Reply #42: Define not long

[DJ MEW]

I am very well aware that the crash will hit during my lifetime, that is something that I have been aware of for years, since I was still in junior high school. But, and I know this might seem stupid, so long as I can get through my college degree first I really don't care.

I also disagree that thinking 1890 is the solution. I would say that thinking more along the lines of urban european would be an acceptable answer. If the United States could increase the number of bicycle commuters to be closer to the 25% figure Of Denmark, that would have a massive effect. Using grey water technology, or waterless toilet technology, both of which exist and would be easy to expand to commercial grade, would severely cut water consumption. Rewriting zoning laws to combat and even reverse urban sprawl would be massive, there is no good reason to commute 90 miles a day just so that you can find affordable land that you can own.

I do agree that not having children is a good idea. I would it is more so a good idea in the countries that are experiencing population explosions, although there are reports that China will actually experience a drop in population within a generation or two.

In all honesty I think Vancouver Canada is sort of a model of what things might look like. They are one of the greenest cities in all the Americas and recently were considering a proposal to increase the level of population density in the city even more in an effort to prevent urban sprawl expansion.

I just don't by the alarmist propaganda that things will totally fall apart, and that all we can do is get ready for it. What about prevention and finding ways to adapt society. To quote Al Gore, "We all ready have everything that we need to solve this problem, save political will, but in America Political will is a renewable resource."