As you may have
guessed by now, some of my blogs focus on the housing crisis in Aotearoa and
the issues surrounding homelessness, exorbitant rents and high council rates.
These are all compounded by those behind the scenes drumming up perceived
property values. Martin and Norman go on about expected selling prices in ‘Auckland’s rapid transit
network catchments’ due to “frequent faster public transport”.
The average Kiwi
may find these statements pleasing to the mind, yet I can’t bring myself to
believe it. Why? Maybe it’s just me being critical of ideals of continued
growth for growths sake. Maybe it’s their unconvincing headline or maybe it’s
that there is so much scientific evidence telling us that we’re doing this
modern society thing wrong. Have these guys not read Limits to Growth? Are they ignorant of the
fact that we as a species are chewing up resources and polluting the
environment faster than ever before?
Published in
1972, Limits to Growth by Meadows, Randers and Meadows highlights these facts
using computer modelling which extrapolates data to formulate a detailed
picture of where we’re heading as a species. The team of scientists who
contributed to this work formulated their research through a systems dynamics approach. The group worked out that population
increase, resource extraction and use, pollution outputs coupled with a planets
reduced capacity to absorb such outputs would place most living things on a
trajectory which didn’t end well. Given that these very intelligent people
worked long and hard at compiling and analysing their data to provide such
insights, one would think that the powers that be would’ve gratefully accepted
their findings and implemented policies to bring about necessary change.
Recently the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) Report pointed out that “Limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared with 2°C would reduce
challenging impacts on ecosystems, human health, and well-being”. Some of the
suggested changes from the report include reducing the amount of meat we eat
and even becoming vegan. This may sound extreme; however, we now live in times of
extreme industrialisation, mechanisation, population growth and demands for
more products and housing. In an article from The Guardian in 2010 titled “UN
urges global move to meat and dairy-free diet”, Achim Steiner stated “Decoupling
growth from environmental degradation is the number one challenge facing
governments in a world of rising numbers of people, rising incomes, rising
consumption demands and the persistent challenge of poverty alleviation.”
With this information in mind, should
we really be listening to those who tout the benefits of ‘value catchments’ in
a world where continued growth is bound to lead to catastrophic natural
disasters? I think not. There is a massive disconnection between business theology
and reality and I guess this is why many of our social, political and
environmental issues seem to be on a tumble cycle. It’s hard to pin point the solution
when there’s so much junk in being spouted by those who want to keep growing their slice of the pie.
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