This was prompted by an assignment for my Sociology class to try to find a way to solve the world’s climate issues and consumerist tendencies. Each student was encouraged to come up with a particular plan to “save the world.” My plan? A five-step primer for completely solving most of the world’s economic and environmental issues. Is it easy? Well… You decide.

1. Move everybody back into the cities (eliminate ALL suburbs).
   1. I have watched a documentary recently titled “The End of Suburbia.” It talks about a range of topics, including the sharp uptick in levels of consumerism since the 1920’s, and the rise of fossil fuel consumption in the modern world. It relates data on how the spread of very low-density living in suburbs is essentially destroying the planet. This is for three basic reasons: 1) Cheap and economically-conscious public transit solutions are not cost-effective financially or environmentally because of the low amounts of people and the distances between them. Furthermore, low-impact transit like walking or biking isn’t possible because everything is so spread out. 2) Because of these factors, the most cost-effective way to transport people is for each of them to use their own car, which not only uses a very high amount of energy but also pollutes at an astronomical rate. 3) Since everything is so light and spread out in suburbia, things have to be trucked in from so far away, and localized agriculture is not cost-effective. All of these factors increase our levels of consumption exponentially, and if we could eliminate suburbia and return to pre-1920’s ways of life (not with technology, of course, but simply with living arrangements) we would be able to rely on public transit and more localized forms of production; the benefits of which are numerous.
2. Eliminate ALL uses of fossil fuels and totally convert to alternative sources (no more oil or natural gas).
   1. As mentioned above in number 1, and also in the film “The End of Suburbia,” global oil has peaked in supply and feasibility. From now on, it will cost more to get each barrel of oil than it ever has due to the fact that it is deeper and harder to reach. Eventually, we will be unable to rely on oil-based solutions for energy. As populations around the world increase and so does global demand for oil, oil’s output will decline and costs will increase. Because this is so, consumption at current levels isn’t just no longer feasible, it will soon not be physically possible. As oil will someday run out, all uses of fossil fuels must be eliminated completely. This may be done over a period of time, but immediate action is needed to not only ensure that our oil consumption won’t rise (even in the face of increased demand), but also to begin reducing our levels of demand and consumption to levels we have previously passed by utilizing alternate sources of energy. This is a staggering proposal indeed, but drastic things must be done to meet such an important challenge to our civilization as a whole.
3. Ensure that effective carbon-emission regulations are on the books in every industrialized nation.
   1. CO2 is not merely a United States problem, it is a global problem. We all share the same planet, the same atmosphere, and the same ozone layer. The US is now behind China in terms of carbon emissions, so we are clearly not the only player here. Strong regulation of carbon emissions to reduce our environmental impacts are imperative; this can start with Congress, but must be echoed in every hall of government in the industrialized world in order to effect real change.
4. Make all industrialized economies sustainable (that is, we put less in and get more out, and not vise-versa).
   1. This is an easy-to-understand concept that goes without saying. If you put more energy into making a product than the product can give you back, it simply isn’t sustainable, and it will contribute to the degeneration of our planet’s natural resources. Ensuring that our practices and our products are sustainable and healthy for the environment will eliminate many problems associated with modern forms of production and pollution.
5. End intensive and industrialized agriculture.
   1. The above step is closely related to this one. With food products that are produced in huge factories, that are unsafe, contaminated, poisoned with hormones, and made with “cheapness” in mind, it is impossible to have a balanced ecosystem. Switching to all-organic products will eliminate many forms of contamination in industrialized societies, kill bad labor practices in third-world countries (and in OUR OWN country), improve the health and well-being of our population, and reduce our impact on the earth and its creatures.

Probably less easy to do than it was for me to type… but it is all necessary. Will we be able to pull it off and survive into the next century? I guess our world leaders will decide the answer to that question, starting in Copenhagen this week.