MarketWatch: Our 'hot, flat, crowded' -- and dying -- planet is the next 'big short'

[marmar]

May 18, 2010, 12:01 a.m. EDT ·

12 ways to cash in on the 'collapse of Eaarth'
Commentary: Our 'hot, flat, crowded' -- and dying -- planet is the next 'big short'


By Paul B. Farrell, MarketWatch


ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- Imagine a secret society, code name "Avatar 2154," based on the date of the "War of 2154" between the "Sec-Ops" armies from "Eaarth," funded by the "Resources Development Corporation," against the "Na'vi" indigenous tribes on the Pandora moon.

The war is over mining rights to Pandora's unobtanium, a powerful new energy source needed back on Eaarth to save our planet, where rapid population growth is exhausting limited natural resources, resulting in a dying civilization. Obviously this is a metaphor for today's global threats.

The goals of Avatar 2154: Maximum security and wealth preservation for future generations of members from the elite of Wall Street, Washington, Corporate America CEOs and the Forbes 400. Avatar 2154 secretly supports climate-change-deniers in think tanks, academic research and politicians who negate the impact of scientific facts. This effort is necessary when high-profile voices like Al Gore and Bill McKibben surface and new propaganda is required to attack their efforts stirring global climate initiatives.

For example, McKibben, an environmental economist, recently published "Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet." Tough? Worse. Earth is dead.

And McKibben's vision for the new Eaarth we created is bleak. No upbeat high-tech hope for a "green revolution" as in Tom Friedman's "Hot, Flat & Crowded." Remember, two decades ago McKibben's "The End of Nature" was one of the first books warning of global warming, climate change, a dying planet. His new Eaarth is a funeral dirge. In Foreign Policy magazine last year, McKibben summarized his relentless message:

"Act now, we're told, if we want to save the planet from a climate catastrophe. Trouble is, it might be too late. The science is settled, and the damage has already begun. The only question now is whether we will stop playing political games and embrace the few imperfect options we have left." ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/12-ways-to-cash-in-on-the-collapse-of-eaarth-2010-05-18