THETHERE-GENERATIONRE-GENERATION

Presentation by Robert Karns - All Rights Reserved 2010

We and our children are going to have to be the “Re-Generation”, and summon the will, energy, focus, and innovative prowess to regenerate, renew, and reinvent America in a way that will show the world a new model for growing standards of living and interacting with nature that is truly sustainable, renewable, healthy, safe, fair, and creative of more opportunities for more people in more places than ever before.

We and our children are going to have to be the “Re-Generation”, and summon the will, energy, focus, and innovative prowess to regenerate, renew, and reinvent America in a way that will show the world a new model for growing standards of living and interacting with nature that is truly sustainable, renewable, healthy, safe, fair, and creative of more opportunities for more people in more places than ever before.

From Thomas L. Friedman’s book …From Thomas L. Friedman’s book …

Hot, Flat, and CrowdedHot, Flat, and CrowdedCopyright 2009Copyright 2009

Mountain-Top Removal Coal Mining

At the end of the day, no amount of investing, no amount of clean electrons, no amount of energy efficiency will save the natural world if we are not paying attention to it - if we are not paying attention to all the things that nature gives us for free: clean air, clean water, breathtaking vistas, mountains for skiing, rivers for fishing, oceans for sailing, sunsets for poets, and landscapes for painters. What good is it to have wind-powered lights to brighten the night if you can't see anything green during the day? Just because we can't sell shares in nature doesn't mean it has no value."

At the end of the day, no amount of investing, no amount of clean electrons, no amount of energy efficiency will save the natural world if we are not paying attention to it - if we are not paying attention to all the things that nature gives us for free: clean air, clean water, breathtaking vistas, mountains for skiing, rivers for fishing, oceans for sailing, sunsets for poets, and landscapes for painters. What good is it to have wind-powered lights to brighten the night if you can't see anything green during the day? Just because we can't sell shares in nature doesn't mean it has no value."

This way of growing standards of living This way of growing standards of living is simply unsustainable…is simply unsustainable…

This way of growing standards of living This way of growing standards of living is simply unsustainable…is simply unsustainable…

The Great Recession of 2008 was the moment The Great Recession of 2008 was the moment when the market and Mother Nature got together when the market and Mother Nature got together and said to the world’s major economies, “This and said to the world’s major economies, “This cannot continue. Enough is enough.”cannot continue. Enough is enough.”

The Great Recession of 2008 was the moment The Great Recession of 2008 was the moment when the market and Mother Nature got together when the market and Mother Nature got together and said to the world’s major economies, “This and said to the world’s major economies, “This cannot continue. Enough is enough.”cannot continue. Enough is enough.”

The Great Recession …The Great Recession …Can we learn from it?

“You know, if you jump off the top floor of an eighty-story building, you can actually feel like you’re flying for seventy-nine stories. It’s the sudden stop at the end that gets you.”

Rob Watson

Eco Tech International

Can we learn from it?

“You know, if you jump off the top floor of an eighty-story building, you can actually feel like you’re flying for seventy-nine stories. It’s the sudden stop at the end that gets you.”

Rob Watson

Eco Tech International

The China-America growth engine worked like this …The China-America growth engine worked like this …

We in America built more and more stores, to sell more and more stuff, made in more and more Chinese factories, powered by more and more coal, and all those sales produced more dollars, which China used to buy more and more U.S. Treasury Bills, which allowed the Federal Reserve to extend more and more easy credit to more and more banks, consumers, and businesses so that more and more Americans could purchase more and more homes, and all those sales drove home prices higher and higher, which made more and more Americans feel like they had more and more money to buy more and more stuff in more and more Chinese factories powered by more and more coal, which earned China more and more dollars to be recirculated back to America to create more and more credit to buy more and more homes …

We in America built more and more stores, to sell more and more stuff, made in more and more Chinese factories, powered by more and more coal, and all those sales produced more dollars, which China used to buy more and more U.S. Treasury Bills, which allowed the Federal Reserve to extend more and more easy credit to more and more banks, consumers, and businesses so that more and more Americans could purchase more and more homes, and all those sales drove home prices higher and higher, which made more and more Americans feel like they had more and more money to buy more and more stuff in more and more Chinese factories powered by more and more coal, which earned China more and more dollars to be recirculated back to America to create more and more credit to buy more and more homes …

New York, New York … the home of Wall Street

President Obama said President Obama said “Wall Street developed a “Wall Street developed a culture of irresponsibility… IBG and YBG”culture of irresponsibility… IBG and YBG”

I’ll be gone, You’ll be gone.

Some of our biggest financial firms got away from their original purpose - to fund innovation and to

finance the process of creative destruction, whereby new technologies that improve people’s

lives replace old ones.

Jagdish BhagwatiColumbia University

Mansions in Long Island, New York

This is the …This is the …ENERGY CLIMATE ERA (ECA)ENERGY CLIMATE ERA (ECA)

We have been getting rich by depleting all our natural We have been getting rich by depleting all our natural stocks - water, hydrocarbons, forests, rivers, fish, and stocks - water, hydrocarbons, forests, rivers, fish, and arable land - and not generating renewable flows.arable land - and not generating renewable flows.

We charged all of this on our children’s Visa cards to be We charged all of this on our children’s Visa cards to be paid by them and their children’s children far into the future, paid by them and their children’s children far into the future, because that carbon will remain in the atmosphere because that carbon will remain in the atmosphere affecting the earth’s climate for several thousand years.affecting the earth’s climate for several thousand years.

We have not generated real wealth, and we are destroying We have not generated real wealth, and we are destroying a livable climate.a livable climate.

Joseph Romm

Climateprogress.org

MIT’s Science and Policy of Global ChangeMIT’s Science and Policy of Global ChangeReportReport

MIT’s Science and Policy of Global ChangeMIT’s Science and Policy of Global ChangeReportReport

The report concluded that the ability of the earth’s The report concluded that the ability of the earth’s ecosystem to absorb our impacts is rapidly diminishing: ecosystem to absorb our impacts is rapidly diminishing: “Human activity is putting such a strain on the natural “Human activity is putting such a strain on the natural functions of the Earth that the ability of the planet’s functions of the Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted.”taken for granted.”

60 percent of the world’s ecosystems have now been 60 percent of the world’s ecosystems have now been degraded.degraded.

We are operating at 25% above the planet’s biological We are operating at 25% above the planet’s biological capacity to support life, and another billion people will be capacity to support life, and another billion people will be on planet Earth in the 2020s.on planet Earth in the 2020s.

The report concluded that the ability of the earth’s The report concluded that the ability of the earth’s ecosystem to absorb our impacts is rapidly diminishing: ecosystem to absorb our impacts is rapidly diminishing: “Human activity is putting such a strain on the natural “Human activity is putting such a strain on the natural functions of the Earth that the ability of the planet’s functions of the Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted.”taken for granted.”

60 percent of the world’s ecosystems have now been 60 percent of the world’s ecosystems have now been degraded.degraded.

We are operating at 25% above the planet’s biological We are operating at 25% above the planet’s biological capacity to support life, and another billion people will be capacity to support life, and another billion people will be on planet Earth in the 2020s.on planet Earth in the 2020s.

““We Need A New Normal” We Need A New Normal” Paul Gilding

Greenpeace

We have been taking “a system operating past its capacity We have been taking “a system operating past its capacity and driving it faster and harder…”and driving it faster and harder…”

““It is very difficult to get human beings to appreciate and It is very difficult to get human beings to appreciate and undertake the scale of change and innovation we now undertake the scale of change and innovation we now need…”need…”

““It is doubly important to heed our warning heart attack -It is doubly important to heed our warning heart attack -Great Recession - and develop a more sustainable way of Great Recession - and develop a more sustainable way of creating wealth in harmony with our natural world - and to creating wealth in harmony with our natural world - and to begin doing it now, while we have a chance to do it in a begin doing it now, while we have a chance to do it in a reasonably orderly way.”reasonably orderly way.”

We have been taking “a system operating past its capacity We have been taking “a system operating past its capacity and driving it faster and harder…”and driving it faster and harder…”

““It is very difficult to get human beings to appreciate and It is very difficult to get human beings to appreciate and undertake the scale of change and innovation we now undertake the scale of change and innovation we now need…”need…”

““It is doubly important to heed our warning heart attack -It is doubly important to heed our warning heart attack -Great Recession - and develop a more sustainable way of Great Recession - and develop a more sustainable way of creating wealth in harmony with our natural world - and to creating wealth in harmony with our natural world - and to begin doing it now, while we have a chance to do it in a begin doing it now, while we have a chance to do it in a reasonably orderly way.”reasonably orderly way.”

““America has seen so much economic growthAmerica has seen so much economic growththat it’s easy to take it as a given.”that it’s easy to take it as a given.” Jeffrey Imelt GE CEO

““We prospered from the productivity of the information We prospered from the productivity of the information age… but we started to forget the fundamentals.”age… but we started to forget the fundamentals.”

““Many bought into the idea that America could go from a Many bought into the idea that America could go from a technology-based, export-oriented powerhouse to a technology-based, export-oriented powerhouse to a services-led, consumption-based economy - and still services-led, consumption-based economy - and still expect to prosper.”expect to prosper.”

At the end of the Cold-War there was a sense that we were At the end of the Cold-War there was a sense that we were “entitled” to live large - as large as we wanted, without “entitled” to live large - as large as we wanted, without regard to the consequences for the financial realm or the regard to the consequences for the financial realm or the natural realm. The world was our oyster - and we ate it.natural realm. The world was our oyster - and we ate it.

A Nation of Big Debt and Low SavingsA Nation of Big Debt and Low SavingsNobel Laureate Paul Krugman

We weren’t always a nation of big debt and low We weren’t always a nation of big debt and low savings: in the 1970s American’s saved almost savings: in the 1970s American’s saved almost 10% of their income.10% of their income.

Household debt was only 60% of income when Household debt was only 60% of income when Reagan took office, about the same as when Reagan took office, about the same as when Kennedy was President …Kennedy was President …

By 2007 household debt was up to 119%.By 2007 household debt was up to 119%.

Only when the tide goes out do you find out who is Only when the tide goes out do you find out who is not wearing a bathing suit.not wearing a bathing suit.

Warren Buffet

Credit bubbles are like the tide - they can cover up Credit bubbles are like the tide - they can cover up a lot of rot. In our case, the excess consumer a lot of rot. In our case, the excess consumer demand and jobs created by America’s credit and demand and jobs created by America’s credit and housing bubbles masked not only our weakness in housing bubbles masked not only our weakness in manufacturing and other economic fundamentals, manufacturing and other economic fundamentals, but something much worse -- how far we had but something much worse -- how far we had fallen behind in K-12 education….fallen behind in K-12 education….

Credit bubbles are like the tide - they can cover up Credit bubbles are like the tide - they can cover up a lot of rot. In our case, the excess consumer a lot of rot. In our case, the excess consumer demand and jobs created by America’s credit and demand and jobs created by America’s credit and housing bubbles masked not only our weakness in housing bubbles masked not only our weakness in manufacturing and other economic fundamentals, manufacturing and other economic fundamentals, but something much worse -- how far we had but something much worse -- how far we had fallen behind in K-12 education….fallen behind in K-12 education….

America ranks 25America ranks 25thth out of 30 industrialized out of 30 industrializedcountries for problem solving skillscountries for problem solving skills..

Int’l Student Achievement Assessment

Countries that produce students in the highest value Countries that produce students in the highest value jobs - Canada, Netherlands, Korea, and Australiajobs - Canada, Netherlands, Korea, and Australia

American students go to school 32.5 hours per American students go to school 32.5 hours per week on average.week on average.

37 hrs. in Luzembourg, 44 hrs. in Belgium, 53 hrs. 37 hrs. in Luzembourg, 44 hrs. in Belgium, 53 hrs. in Denmark, and 60 hrs. in Sweden.in Denmark, and 60 hrs. in Sweden.

American students are being prepared for $12/Hr. American students are being prepared for $12/Hr. jobs, not $40 to $50 an hour! jobs, not $40 to $50 an hour!

Countries that produce students in the highest value Countries that produce students in the highest value jobs - Canada, Netherlands, Korea, and Australiajobs - Canada, Netherlands, Korea, and Australia

American students go to school 32.5 hours per American students go to school 32.5 hours per week on average.week on average.

37 hrs. in Luzembourg, 44 hrs. in Belgium, 53 hrs. 37 hrs. in Luzembourg, 44 hrs. in Belgium, 53 hrs. in Denmark, and 60 hrs. in Sweden.in Denmark, and 60 hrs. in Sweden.

American students are being prepared for $12/Hr. American students are being prepared for $12/Hr. jobs, not $40 to $50 an hour! jobs, not $40 to $50 an hour!

Only One Hour of Homework per DayOnly One Hour of Homework per Dayin America.in America.

This fact stuns the Japanese and Chinese!This fact stuns the Japanese and Chinese!This fact stuns the Japanese and Chinese!This fact stuns the Japanese and Chinese!

The Greatest GenerationThe Greatest GenerationThe Greatest GenerationThe Greatest Generation

Our parents’ generation mortgaged their future so Our parents’ generation mortgaged their future so our generation could get educated.our generation could get educated.

In too many cases our generation (Grasshopper) In too many cases our generation (Grasshopper) mortgaged its future to buy homes we could not mortgaged its future to buy homes we could not afford and possessions we did not need.afford and possessions we did not need.

Our parents said higher education is the key to the Our parents said higher education is the key to the American dream.American dream.

Our parents’ generation mortgaged their future so Our parents’ generation mortgaged their future so our generation could get educated.our generation could get educated.

In too many cases our generation (Grasshopper) In too many cases our generation (Grasshopper) mortgaged its future to buy homes we could not mortgaged its future to buy homes we could not afford and possessions we did not need.afford and possessions we did not need.

Our parents said higher education is the key to the Our parents said higher education is the key to the American dream.American dream.

World War II Generation

1960’s Flower Power Generation - The Hippies

The Oil Embargo of the 1970s The Oil Embargo of the 1970s Had a Positive Effect On SomeHad a Positive Effect On SomeThe Oil Embargo of the 1970s The Oil Embargo of the 1970s Had a Positive Effect On SomeHad a Positive Effect On Some

Denmark had a huge debate on going with Denmark had a huge debate on going with Nuclear energy in 1985, but instead went with Nuclear energy in 1985, but instead went with investing in renewable energy - they raised the investing in renewable energy - they raised the price of gasoline to $9 per gallon.price of gasoline to $9 per gallon.

Denmark is the leader in Renewable Energy -- Denmark is the leader in Renewable Energy -- they supply 16% of their total energy consumption they supply 16% of their total energy consumption by wind and sun power.by wind and sun power.

Their economy has grown by 70% since the Their economy has grown by 70% since the 1970s.1970s.

Denmark had a huge debate on going with Denmark had a huge debate on going with Nuclear energy in 1985, but instead went with Nuclear energy in 1985, but instead went with investing in renewable energy - they raised the investing in renewable energy - they raised the price of gasoline to $9 per gallon.price of gasoline to $9 per gallon.

Denmark is the leader in Renewable Energy -- Denmark is the leader in Renewable Energy -- they supply 16% of their total energy consumption they supply 16% of their total energy consumption by wind and sun power.by wind and sun power.

Their economy has grown by 70% since the Their economy has grown by 70% since the 1970s.1970s.

In 1973 Denmark got 99% of their In 1973 Denmark got 99% of their energy from the Middle East energy from the Middle East

……today it is ZERO!today it is ZERO!

WE ARE NOT WHO WE THINK WE AREWE ARE NOT WHO WE THINK WE AREWE ARE NOT WHO WE THINK WE AREWE ARE NOT WHO WE THINK WE ARE

Our political system seems incapable of producing Our political system seems incapable of producing long-range answers to big problems or big long-range answers to big problems or big opportunities.opportunities.

The trouble with our future is not what it used to be!The trouble with our future is not what it used to be!Paul Valery

French poet

Chicago Ghetto

Sustainability is Today’s Freedom CrusadeSustainability is Today’s Freedom CrusadeSustainability is Today’s Freedom CrusadeSustainability is Today’s Freedom Crusade

The RE-GENERATIONThe RE-GENERATION Something is environmentally or ecologically Something is environmentally or ecologically

sustainable when it fosters practices, investments, sustainable when it fosters practices, investments, and innovations that promote long-term growth of and innovations that promote long-term growth of the economy, companies, and jobs, rather than the economy, companies, and jobs, rather than reckless, short-term thinking that can undermine reckless, short-term thinking that can undermine them all overnight.them all overnight.

Thomas L. Friedman

We and our children are going to have to be the “Re-Generation”, and summon the will, energy, focus, and innovative prowess to regenerate, renew,

and reinvent America in a way that will show the world a new model for growing standards of living and interacting with nature that is truly sustainable,

renewable, healthy, safe, fair, and creative of more opportunities for more people in more places than ever before.

We and our children are going to have to be the “Re-Generation”, and summon the will, energy, focus, and innovative prowess to regenerate, renew,

and reinvent America in a way that will show the world a new model for growing standards of living and interacting with nature that is truly sustainable,

renewable, healthy, safe, fair, and creative of more opportunities for more people in more places than ever before.

We Are TheWe Are TheRE-GENERATIONRE-GENERATION

We Are TheWe Are TheRE-GENERATIONRE-GENERATION