“Don’t get confused by economic science; go with your heart”, he said. “Listen to the scientists who study Antarctica. They know what’s happening.”
I was leaving a lecture by Jeffrey D. Sachs last night, with a man who had asked him a tricky question: given the risks involved, how can you justify encouraging Australians to invest in ‘clean’ coal and nuclear power? The man beside me knew his stuff, having worked in this field as a scientist. I have paraphrased his question, which included figures and citations.
Only four questions were taken. This one was side-stepped and ignored.
The MC accused my friend of taking up too much time, with his references and figures. He was hurried along. Sachs stumbled over his words for a bit before responding with an argument for investing in more ‘clean’ technology now because it was economically ‘practical’.
Jeffrey D. Sachs is an American ‘sustainability’ economist, famous for his work with people in extreme poverty in Africa. Speaking to a packed hall at the University of Sydney, he launched a new centre for research into economic sustainability. After promoting his own project, Millenium Promise Alliance, he suggested this was something Australia could do for our poor neighbouring countries. The word Colonialism came to mind. And I wondered about his self interest.
As a rousing lecture aiming to shock people into action, it was good. But what action is good? Important questions and possibilities were ignored.
The MC’s introduction had been long and irrelevant, a comic piece on Australian football. It irked me that he should abbreviate my friend’s questioning, which was delivered with such dignity. This was a sleek show, presented by deft showmen.
I came away feeling angry.
My friend is much older than me, and wiser. He graciously applauded Sach. Later he said he didn’t blame politicians for wasting our time in responding to the crisis. It’s all about people, he said. It’s people who vote them in.
Now is time to support all the solar and methane and wind technologies we possibly can. I wanted to hear about those projects, unfunded by our previous government. I want to know that they be supported Now. The immediate priority for the politicians and the economists is the short term fix. Surely we can both.
Sachs said he had spoken with Rudd, and urged us to support Rudd’s Green Paper. This paper advocates more investment in coal and uranium mining.
When Sachs declared his personal pleasure in the ‘rich’ life of the West, and that the third world countries were simply ‘catching up,’ Kant’s Catagorical Imperative immediately sprang to mind:
Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.
Kant, Immanuel; translated by James W. Ellington [1785] (1993). Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals 3rd ed.. Hackett, p30. ISBN 0-87220-166-x. Cited in Wikipedia
In other words, act in ways that would work well for the world, if everyone acted in those ways.
So where does this leave us? How can we act now, to leave the world a better place?
Some who live in the Western world have already made choices allowing them to live as lightly on the planet as they can. They find pleasure in walking, riding a bicycle, and buying the products or services that impact least on our environment.
Utopias have been dreamed of through the ages. They are all dreams. We can only change our selves.
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Event:
Launch of the Sydney Institute for Sustainable Solutions, a public lecture by Professor Jeffrey D Sachs. MC for the afternoon, Mr Adam Spencer
5:30pm The Great Hall, University of Sydney