Not Negotiable? Certainly Not Sustainable

Excellent article on the American Way Of Life, how unpleasant life will become if we don't change it, and quickly.

snips:

Our American way of life is unsustainable; rather than attempting to perpetuate it, we must transition beyond it—quickly. Should we fail to do so, our society will collapse—in the not-too-distant future…

The specific mix and levels associated with the ecological resources and economic resources that we have chosen to utilize in our incessant quest to perpetuate our American way of life can only be described as psychotic:

• We persistently utilize renewable natural resources critical to our existence (e.g., water, soils, fish, and forests) at levels greater than those at which Nature can replenish them;
• We persistently utilize nonrenewable natural resources critical to our existence (e.g., oil, natural gas, coal, minerals, and metals), which Nature does not replenish;
• We persistently degrade natural habitats critical to our existence (e.g., air, water, and land) at levels greater than those at which Nature can regenerate them; and
• We persistently procure a majority of our economic goods and services through fiscal imprudence (economic asset liquidation, intergenerational debt, and deferred investments critical to our long term wellbeing).

The Party is Over

Our American way of life is NOT sustainable—it is not even close. We have only two choices going forward: we can choose to transition voluntarily to a sustainable lifestyle paradigm, in which we live within our means ecologically and economically—forever. Or we can allow Nature to orchestrate our transition to sustainability, through societal collapse, in the not-too-distant future. The results in either case will be devastating in terms of population level reduction and living standard degradation; Nature’s way will be horrific.