
Is our pursuit of economic growth blinding us to ecological disaster? Discover how conventional economics could be leading us astray with David Suzuki.
“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.”
Money has been propelling ecological destruction.
Women of my region – peasant women – came out to say we will hug the trees. You will have to kill us before you kill the tree, because these trees are our life. They are our mothers. They give us water. They give us soil. They give us fuel.
Deforestation is leading to the disappearance of water, disappearance of energy, and ecological catastrophes like landslides.
Why were the trees being cut? Very simply, because cutting a tree makes money. Leaving a tree in place gives you stable ecosystems, gives you basic needs, gives you material welfare, avoids poverty. But cutting a tree leads to huge profits for the logging companies and the countries count it as the growth of the gross domestic product. A live tree doesn’t contribute to the GDP. A killed tree does.
And that is the basis of why the more our economies grow, the more people suffer and the more the planet suffers.
Vandana Shiva is an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, ecofeminist and anti-globalisation author. Based in Delhi, Shiva has written more than 20 books. She is often referred as “Gandhi of grain” for her activism associated with anti-GMO movement. Shiva is one of the leaders and board members of the International Forum on Globalization (with Jerry Mander, Ralph Nader, and Jeremy Rifkin), and a figure of the anti-globalisation movement. She has argued in favour of many traditional practices, as in her interview in the book Vedic Ecology. She is a member of the scientific committee of the Fundacion IDEAS, Spain’s Socialist Party’s think tank. She is also a member of the International Organization for a Participatory Society. She received the Right Livelihood Award in 1993, an award established by Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull, and regarded as an “Alternative Nobel Prize”.
“No wonder why we suffer too much calamities and the reason why is too much obvious. We forget to consider the very basic things. Too much comfort of our lives leaves an opposite effect. This economic progress and the like are too promising but see it reminds us of a sad truth for us to ponder.”
“Love this kind of video….it makes an eye opener to the people and educate our children about what is really happening today …please let us do our support on Earth rehabilitation…plant more trees…..even on our own…we can start today for future’s hope…”
“I think so. Simple has that. Stuff is made from earth. Grow, collect, mine and transform it for money. Just have an idea, then sell it for a profit, and voilà. Now thousands do this across the globe and we have what we are seeing. Consuming economy is killing the earth because there is no returning to the earth. We just take and not give back (or preserve).”
“They are our mothers. They give us water. They give us soil.”
“This is a much better place to have constructive dialogue than just talking to my mate over couple of beers while he rolls his eyes.. I love this page.”
Music:
“Lost Soul” by Swan Productions
“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.”
Money has been propelling ecological destruction.
Women of my region – peasant women – came out to say we will hug the trees. You will have to kill us before you kill the tree, because these trees are our life. They are our mothers. They give us water. They give us soil. They give us fuel.
Deforestation is leading to the disappearance of water, disappearance of energy, and ecological catastrophes like landslides.
Why were the trees being cut? Very simply, because cutting a tree makes money. Leaving a tree in place gives you stable ecosystems, gives you basic needs, gives you material welfare, avoids poverty. But cutting a tree leads to huge profits for the logging companies and the countries count it as the growth of the gross domestic product. A live tree doesn’t contribute to the GDP. A killed tree does.
And that is the basis of why the more our economies grow, the more people suffer and the more the planet suffers.
Vandana Shiva is an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, ecofeminist and anti-globalisation author. Based in Delhi, Shiva has written more than 20 books. She is often referred as “Gandhi of grain” for her activism associated with anti-GMO movement. Shiva is one of the leaders and board members of the International Forum on Globalization (with Jerry Mander, Ralph Nader, and Jeremy Rifkin), and a figure of the anti-globalisation movement. She has argued in favour of many traditional practices, as in her interview in the book Vedic Ecology. She is a member of the scientific committee of the Fundacion IDEAS, Spain’s Socialist Party’s think tank. She is also a member of the International Organization for a Participatory Society. She received the Right Livelihood Award in 1993, an award established by Swedish-German philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull, and regarded as an “Alternative Nobel Prize”.
“No wonder why we suffer too much calamities and the reason why is too much obvious. We forget to consider the very basic things. Too much comfort of our lives leaves an opposite effect. This economic progress and the like are too promising but see it reminds us of a sad truth for us to ponder.”
“Love this kind of video….it makes an eye opener to the people and educate our children about what is really happening today …please let us do our support on Earth rehabilitation…plant more trees…..even on our own…we can start today for future’s hope…”
“I think so. Simple has that. Stuff is made from earth. Grow, collect, mine and transform it for money. Just have an idea, then sell it for a profit, and voilà. Now thousands do this across the globe and we have what we are seeing. Consuming economy is killing the earth because there is no returning to the earth. We just take and not give back (or preserve).”
“They are our mothers. They give us water. They give us soil.”
“This is a much better place to have constructive dialogue than just talking to my mate over couple of beers while he rolls his eyes.. I love this page.”
Music:
“Lost Soul” by Swan Productions
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