2010: It could be the best year ever

I shared a few brief thoughts recently re $15 billion worth of weather-related economic damage and loss in 2009.

I quoted a line or two from The Little Green Handbook (see Read This, right margin), a book that projects we’re headed toward global bankruptcy in the future (if the trend continues, i.e., toward larger annual weather-related losses tied to rising carbon emissions).

Cheery thoughts, eh?

On the home front, personal bankruptcies are reportedly on the rise.

Easy credit from lenders and the ‘live large’ philosophy of many consumers can lead to increasing and unmanageable debt. Who knew?

The following brief excerpt from a recent column by Eric Margolis signals trouble ahead for a country just 100 km south of my front porch:

“Military spending has risen from $667 billion US under Bush to $734 billion under Nobel Peace Prize laureate Obama. Add $49.8 billion more for intelligence. The U.S. is bankrupt and living on credit from China. But Washington's national security juggernaut keeps rolling on.” (Dec. 28, full article at London Free Press)

The health and soundness of households, individual nations and the globe is degrading, almost in an uncontrollable manner.

Our varied, complex pursuits and desires require too much of us.

The time to pursue a simple life is now.

A move to reduce spending, pay down debt, save money, help others and repair damage done to our surroundings would surely increase our collective health and soundness.

2010 could be the best year ever if we moved in the right direction.

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