Are you serious about saving the planet? Then let's have sex

Have more sex to save the planet December 10, 2008 Been reading this initially doomy post by Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Town movement, pointing out that the latest science calls on us to make a cut in emissions of no less than nine per cent a year if we're to avoid runaway climate change. Nine per cent - this year and every year, for the forseeable future! There's never been a time when such cuts didn't dovetail with economic doom. (The collapse of the Soviet Union led to reductions of just five per cent.) But among other points, Hopkins notes in passing that "economic growth was, let’s face it, an idea with a temporary lifespan to start with, one that would inevitably hit the buffers of resource constraints". For this reason, he's less than enthusiastic about government attempts to get us all shopping again. He puts his mind instead to things that might bring us joy without costing the earth and hits on an old favourite - having sex. Indeed, this report on the BBC, based on research by YouGov, informs Hopkins that people are already putting renewed energy into this inexpensive pastime, now that luxury holidays and trinkets look less affordable. He concludes: "If we are moving away from consumption, from the ‘Buy Crap for Britain’ solution to economic contraction, towards a more profound rethink... perhaps we might do worse than to link it to increased pleasure and intimacy, and to a move away from the loneliness so many people experience. It may be more successful than pictures of polar bears." Posted by John-Paul Flintoff on December 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (29) | TrackBack (0) | Email this post

Source:
Green Central - Times Online - WBLG: Have more sex to save the planet