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A Picture is Worth… How our economy is killing the planet

Monday, 9 August, 2010
By Simon Leufstedt

The graph below clearly shows that something is seriously wrong with our economy. Our overconsumption and fixation for more and more growth is killing our planet. You can click on the image to see it in more detail or explore the data behind the graphs here.

The graphs comes from New Scientist who recently did a special report on how our economy is killing the earth. In the report several “key thinkers from politics, economics and philosophy” gave their opinions about why they disagree with the current growth dogma. They write:

“Most of us accept the need for a more sustainable way to live, by reducing carbon emissions, developing renewable technology and increasing energy efficiency.

But are these efforts to save the planet doomed? A growing band of experts are looking at figures like these and arguing that personal carbon virtue and collective environmentalism are futile as long as our economic system is built on the assumption of growth. The science tells us that if we are serious about saving Earth, we must reshape our economy.”

Unfortunately you need to be a New Scientist subscriber to be able to read the actual articles.

Simon Leufstedt is the editor of Green Blog. Simon has previously studied Global Environmental Justice and is currently studying Human Ecology and Political Science at Lund University in Sweden. Simon is also blogging over at the Swedish 350 website and working with the Swedish TckTckTck organisation. You can follow Simon on Twitter and on Google+.
View all posts by Simon Leufstedt →

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choppingdownthecherrytree

What exactly does the science tell us about the Earth?? This year we are in a Solar Maximum yet across the globe from China, to Argentina, to California, over to Russia … there were record cold spells all winter. Dire predictions of great storms, and temperature increases have not come true … just ask the Professor's at East Anglia U. who admitted as much in their emails.

This graph is nothing but a bunch of BS articulated by non-thinkers trying to draw what appears to be an obvious correlation … ie: that our prosperity is destroying the planet. Well, if anything only prosperous nations can find solutions to this issue if it exists. I don't see Nigeria leading the way in Green Technology…..
- http://twitter.com/simonleuf Simon Leufstedt
  
  Wow. Really. Everything you just said is either wrong, misinformation or plain lies. Maybe you should go read a book or watch the news sometime?
  - choppingdownthecherrytree
    
    How about I kick your ass a little more with the truth Simon?? Here's one to start with: Argentina got colder than Antartica …
    
    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-03/argent…
    
    And another one of my lies .. Solar Maximum is in effect:
    
    http://www.physorg.com/news86010302.html
    
    … its one thing to disagree, its another to call someone a liar and deny basic facts as Simon did above….
    - http://twitter.com/simonleuf Simon Leufstedt
      
      And the misinformation continues!
      
      You want to blame the warming on the sun? But the sun’s output has barely changed since 1970 and is irrelevant to recent global warming. http://www.skepticalscience.com/solar-activity-…
      
      And who cares if Argentina had a cold winter when the last decade 2000-2009 was the hottest on record. http://www.skepticalscience.com/global-cooling.htm
      - choppingdownthecherrytree
        
        Interesting post, but the skeptical science page is 100% in the tank for the GW Alarmists. Meanwhile your own Phil Jones of East Anglia U says “… for the past 15 years there has been no ‘statistically significant’ warming.” In other words the man, the science, the institution at the core of GW Theory cannot demonstrate warming .. your claim that 2000-2009 was the hottest on record is misinformation:
        
        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250872…
        
        .. and ugh … well .. I blame most warming on the sun, it happens on a daily basis across the globe. You should look into it some time Google 'Sun' …
      - choppingdownthecherrytree
        
        Well anyway, wish I could say good luck with your blog … but I can't. I'm tired of Global Warming alarmism, its scare tactics, and the CO2 mantra .. Its become more of a political movement than about science. I wish more people would study this issue for themselves, educate themselves rather than just eat whatever's fed by the mainstream media or partisan academics. Plus that chart looks ridiculous.
        
        Adios !
      - http://twitter.com/simonleuf Simon Leufstedt
        
        Why can't you, and the other deniers, come up with something better than the normal lies and misinformation? This is getting tiresome. And come on. The Daily Mail is not a credible source for anything.
        
        Phil Jones was misquoted: http://www.skepticalscience.com/Phil-Jones-says… “When you read Phil Jones' actual words, you see he's saying there is a warming trend but it's not statistically significant. He's not talking about whether warming is actually happening. He's discussing our ability to detect that warming trend in a noisy signal over a short period.”
        
        And, again, the sun is not to be blamed for the current warming. The sun has not warmed since 1970 and so cannot be driving global warming: http://www.skepticalscience.com/solar-cycle-len…
- http://twitter.com/cylononearth Cylon
  
  Your comment is nothing but a bunch of BS articulated by a non-thinker…
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