet - not only have we seen dramatic increases in human diseases, placing huge strains on our health care systems, we are witnessing the greatest species extinction in millions of years. Go to Beijing and breathe the air. Rivers have few fish, forests have few animals, people can't drink the water ...
Clearly, there's good reason to move beyond 18th and 19th century technologies even without deciding the climate change debate.
Suburbia, our complete dependence on the automobile, and cheap airline flights have separated families and friends and fragmented previously strong communities. The term "neighbor" doesn't mean much anymore, people feel isolated and alone. Portland, Oregon, for example, reduced carbon emissions despite growing population by 18%, largely due to land-use and transportation strategies that emphasize infill locations, walkable neighborhoods, and transit-oriented development.
Our voracious desire to consume the world's fossil fuel resources has fueled wars in the Mid East and created the enemies we face today. Energy independence is critically important, regardless of one's position on climate change.
The more human population swells, the more trash the planet must absorb, the fewer places left for any life form other than humans. We simply must clean up our act and re-create a world worth living in - climate change or not.
A
new CBS poll shows only 37% of Americans think government action on climate change is a high priority; they want the focus on the economy, and in particular, jobs. Of course, a plethora of reports show that transitioning to a sustainable economy will provide those jobs, as does
Low Carbon Jobs in an Interconnected World, just released.
How can you create completely new industries and change the course of energy use without creating jobs? How can you create and market new green chemicals, processes and products and not create jobs at the same time? How can you clean up the air and water, while bringing back collapsing fisheries without creating jobs? How can you bring solar and other green technologies to the developing world without creating jobs? And how can we convert to small-scale, locally based organic food supplies without creating jobs?
Business is On Board for Good Reason
Leading corporations believe they have or can create the technologies and tools we need for this transition - and lead them to a new era of growth - if we'd only stop arguing about it and create the certainty they need to charge full steam ahead.
That's why dozens of leading companies like Nike and Johnson Controls are at Copenhagen advocating for a strong international treaty that reduces pollution and accelerates clean technology innovation. They're not there to fight it - they're there to make it happen because political uncertainty is stifling their businesses.
