What the Economy Means for the Environment

It has been a rough couple of weeks for the economy, as America's credit crisis has set off into a stomach-turning domino effect rippling over the globe. This is a time to be concerned about politics, legislation, regulation, etc. There is little question that this event will--to an as yet undetermined degree--reshape our economy, both in how it is run from the top and in how we participate in it from the ground up.

We are entirely justified in being concerned and focusing our attention on this right now, but it is important not to lose awareness of other important issues. We might only be able to focus on one crisis at a time, but it doesn't mean that they still don't exist in tandem. Definitely check out this article from CNN, discussing whether the current market crisis will have a detrimental impact on movements toward greening our lifestyles and, yes, the economy. It's hard to justify concern about carbon emissions to a person who is facing losing their job and home, surely they have more important things to worry about than hugging trees, right? Gas prices are nosediving, so is it really worth the effort to establish infrastructure for alternative energy sources?

People can quickly lose sight of the fact that our food production, critical natural resources such as water and fuel, and many other necessities are tied up in responsible environmental policies, and we would be very, very mistaken if we let these things slip through the cracks. This isn't "tree-hugging," it isn't discrediting the needs of people over nature, it is just common sense. Unfortunately, when people are in panic mode (or, often, even when they're not), common sense is regrettably scarce and uncommon.

Snip from the article:
First, tie environmental rescue to economic recovery, by "greening the bailout," as columnist Tom Friedman of the New York Times has put it. As the new Administration — whether Democratic or Republican — searches for ways to stimulate the economy, green infrastructure spending could be the way to go. More money for high-speed rail, tax credits for new solar systems, increased federal funding for renewable energy — these are policies that might not only help stimulate a flagging economy, but directly contribute to slowing the growth in America's carbon emissions. (Not to mention promoting green jobs at a time when unemployment is on the rise.) The challenge will be tactical: convincing Americans that curbing climate change is as much about overhauling a failed economy as it is about limiting carbon emissions. That message didn't get across during the debates over Lieberman-Warner; the next President and Congress will need to do better. "Addressing greenhouse gases and addressing the economy are all part of the same problem," says Barbour. "This is absolutely a top priority. It can't be postponed forever."

Read the whole thing.