E2K?

It was pretty easy to get discouraged about the state of the world in the countdown to the new millennium. The headlines didn’t help: World population is soaring, epidemics are devastating whole continents, the release of global warming gases has reached record highs, biodiversity is eroding everywhere as forest cover and natural habitat disappear. Despite this, E magazine reported on some very encouraging signs, proof that human ingenuity and a growing awareness of our planet’s fragile ecosystem are having an important effect.

What’s there to be happy about? Even though the number of cars is growing, they are getting cleaner. Bicycle use is also increasing. In Germany, which leads the world in banishing auto traffic from its city centers, pedal power has grown by 50% in the last 20 years. It’s up in Denmark and Holland too, and, even in the U.S., a bicycle lobby has emerged to take back some city streets and park routes.

Another salutary development is a dramatic increase in renewable energy as a percentage of the worldwide grid. The sale of solar cells, for instance, which has averaged 15% annual growth, grew an amazing 43% in 1997. The biggest sales are in Third World countries which, if they’re lucky, can bypass the industrial world’s dependence on fossil fuels as they build modern energy and communications networks.

Although the goal of achieving peace on Earth remains elusive, worldwide spending on the military continues to decline, as has the number of armed conflicts. The threat of a global missile exchange has gradually subsided, though there are heightened regional dangers as India, Pakistan, and perhaps even Iraq join the nuclear club. Our collection of disparate nations is no global village, but the Internet and improved telephone communications have brought us closer together than ever before. Some 100 million people are now online.

When E magazine was launched in 1990, there was much less environmental awareness than there is today. Most Americans (69%) now know that vehicle exhaust is the leading cause of air pollution and that species loss is due to habitat destruction (73%). Who can take credit for this increase in general knowledge? Thank the environmental curriculums in place on the K-12 level in more than 30 states.

Despite looming challenges, we don’t think of the fight for the environment as a lost cause. But as we enter 2000, making a green commitment matters more than ever.

Source: MysticalPlanet.com's Why? newsletter; written by Jim Motavelli (E Excerpt, Jan/Feb 1999)