“The more subtle thing is more speculative. The world is well past its long-term carrying capacity for human beings living a European, much less an American, lifestyle predicated on planned obsolescence. International economic growth is largely a matter of accelerated movement of materials from mines and forests to the dump. Instead of saving and buying decent furniture we can pass on to our children, we charge our credit cards for shaped heaps of sawdust and glue that fall apart in less than three or four years.” WorldYearsHumansWellsChildrenLongMatterPastFallThreeGrowthTermHuman BeingsFourEconomicMovementMinesMaterialsCapacityOur ChildrenInternationalCreditLifestyleForestsCardsSavingLong TermDecentBuyingSubtleFour YearsFalling ApartFurnitureEconomic GrowthCredit CardDumpGlueObsolescenceSawdustPlanned Obsolescence Author:Denis Hayes
“We need a firm cap on carbon emissions from fossil fuels. No coal, oil, or gas could enter the economy until the buyer had a permit. All permits would be auctioned by the federal government, and the number of permits auctioned would be decreased by three percent per year. Permits could be traded, but they could not be created out of whole cloth by companies that plant forests or dump iron filings at sea.” NeedsYearsWholeGovernmentWould BeThreeNumbersCompanyEconomySeaPercentPlantOilForestsFirmFuelGasIronPermitCarbonFederal GovernmentCoalFossilsCapsFossil FuelEmissionsDumpBuyersFilingCarbon Emissions Author:Denis Hayes
“Listen up, you couch potatoes: each recycled beer can saves enough electricity to run a television for three hours.” EnoughRunningThreeFunHoursEnvironmentTelevisionBeerElectricityPotatoesCouchesRecyclingRecycledEnvironmental Sustainability Author:Denis Hayes
“Make Earth Day Every Day.” While we might not always live up to this ideal, I try to keep this quote from Denis Hayes, founder of the Earth Day Network and president of Seattle’s Bullitt Foundation, in mind when I need a little extra motivation to be a better environmentalist: “Listen up, you couch potatoes: each recycled beer can saves enough electricity to run a television for three hours.” NeedsTryingMindLittlesEnoughMightRunningEarthMotivationThreePresidentHoursTelevisionIdealsFoundationBeerExtrasFoundersElectricityPotatoesCouchesEarth DayEnvironmentalistSeattleRecycled Author:Denis Hayes
