![On the back of a Dragonfly [B&W]](http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6194/6128449851_14ec409b56_s.jpg "On the back of a Dragonfly [B&W]")
Next week, I have a tour of 10 Downing St. The details are uncertain, but in expectation of time for questions to pose to the Prime Minister, I've been wondering what question I might ask.
Specifically, I'm interested in what the US might learn from Britain on environmental policy. This was why I came; the UK is, in some ways, ahead of the US. Their government has pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2020. And, at the very least, Prince Charles founded a line of organic food. Imagine if President Bush's daughter had done the same.
And so, the question is: what is the question?
Should I ask about Britain's environmental policy? Say, what can the US learn from the UK as it looks forward to its first federal cap and trade system?
Or, perhaps something about shifting priorities in the current economy. I.e., Should the economy continue to decline, will the British government maintain its commitment to 80% carbon reductions?
Or something else entirely, like: If the scientists are correct in saying that we need significant reductions in carbon emissions in the short term, how can we talk about this issue in a way that is convincing to the public, and compelling to policy makers?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Any suggestions?
(Photo credit: Copyright World Econommic Forum. Photo by Remy Steinegger.)
Ben; Just suppose there really was a way to produce plentiful Hydrogen and a very efficient engine to use it. The entire process would use no fossil fuels and would produce zero emissions. The question is: Does Britain have a program to commercialize this disruptive technology and at the same time protect the IP?
Hi Ben, my concern would be to know from him that in times of this economic downturn, what opportunities does he envisage that environment sector promises which can help to bring the country out of this recession?
Dear Prime Minister Gordon Brown,
Another prescription for saving life as we know it and the planet as a fit place for habitation by our children and coming generations could be to focus more of our attention on the global challenges presented to the human family by the overpopulation of Earth by the human species.
One of the world's finest scientists, Dr. James E. Hansen says, "Tell Barack Obama the truth - the whole truth" about human-driven climate destabilization.
Perhaps here and now, we will find that other great scientists, the likes of Jim Hansen and John Holdren, will speak out loudly, clearly and often to tell Barack Obama the truth - the whole truth about the apparently unforeseen and unfortunately unwelcome scientific research of human population dynamics as essentially similar to the population dynamics of other species; about absolute global human population numbers as a function of the world's food supply; about human population numbers being determined by food availability; and about daunting threats potentially posed to the family of humanity and life as we know it, even in these early years of Century XXI, resulting from the skyrocketing growth of human population numbers worldwide.
For repeated references to the good science of Russell Hopfenberg, Ph.D., and David Pimentel, Ph.D., please click on the links below.
Any comments from you, Mr. Brown?
Of course, everyone else is welcome to provide a point of view.
Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population,
established 2001
http://sustainabilityscience.org/content.html?contentid=1176
http://sustainabilitysoutheast.org/index.php