World is 'one poor harvest' from chaos, new book warns

[Joanne98]

Like many environmentalists, Lester Brown is worried.


In his new book "World on the Edge," released this week, Brown says mankind has pushed civilization to the brink of collapse by bleeding aquifers dry and overplowing land to feed an ever-growing population, while overloading the atmosphere with carbon dioxide.

If we continue to sap Earth's natural resources, "civilizational collapse is no longer a matter of whether but when," Brown, the founder of Worldwatch and the Earth Policy Institute, which both seek to create a sustainable society, told AFP.

What distinguishes "World on the Edge" from his dozens of other books is "the sense of urgency," Brown told AFP. "Things could start unraveling at any time now and it's likely to start on the food front.

"We've got to get our act together quickly. We don't have generations or even decades - we're one poor harvest away from chaos," he said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/world-is-one-poor-harvest-from-chaos-new-book-warns-2192127.html

[MineralMan]

1. I heard about a book that says the word's going to end in 2012.

I'm going to party like it's 2011. I am. Why? Because I believe everything that appears in printed form. That's why.

[murray hill farm]

2. I expect some

really good "end of the world" parties starting around mid December 2012.

[plumbob]

3. kick

[Gregorian]

4. No kidding.

Just don't talk about it. Only work on the symptoms. We all want to do whatever we want to do, without limitation. That would be dictatorship, even if not limiting our behavior kills everything.

It's good to see some discussion on this critical issue. I'm sure it'll get as many rec's as the KO threads.

[Tsiyu]

5. Other people's hunger is so amusing

and if you tie the warnings of imminent food crisis in with every other apocalyptic message out there, you can just pretend it isn't going to happen! How convenient!

:sarcasm:

Many times these warnings are issued in support of Monsanto-type agricultural engineering. However, it is precisely that engineering which has helped lead us to this point.

Every nation should be looking at its food security, but the wealthy sociopaths in charge are only looking at next quarter's $$$$$$ And most Americans, as witnessed by some in this thread, couldn't care less about starvation anywhere but at their own dinette set.