Challenging simple concepts can save planet Earth.Byline: ANI Washington, May 30 (ANI): A democracy activist has said that challenging simple concepts can save planet Earth from demise. In a speech at Ottawa's Carleton University Carleton University, at Ottawa, Ont., Canada; nonsectarian; coeducational; founded 1942 as Carleton College. It achieved university status in 1957. It has faculties of arts, social sciences, science, engineering, and graduate studies, as well as the Centre for as part of the 78th Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, author and democracy activist Frances Moore Lappe called for a wholesale revamping of the way we view government, the economy and democracy. "If we manage to do it, we can save ourselves from our own demise," she said. She said many people today are frightened by the potential for disaster, ecological and otherwise, and fearful that nothing can be done to prevent it. But, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Lappe, we can do something - if we challenge five assumptions about the way the world works. The first is that going green means "powering down," or reducing our consumption of energy. Lappe said all we have to do is stop getting energy from fossil fuels fossil fuel: see energy, sources of; fuel. fossil fuel Any of a class of materials of biologic origin occurring within the Earth's crust that can be used as a source of energy. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gas. and start getting it from renewable sources like the sun. "Every day the sun supplies us with 15,000 times the amount of energy we're now using in fossil fuels," she said. "If everyone had a solar panel or windmill windmill, apparatus that harnesses wind power for a variety of uses, e.g., pumping water, grinding corn, driving small sawmills, and driving electrical generators. Windmills were probably not known in Europe before the 12th cent. on their roof, we wouldn't be dependent on oil companies - and as individuals, we'd feel more in control of our own destiny," she added. "The second idea to dispense with To permit the neglect or omission of, as a form, a ceremony, an oath; to suspend the operation of, as a law; to give up, release, or do without, as services, attention, etc.; to forego; to part with To allow by dispensation; to excuse; to exempt; to grant dispensation to or for. is that going green means an end to economic growth. What we have to do is change our idea of what growth is," she said. "There's plenty of room for growth, she says, if we learn to do things more efficiently," she added. The third idea Lappe wants to challenge is the notion that humans are by nature greedy, self-centred and materialistic ma·te·ri·al·ism n. 1. Philosophy The theory that physical matter is the only reality and that everything, including thought, feeling, mind, and will, can be explained in terms of matter and physical phenomena. 2. . "Under certain conditions, we can be monsters. But, there wouldn't be 6.8 billion of us on the planet today if we didn't also have positive qualities such as empathy, cooperation and fairness," she said. The fourth idea she disputes is that we dislike rules. She said that humans crave structure, particularly rules that make sense to us as individuals and which foster a sense of inclusion. The final concept she wants to challenge is the idea that our problems are so pressing there's no time for democracy, and only an authoritarian regime Noun 1. authoritarian regime - a government that concentrates political power in an authority not responsible to the people authoritarian state authorities, government, regime - the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit; "the can save us. She believes the only hope for the planet is to trust in people and set rules that bring out the best in us. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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