I found myself drawn into Stewart Brand’s presentation on environmentalism and urbanisation…

He makes some really interesting points on how the environmental- or eco-movement will change over the next couple of decades. The movement will change from a grassroots “nice-to-do” group of Western Industrialised tree-huggers and idealists to a global phenomenon of not just romanticised activisim but cold-hard-fact-based politicking. This change will be brought on by two things. Firstly the internet will enable global organised communication to even the remotest parts. Secondly, day-by-day science is improving the knowledge we have of our own planet and how it is changing. So yesterday’s “moral” debates will turn into debates backed up by stats, that can be proved/disproved with proper scientific rigour.

The second interesting assertion he makes is that global population growth will tail off in the next couple of decades due to, of all things – urbanisation. This year 50% of the Earth’s population will reside in cities (as opposed 3%, 200 years ago). As people move into the cities, women stop having as many children, and this has a profound exponential effect. As one woman decides not to have kids, that “burdon” falls on the next woman who needs to have . Populations get older and aren’t replenished with “new stock”.

All very interesting stuff… recommended!!!