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Re: 3 questions (fwd)
Kate-
I'll try to answer what I can of your three questions.
1) The Natural Step is a Swedish born environmental movement. It was started
by a swedish oncologist who was fed up with the state of the conversation
regarding environmetal pollutants, etc. He wrote a paper that he circulated to
other doctors and scientists and asked for their contributions. Of course they
had alot to say. He revised and recirculated. After twenty-one iterations of
this process he arrived at four general "systems conditions," as follows:
1) Nature cannot withstand a systematic buildup of dispersed matter mined from
the earth's crust (e.g. minerals, oils, etc.).
2) Nature cannot withstand a systematic buildup of persistent compounds made
by humans (e.g. PCB's).
3) Nature cannot take a systematic deterioration of its capacity for renewal
(e.g. harvesting fish faster than they can replenish, converting fertile land
to desert, etc.).
4) Therefore, if we want life to continue, we must a) be efficient in our use
of resources and b) promote economic justice.
Allan attended a Natural Step workshop and wrote about it and how to integrate
it into holistic management in the Fall/October 1996 Issue of the Quarterly,
Number 53.
2) I think carbon trading is the process whereby large industries in developed
countries buy "pollution rights" from less developed countries. The right to
put carbon into the atmosphere is "traded." I don't feel totally confident in
this answer so I would like to be corrected by a more knowledgeable source.
3) With the same level of certainty I think carbon banking is the process of
carbon being stored in nature, for example in wetlands or a forest floor.
I wouldn't base your PhD dissertation on the feeble answers I gave to 2 and 3.
Seek a second opinion.
I can loan you a hefty file I have on the Natural Step when you're here on
Monday, but I thought others may be interested, so I responded here. I can
also tell you my less printable opinions about it in private communication.
Hope you're well.
Christopher Peck
Santa Fe, NM