Rescuing a planet under stress and a civilization in trouble
That's what it's all about. Saving our planet and ourselves. Here's what Brown says about why he wrote the book.
Plan A, business-as-usual, has the world on an environmental path that is leading toward economic decline and eventual collapse. If our goal is to sustain economic progress, we have no choice other than move onto a new path--Plan B.
Image courtesy Carlos Petros, used with permission
So what is Plan B?
Plan B shows how we can all--the earth over--live well and sustainably
No more poverty. No more hunger. No more overheated climate. No more rampant species destruction. We--you and I--can build a good future for everyone. Plan B shows us exactly how to get there. We're not alone
Momentum is building
Take a look at some of the people already working the plan
About this lens
Talk it up!
What you'll get from Plan B 2.0
REALLY BIG PICTURE
- Where we are now -- Plan A
- Vision of a sustainable economy -- Plan B
- Road map from A to B
Image credit: NASA's Visible Earth series
1. Where we are now
PLAN A NOT WORKING
2. Vision of a sustainable econcomy
PLAN B - Workable, doable and has a viable budget
3. Roadmap from A to B
and a glorious future for all
Okay, what if we can solve world poverty and global warming all at once?
How long will it take?
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
But wait--how can just one person--you or me--make any real or lasting difference
Simple prosperity
Having our cake and eating it too
Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/26/2008)
List Price: $14.95
Simplify your life, keep more money for the things that really matter, and live a more pleasurable, healthier life. David Wann's book showcases his experiences on living the good life while taking care of his community and the planet.
Release Date: 12/26/2007
Sixty million people making a difference
One lightbulb, one water bottle, one organic cotton tee at a time
We're hunting down and buying organic cotton clothing, bedding and bath linens. We're carrying reusable water bottles and coffee cups. We're recycling our trash, riding bicycles, public transportation, and walking more--and getting healthier in the process.
Sixty million people are dropping energy-saving, planet-saving, money-saving choices into the world bucket every single day. That's in the United States alone. The Europeans are way ahead of us on developing sustainable economies.
Are you one of the sixty million?
Swell the ranks - Make a difference
BULB CFL TWIST 23W DAYLIGHT
Amazon Price: $4.59 (as of 07/26/2008)
List Price: $4.69
Fits standard light-bulb fixutre; 100 watt equivalent bulb simulates natural sunlight, lasts up to seven years; save energy costs by replacing incandescent bulbs with fluorescent equivalents; Instant on, no flicker. 8,000 average life hours. FCC Approved, U.L. Listed.
Making a difference is easy as your morning cup o' jo
Contigo West Loop Mug -Silver
Amazon Price: $17.27 (as of 07/26/2008)
This slim, sleek travel mug comes in silver, cobalt blue, and vibrant red. It's as practical as it is beautiful. Insulated stainless steel keeps your coffee hot. The patented leak-proof, easy-sip opening keeps the coffee in the mug until you're ready to drink it. Do yourself--and the planet--a favor. Buy this cup.
Sixty million of us making a difference is impressive, but what about China and India
Billions moving up the economic ladder and wanting everything we have
4X as many cars, cell phones, CDs, refrigerators
4X as much fuel as we consume in the US every day
Running on empty
- Two-thirds of the world's grain harvest
- Twice the world's current paper production
- 99 million barrels of oil per day
That's where the vision comes in
WORLDWIDE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC PROGRESS IS IN OUR SIGHTS
Want the full story?
GET THE BOOK!
Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble by Lester R. Brown
Free online
Download the pdf version of Plan B 2.0 for free - Brown's message is that important
Well, what do you think?
HOW ARE YOU BECOMING A PART OF THE SOLUTION?
The great thing about Brown's book is that he doesn't just define the problems. He poses workable solutions--solutions with timetables and budgets. The exciting thing about his book is that people who read it start buying and giving it to everyone they know. It's that easy to read. The ideas are that compelling. The timeliness that urgent. Please, if you post a comment, make it count. Your opinion is important.
| FurnaceFilterGuy
Nice work. If we each do our part we can make a difference. Check out my lens on air conditioner filters Posted April 13, 2008 |
| happyhour
Thank you for the lens. It was a very informative post. Posted March 21, 2008 |
|
Barkely
We practice sustainable agriculture, and try to buy and eat organic, and local when possible. There are a million other things we could do. Thanks for this thought provoking lens. Posted July 29, 2007 |
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Graceonline
Building lenses like this one and the ones listed below are one way I'm part of the solution. Carrying a reusable water bottle, coffee cup, and soup bowl are three more. Buying organic, eating less meat, being conscious of how I vote with my dollars are others. What are you doing? Tell us here. Posted July 17, 2007 |
More to come
PLAN B 3.0 IS OUT!
Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Third Edition
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
Brown's new timetable is daunting: We have to make serious changes in our practice, from the personal to the political, in just twelve years. The amazing thing, the really good thing, is that the changes will result in a cleaner, healthier, more viable, more sustainable world for us all. Everyone will live better, not worse. The second amazing, really good thing: Brown's budget for accomplishing every last bit of it is so much less than we're spending on war that we'll wonder why it took us so long.
Get Plan B 3.0
Buy the book.
Read.
Take action.
We have twelve years to save ourselves.
If you want more of the story
and don't have time to read the book now
Get the first installment of the Plan B 2.0 road map here, with tips for taking your own first steps toward sustainability, and more if you're already well on your path-
Plan B 2.0 Roadmap: You are here
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Road maps get us where we're going--if we know our starting point and our destination. This lens helps each of us find our starting point on Lester Brown's Plan B 2.0 map to worldwide prosperity and sustainability. With this lens, you can begin your...
Already a fan of Plan B 2.0?
JOIN THE PLAN B 2.0 TEAM
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Join the Plan B 2.0 Team!
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Word of mouth made Plan B BIG. People bought extra copies to give their friends. They sent them to their mayors and congressional leaders, sent them to the president. Author Lester Brown and the folks at Earth Policy Institute realized they had a hug...
About the author
Who is Lester R. Brown, and what is he doing now?
Several people have called him a genius. One thing is certain, he researches his subjects deeply. His assertions and proposals are based on sound, verifiable data. I trust him. You can too.-
Lester R. Brown
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From tomato farmer to "one of the world's most influential thinkers" (Washington Post) and "the guru of the environmental movement," (The Telegraph of Calcutta), Lester R. Brown's roots are deep, his vision wide-spreading. Learn m...
Making sustainable choices
If you're interested in making ecologically sound choices in your everyday life, these lenses and the Building Ordinary group are full of ideas and resources.-
Why buy organic cotton
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The scent of it, fresh from the dryer, the rich plush of thick Turkish towels in the bath. And who doesn't feel comforted the moment they crawl between freshly laundered cotton sheets? So what's all the buzz about organic cotton, and why should you c...
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Building Ordinary Headquarters
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Building Ordinary This group is about ways all of us can make the Village of Ordinary--a fictional place where people live together in harmony with each other and the earth--real today, right now. Many people, the world over, are...
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Building Ordinary--Sustainable Community
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They're known as eco-villages, cohousing or intentional communities. This lens explores several of them and answers these questions: What is cohousing? What do we mean by sust...
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That's Bamboo? Wow!
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Bamboo is the eco-wonder of the world. It pumps oxygen into the air faster than trees, feeds the hungry, clothes the body, soothes the ear, carries water, digs potatoes, shelters the homeless as well as the privileged, and in case all that is not eno...
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Village of Ordinary
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What if ... every child grew up feeling wanted, loved and completely supported by family and community? What if ... we could all do work that gave us joy? What if ... we were so full of love ourselves that we viewed all other beings with compass...
Have you read it?
VOTE IF YOU'VE READ THE BOOK
Your vote here helps me track how many visitors have read the book. After you vote, make it count--hit the refresh button. If you haven't read it yet, follow this link to the Earth Policy Institute web page where you can buy it. Your purchase helps keep the online version free to anyone with internet access.
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Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble
Our global civilization today is on an economic path that is environmentally unsustainable, a path that is leading us toward economic decline and even...1 point

