[permaculture-oceania] population challenges - Adelaide as one big community garden?

[brookman]

Thanks Jedd
Whether Lovelock or Evans are correct we would need, in theory, to shed at 
least half the world's current population AND get them living sustainably in 
the next decade or 2 to avoid Lovelock's Mad Max type scenario.
I'll dig out Lovelock's interview with Tony Jones......in which he says that 
we'll have to use all the uranium to try to reduce emissions but implies 
that we are all set (anyway) to go over the temperature 'tipping point' 
which marks the beginning of a series of feedback processes that will be 
virtually irreversible. Adelaide peak Oil and the Permaculture Association 
of SA are endeavouring to set up a briefing with key government officers 
when David Holmgren and Richard Heinberg are in SA to present a major public 
seminar on Oil Peak and Future Sustainability on Aug 28. Hopefully the state 
population plan which  calls for 2 million by 2050 can be revised 
downward.......amongst other things!
cheers
graham


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jedd" <jedd at progsoc.org>
To: "permaculture-oceania" <permaculture-oceania at lists.cat.org.au>
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: [permaculture-oceania] Jedd's response - Permaculture,energy 
and the future for humans


> Russ, Graham,
>
> On the subject of population and energy, there were some interesting
> predictions coming out of James Lovelock in a recent interview he
> did with Mark Lawson.
>
> The big one was that world population (sustainable) is around
> 1 billion, based on the earth as it is now -- the hot earth that
> we'll have at the end of the century will sustain maybe 500 million.
>
> "They'll die - I don't see any other answer to it."
> "They'll starve, mostly."
>
> On the various causes that are leading us down this path:
>
> ML: What can be done to slow down these changes?
> JL: Sadly, almost nothing.
>
> He doesn't think much that his country does will make an impact,
> because Britain's only contributing 2% to the CO2 problem, but
> points to the USA, China, and India as the main culprits, while also
> asserting:
>
> During one year recently, "Indonesia emitted 40% of all the
> carbon dioxide due to bad agricultural practices."
>
> Talking about some point *in the future*, he says:
>
> JL: We'll have to go back to a world war II situation,
> where every bit of land is used.
>
> ML: So you're suggesting that everyone will have an allotment
> and have to grow their own stuff?
>
> JL: Yes, and they may not mind it -- they may even enjoy it, as they
> did in WWII.
>
> ML: And Britain is sustainable on that basis?
>
> JL: I think it is, yes.  But we'll be a very desirable bit of real
> estate, and obviously there'll be a limit to the number we can
> support by growing our own food.
>
> Whereas elsewhere during the interview, he asserts:
>
> "We have to drive - like everyone else - it's a civilisation that's
> built on the use of the car.  You can't stop doing it, especially
> if you live where we do -- it's about 6 miles to the nearest
> supermarket."
>
> Curiously he appears to be discounting the possibility of,
> and the effects of same on Britain, the gulf stream shutting down.
>
> Certainly an insightful interview.
>
> Jedd.
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