Economy vs. Environment?

Does anyone really think we have a choice between the economy and environment? Does that formulation even make sense? We live in the environment and we need clean air and water, and we need food. To get the food to our tables and to have a roof over the table, we need the economy. The two are linked – we can’t have one without the other.

Its called a false choice when we talk about this or that when we really only have the choice of this and that. If we don't accept that its about "and" we will never be able to come up with solutions that work. This is that Albert Einstein quote in action:

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

It is insanity to believe we can have a healthy economy regardless of how we affect the economy. Let me let you in on something -- economic wealth is created by people working with natural resources. At the basis of every thing sold is some sort of material that comes from our environment. Simple logic tells us that when we run out of natural resources, the economy will... stop. And so will we.


We have to find ways to conduct economic activity -- that is, work and spend -- with the intention at least of doing no harm to the environment. If we are smart, we'll find ways to make our economic activity while doing good for the economy. If you don't believe that's possible, look at nature. A tree creates food for itself and ultimately for other animals, without polluting and it leaves behind a legacy for future generations in the form of decomposing wood that other plants and critters live in and eat.


We need to be like trees.




One last thought:

In our current political framework, we in the U.S. think of environmentalism as a liberal issue. I don’t understand how anything can be more conservative than trying to preserve the natural environment of the only planet we have.