PARIS (AFP) – The deepening economic crisis may appear to be the perfect storm for environmentalism, but many in and around the green movement contend the opposite, seeing in it a time of opportunity.
The conventional view is this: willingness to protect the environment is wedded to prosperity.
Ah conventional wisdom, you will notice is the same as republican talking points. With proper leadership to entice industry in the right direction, we can heal the environment and fix the economy at the same time.
The frenzied worship of the lightly-regulated market place could be replaced by a humbler, wiser approach, of linking economic growth to natural resources, social needs and smarter technology, they hope.
Tim Jackson, a professor of sustainable development at Britain's University of Surrey, said the obsession with short-term profits and consumer-driven growth was now proven to be unstable as well as environmentally destructive.
"The old way of thinking about economy is up for negotiation, and the opportunities to build economies that incorporate both financial and environmental prudence are there to be taken," he said.
"What's needed is political leadership that understands this link and is prepared to act on it."
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