The world would not necessarily be a much better place on the climate side, if all the cars were simply replaced by electric ones. At least we would lack electricity. For food, local produce should always be favoured over foreign produce. It typically has a smaller ecological footprint than food coming from far away, transported by heavy diesel trucks. Do we really need strawberries in winter? Here again, a tax on transport could do the trick in changing habits.
We should not be afraid of prices rising as a consequence of the above measures. Inflation has been very low for years and it would good for it to come back a bit, certainly if it is for such a good cause.
Needless to say, all of the above would have a big impact on the current composition of the economy and GDP of all our countries. Fewer houses and fewer cars means fewer production machines to make them, less financing, less insurance. That would have to be compensated with other elements in the service industry. The same goes for when we would want to reduce private travel, by car or by plane.
In order not to shock the system too much and so create a deep worldwide economic crisis, good planning and monitoring of the economy, plus ever more stimulation of new economic activities, should be pursued. Creating an innovation culture, starting at school, is key to getting there. Also, employees and workers of companies should be stimulated to keep on learning and innovating.
All of this is easier said than done. But, to wait for the earth to crumble under our pollution is not an option. Anyhow, it is clear by now that air pollution leads to more deaths worldwide than smoking cigarettes or other smokeware does.
In conclusion, the options are becoming clear on how we can tackle sustainability structurally, but there is still a lot of work on to be done to steer the economy in the right direction through innovation and education, without creating a worldwide economic crisis.
We should not be afraid of urging the developing economies from becoming greener too. Anyway, by exporting our ecological problems to them, we do not advance globally. Thus, an internationally coordinated action is required to save the planet and in consequence save ourselves. There is no plan B and certainly no planet B.
