Commentary: Bad Economy is Good for the Environment

[villager]

Commentary: The bad economy is good for the environment

By Thomas Kostigen, MarketWatch

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- The answer both presidential candidates should have to the question of how to fix the environment is: More of the same -- economic problems that is.
What's bad for the economy is good for the environment. Higher gas prices keep more people from driving and therefore decrease pollution. Higher food prices create less food waste because people budget. Fewer retail shoppers overall means fewer goods are produced and less manufacturing takes place. The energy to operate those manufacturing plants is then saved. And this energy comes mostly from coal plants that create vast amounts of carbon emissions that lead to global warming.

When employees get laid off, more trees are even saved. The average employee uses about 10,000 sheets of paper annually. That paper comes from trees.

You get the picture. The more we have to think about what we consume, the less we actually do consume. We even tend to reuse and save more during hard times. Retail stores are reporting lackluster sales. If people aren't buying new stuff they are reusing their old stuff.
It would be nice if we saved by choice rather than force. But that hasn't happened. We have been piggish with all of our natural resources, and have been positively gluttons with our financial resources. Is it any wonder that we are in the predicament we are in?

We cannot fully blame the government. We cannot fully blame the financial community. It's time we blamed ourselves. We have been living in a state of blissful ignorance and selfishness for so long we are shocked and dismayed at the prospect of sacrifice, or changing our habits. Earth to mankind: stop fooling yourselves.

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http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/whats-bad-economy-good-environment/story.aspx?guid={D2893A2D-3A43-4987-BB69-E5AB7FAC34DE}

[FreakinDJ]

1. Right - Look to So. America for your answer

Burning of whole rain forest