We need a little communism...

When we we know that capitalism has failed?
Perhaps when we produce more than is good for us. Our consumption demands that we clear cut rainforests. We have filled the oceans with our plastic refuse. Our carbon emissions are heating up the planet and have set in motion climate change that may eventually mean the end of hundreds of species. All this is not the neccessary byproduct of modern progress. It is very possible to reduce our carbon emissions drasticly, we can halt encroachment on the remaining wilderness and restore much of what has been lost on the past.

Environmentalism is expensive, and our capitalistic system rewards the production and marketing of things. I doesn't pay to save the planet. As things go now, I don't think the planet will be saved. Polar bears may already be unsaveable. Some scientists believe that the polar icecaps will be melted in the next 50 years, even if all carbon emissions were stopped today. sure, the scientists may be wrong. In the 1980's some scientist at Nasa predicted that when carbon levels in the air reached 350ppm, that the earth would no longer be able to support life. We are curently at 386, so hey, What do scientists know?

Eventually we are going to destroy ourselves. Drastic change, which is what is needed, will not come about under our current system.

Communism is the only way to fix this mess. We need to think about the good of the community before the good of ourselves. The government needs to undermine our personal freedom to kill ourselves and put an immediate moratorium on plastics, new cars, McMansion homes, soda pop, and other stuff that is really fun for us now, but won't be so great in 50 years when we are drowning in our own waste.

Perhaps accountablity is another option. Every community could be required to retain and dispose of its own trash in its vicinity. Another idea is to measure and tax carbon emissions.

I really think communism is the way to do this. We need some expert scientists at the head of government. A bunch of PHDs, who are not paid very well. They will argue back and forth, but eventually will come up with guidelines for environmental recovery. This process will be painful and everyone will complain. There will be revolts from Conservative Christians who will not believe in global warming. Las Vegas, St George, and other Desert cities will be abandonned becasue of their environmental instability. Most people will live in mid sized apartments, largely abandonning the urban sprawl. About 75% of our cars will be abandonned, melted down for their metals.

This will be difficult, but not impossible. Humanity may survive. I really can't think of another way to do this. What will not work is the Status Quo.