«Many economists seem to believe that well-being
correlates with Energy consumption, that energy prices reflect all significant
costs and that any societal problems can be solved by enhanced economic growth.
Is it true? Several scientists are convinced that technology will solve the
energy problem as well as the problems that technology itself is creating. Can
we trust them?»
«Whereas it used to be axiomatic that civilization
would always progress over time, because science and technology would have
solved any problem, now we are no longer sure about that. Human progress is
neither automatic nor inevitable. We have to take urgent and responsible
decisions right now: tomorrow might be too late. The quest for ecological and
social sustainability requires every single citizen to become aware that
consuming resources above a threshold of his/her real needs does not help to
create a better world. Earth is in our hands: are we wise enough to develop,
with the help of science and technology, an ecological sustainable civilization
capable of reducing disparity and creating a more peaceful world?»
«An old Italian proverb says that the only difference
between an optimist and a pessimist is that the latter is better informed. A
short-sighted optimism based on unawareness will not allow mankind to move
toward a real progress. Pessimism, which arises from the consciousness of the
gravity of the situation, is the right starting point: to propose solutions, we
must acknowledge that there are problems and we must know them in any possible
detail. There is a great need for spreading information about the unsafe
conditions of our planet.
«Finding a solution to the energy problem is a
challenge of utmost difficulty, but also an extraordinary opportunity. Perhaps
we are still in time to change and create an Anthropocene epoch based on
resource conservation, waste reduction, human relationships, and global
solidarity. To achieve this epochal result, we need to educate public opinion
and to find visionary leaders capable of looking far, over the planet and into
the future. Our generation will ultimately be defined by how we live up to the
energy challenge.»
«In spite of these alarm bells, growth remains the
magic word of narrow-minded economists and politicians. They believe that the economic
growth must continue indefinitely, and therefore they incessantly press for
increasing production and consumption. In affluent countries, we live in
societies where the concepts of “enough” and “too much” have been removed. We
do not take into account that the larger the rates of resources consumption and
waste disposal, the more difficult it will be to reach sustainability and
guarantee the survival of human civilization»
«Domestic disparity is a difficult problem to solve in
a society where the way of life is based on consumerism, and international
disparity is a problem set aside by politicians of affluent countries to please
their supporters. In the long run, however, both problems have to be tackled
because disparities destabilize human society. If things so not improve, sooner
or later the poor will rise up against the rich. The boost “illegal”
immigration in affluent countries that lie at he boundary between the North and
the South of the world (e.g., USA, Italy, Spain) is indeed a forewarning of
what will happen in the international scene. Any action to restore equity
should likely pass through lowering resource consumption (in particular,
energy) by the rich while attempting to raise that of the poor. Our time is
characterized by an unsustainable growth in an unequal world. We should try to
decrease disparity, while being aware that growth based on consumption of
nonrenewable resources is poised to be an ephemeral illusion.»
«As members of mankind, we have the moral duty of
contributing to solving the energy problem as a decisive step towards creating
a more peaceful world. And if we are scientists, we have a great responsibility
that comes from our knowledge and educational duty»
«There are hard questions. History teaches that the
pressures of the great, hard questions can bend and even break well-established
principles, thereby transforming difficult challenge into unexpected,
astonishing opportunities. But we should not forget that the challenge of
saving spaceship Earth and its passengers needs the engagement of all of us.
And we have to start right now»
estratti da “Energy for a sustainable world” Nicola Armaroli, Vincenzo Balzani, 2010
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