Is there any point in saving the planet if it will ruin the economy doing it?

Australia
February 11, 2007 9:47am CST
I am asking the question... But the Premier of NSW (Sydney) was more direct in saying... "There is no point in saving the planet if we ruin the economy doing it." What do you think?
2 responses
Zebrochka
@Zebrochka (333)
• Brazil
11 Feb 07
I believe in this case we need to invent how to save the planet without ruining the economy. Let's not underestimate the genious of a human mind! If people were smart enough to built space stations, invent computers, genetic medicine, and nuclear weapons, of course they are smart enough to invent the way to protect ecologic system of our planet without ruining economy!The question is - will people WANT to do it? It's the absense of good will that stops us from solving the problem, and the global influence of multinational corporations who are not interested in stopping the pollution. How much energy can be extracted from the sun light, from the wind, from the ocean tides? How many patents were registered about it? How many inventions, technologies and methods were created by scientists in order for us to be able to do it? And at the same time, how many governments paid enough attention to it? How many of them turned their back to companies like ExxonMobile and said: "No, we better get energy from the ocean"?
Aussies2007
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
12 Feb 07
I wish it was that simple... but it is not. The reason we have not switched to alternative energy is because it is not efficient compared to the cost of developing it. People are strugling to survive as it is because the high cost of living. Any new energy will have to be added to that cost. The only real way to solve the problem is to reduce the demand for energy. We need to throw our car away and use public transport. We need to throw our air-conditionning out and use a fan instead. We need to get ride of all the stuff which consume energy. Someone has actually said that they are only two solutions... 1) We go backwards and start living like people did in the 18th century... 2) Or we get ride off 5 billion people.
Aussies2007
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
12 Feb 07
Well... you are a very good girl. But as you point out... you don't use energy because you cannot afford it. Would you still be living that way if I gave you a million dollars? As for me... my biggest sin is to drive a V8 motor car. I don't have an air-conditioning and I dry my washing in the sun like you do. So many people these days use a dryer because they are too lazy to hang the washing outside.
pujithareddy
@pujithareddy (32)
• India
11 Feb 07
today we have a huge task of saving our mother earth..... but people give reasons when there is spending of money is attached to it...why dont we people think in a positive way as that when we save our earth we do get a lot of good things out of it.... it is we the people who has to think on our part what r we doing to THIS BEAUTIFUL CREATION OF GOD...... IT NEEDS OUR HELPFUL HAND...