Always Look on the Bright Side of Life Dept.: 10 Ways the Recession Can Help the Environment
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02. 6.08
Cue up Eric Idle and sing along with the Life of Brian, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, and remember as we enter this recession that every cloud has a silver lining. Fion McDonald in UK business site Finance Markets notes ten ways that the recession can do wonders for the environment:
Reduction in Landfill: "The world produces billions of tons of domestic waste each year, and 25% of this comes from the USA - even though it only accounts for 5% of the world’s population. Less consumption means less packaging means less material needs to be dumped in land fill. Even when it’s recycled it needs energy which means more fossil fuel burning. Much better for the planet not to have any waste in the first place."
The others:
-Fewer Mobile Phones sold
-Reduced Sales of SUV’s
-Fewer Plasma TV’s sold
-Reduced Oil Burning
-Less people killed in the streets
-Less shipping
-Less need for biofuel
-Fewer People going on holiday
-Consumption of Inefficient food products reduced.
More detail at ::Finance Markets
Counter-Point: 4 Reasons Why Recession is BAD for the Environment
I thought crime went up during recessions? I could be wrong though.
People not buying sounds good to me. Why do we have to always be buying? That's right, because we are told that we are happier when we buy...It's sad to think that that is predominantly what our economy is based on...bad black friday? Recession ahead!
that sure is the optimist's view. Too bad this isn't really a solution, though... We need to protect the environment, but we also need to take people out of poverty and allow people opportunities and choices to do what makes them happy. the world wasn't a better place back when more people were poor (for most of humanity, the life expectancy was around 30, 75% of babies died at birth and you could expect to feel hunger and disease pretty often -- things are almost still like that in many countries).
how do you figure the "Less people killed in the streets"?
LA: At treehugger when we are picking up material from other sites rather than writing original content, we do not copy the whole thing, but link back to the original source. In this case, the writer said:
"With a reduced need for unnecessary consumer goods, there will be less trips to the mall to waste cash on un-needed items.
Thus reducing the number of car miles and a subsequent reduction in traffic accidents and fatalities, which most commonly occur on these short journeys"
With a recession, we are talking (hopefully) about a short-lived economic down-turn that may (MAY) result in less consumption in the United States. It also may mean that American goods become cheaper and people in other countries start consuming more. I think it is safe to say that the danger going forward is less to do with the environmental disaster in America than it does with other countries rushing to reach our disaster level. And will a recession in America make that more or less likely to happen? Hard to say, but I certainly am not about to start predicting environmental changes based on financial results.
I am not so sure about the being killed in the street point. Don't people get in car accidents when they are driving somewhere to get a loan or to a second job etc. etc.
Also why did you skip the biofuel point?
LA: my mistake on the biofuel, fixed
An influential talk show host from the United States recently said, "environmentalism is the new home for displaced Communists [after the fall of Soviet Russia]." Goodness sake, I'm starting to agree with him.
Thanks for proving that the global warming overhype is nothing more than a political agenda designed to destroy the capitalist economies of the West (namely, the economy of the United States) all in the name of socialist equality...er, that is in the name of "saving the environment for our grandchildren."
When are you people going to wake up, see the evidence, and realize that you're all being misled?
I wonder if people realize that there's an economic cycle which leads us into recession approximately once every ten or so years? It's not like we'll never come out of this. It's just hard times.
I do definitely enjoy the refreshing point of view. It would be wonderful if even a handful of average Americans could learn from this and realize that they do not need to consume so much, and maybe pick up a few thrifty upcycling techniques along the way.
I wonder if people realize that there's an economic cycle which leads us into recession approximately once every ten or so years? It's not like we'll never come out of this. It's just hard times.
I do definitely enjoy the refreshing point of view. It would be wonderful if even a handful of average Americans could learn from this and realize that they do not need to consume so much, and maybe pick up a few thrifty upcycling techniques along the way.
I disagree:
Poverty creates desperation and profit-seeking at all costs, usually at the expense of the environment (see africa, china, and india).
As poverty levels increase, ostentatious wealth becomes a differentiating signifier of status.
More disposable income means a higher ability to invest in green technologies, products, and food.
BTW, more people "dying in the streets" is an environmental positive, not a negative.
Lloyd- I don't like the fact that this site glorifies the economic pain of so many Americans. Is this a joke to you? People are losing their homes and children are doing without basic needs like food and health care. What do you think people do when there isn't money to go around? They eat junk (all they can afford). This post is repulsive!
It's a good point. I used to think that the Environment deserves a recession mainly so that mindless people would be forced to refrain from buying so many mindless and environmentally destructive things… but in the scheme of things I disagree now.
In terms of “overall good”, a recession would be bad.. We're at the point where the Green Movement needs to flourish.. Government and Corporations are starting to take more substantial initiatives now. Even Investment banks.. It would be terrible to have this momentum interrupted by the troubles of the dirty green.
A recession will have an overall destructive impact towards where we need to be.
I like your comment Terra, "It would be wonderful if even a handful of average Americans could learn from this and realize that they do not need to consume so much, and maybe pick up a few thrifty upcycling techniques along the way. "
I wonder how such common sense could be taught..
Misled? What's wrong with communism BobG? Don't be so scared, democracy and capitalism are alive and well. Americans don't want to actually work, so communism isn't going to take any kind of foothold.
Economic pain mcark? (LOL) That's a good one. Anyway, 70% of the failing mortgages were based on applicants lying about their income (stated income loans), 50% of which lied by 50% or more. Were 70% of this bad debt not to exist, things wouldn't be so ugly. And there wasn't any money 'to go around in' the first place, just credit. Time to pay, or give back your toys. These borrowers and lenders are the perpetrators of the market downturn, not the victims.
There's more than one way to protect yourself against a depressed economy, and eating locally, driving little and practicing a sustainable lifestyle are some examples. In other words, treehuggers should get through this recession (official or not) with nary a scratch. Hyper-active consumers and excessive wasters will probably experience significant changes to their lifestyle, or at least their pocketbooks.
The economy is an environment too. And when you poison it, it dies off.