[LAD] Science (OT)

[Steve Fosdick]

On Thu, 2010-01-07 at 18:53 +0100, Jane wrote:

> btw, who is really accountable for eventually polluting our ecosystem? not us "normal" people! its their industry. and they have the money to switch industries as they wish, to make even more money (like from oil to nuclear fusion "green tech"). the switch does not make powerful persons poor and poor people rich. on a global scale it adds power to the richest countries (think taxes for air pollution).
> power and money - that is my belief, is their mission. saving the planet is just a story inside a story. like the whole extra-terrestrial story in 2001.

Of course the rich and powerful get high on the power and get excited
about making money but if we refuse to do what is good for the planet
and therefore what is good for our children and grandchildren because we
suspect the motives of those with the power to make a difference we are
throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Much of the western world is capitalist to one degree or another and it
works because those with the money and motivation to make more money can
do so by providing things the rest of us either need or enjoy and we are
therefore prepared to pay for.

The big challenge for green initiatives is how to frame them in such a
away that the rich and powerful can get richer from them than from
things that are less green; that way the green choice will be taken by
those with the power to make a big difference.  In turn, the way we as
individuals do that is to buy greener products and services and avoid
those that are less green so the greener ones become more profitable.

Steve.