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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Down To Earth

Let’s play “name this decade”

Only 44 days left until 2010, so what do we call the 00's? Some propositions from a funny NYT story: The Era of Misplaced Anxiety, The Decade of Disruptions, When the North Went South, The Noughty-Oughts, and…Bob. Although not a name per se, DTE likes this description by the author: “Without a doubt, we’re seven billion people driving at light speed down a dark and foggy highway and we can’t see past the windshield.”

It’s an environmental decade, for sure, with an increased awareness and the development of green technology. At the beginning of the decade, Worldwatch published a report on the greatest threats to the planet over the coming years with climate change barely mentioned. Despite the Copenhagen calamity, yes, we’re in a better place. And in 2000, when Al Gore was the Democratic presidential nominee, he declared “we are all environmentalists now” and many scoffed. Today, it’s sensible but also a message that was co-opted for greenwashing.



(Above photo: The iconic mountain that inspired Hemingway’s “Snows Of The Kilimanjaro” became a catalyst for debate this decade with glaciers melting as evidence of human caused climate change. Snows could be gone by 2022; Hem would probably reach for the bottle and weep. For the record, his best stuff was in the “roaring 20’s.” Courtesy of flickr user thbecker.)

John Vidal with the Guardian has more on climate change this decade. He makes a solid case that things are happening at light speed: “Over the decade the world's population grew from just over 6.1 billion to about 6.9 billion. That increase is equivalent to nearly 12 new Britains, or three new Americas, or a new Africa; or almost exactly the number of people alive in 1750. The majority were born in the poorest countries, off the west's radar, but it's clear that population and climate will define the centuries ahead.” Read HERE and check the environmental milestones of the naughties. Or Bob. Whatever name you see fit.



Down To Earth

The DTE blog is committed to reporting and sharing environmental news and sustainability information from across the Inland Northwest.