I suppose there could be a sense in which the current recession may come in later years to be seen as a blessing in disguise.
That is not in any way to understate the pain of those who have lost or will lose their jobs and savings now. There is always pain in any transition. But if Europe comes out of the present recession facing in a different direction, then perhaps we shall be better able to avoid even greater pain in the years to come.
What do I mean? Well, it's been pretty clear that our way of life in Europe has become unsustainable in terms of the resources it demands and the load that it puts on the planet.
We have learned to recycle but our appetite for energy, of course, and for steel, aluminium, tin, copper, coltan and so on seems practically inexhaustible. Moreover, we export our lifestyle and our consumption to the developing and the emerging worlds. They soon will overtake us, where they haven't done so already, in their demands on the planet.
See full Article.
Posts
