Must read: End of an era, how to defend life on Earth

By George Monbiot on 27 June 2012

It is, perhaps, the greatest failure of collective leadership since the first world war. The Earth’s living systems are collapsing, and the leaders of some of the most powerful nations – the US, the UK, Germany, Russia – could not even be bothered to turn up and discuss it. Those who did attend the Earth summit last week solemnly agreed to keep stoking the destructive fires: sixteen times in their text they pledged to pursue “sustained growth”, the primary cause of the biosphere’s losses.

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Ben W

I read this article on The Guardian website. I agree with much of what GM writes, but i do find him Both opinionated and polarising.

For me the key issue with this article is whether GM or others are capable of heeding the message. It is crystal clear that national governments lack the power, moral fibre, drive, incentive and more to act in the collective good.

So it is down to individuals who believe that change is needed to BE that change.
Geoff James

You’ve got to admire how he puts the boot in, though! A motivating article. We can achieve change by demonstrating, somewhere, that majority renewable energy (or the path towards it) is competitive and preferable. For example, Germany is on the way but in a different circumstance to Australia, with a strong grid and interconnected to a range of other sources. I believe China is a better model for us, in our region, similar in energy mix and resources, population also concentrated in the east, and likely to progress further in the present decade. Let’s watch, learn, participate, build up ties, and translate whatever works, mindful of different political and legislative circumstances. Let’s be practical and effective.