Plan B 3.0: What's it all about?

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 6 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #7,484 in How-To, #75,467 overall | Donates to Grameen Foundation

Mobilizing to save civilization

That's what it's all about. Saving our planet and ourselves. Here's what author Lester 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

Here's one way we can tell. Around the world, people are buying copies of this book and giving them to their friends and their civic and national leaders. The message is clear: Get with the plan before it's too late.

Take a look at some of the people already working the plan 

Among them is media mogul, philanthropist and billionaire Ted Turner, who bought 5,500 copies of the book and gave them to leaders and policy makers in every country of the world. W. L. Hammaker of California bought 110 copies. A Russian woman, Natalia Fedorova bought 278. The list is huge and includes people around the globe. They are all part of the Plan B team, and you are invited to join.

Take it a piece at a time 

This lens introduces Plan B and links to more in-depth discussions. Take it a piece at a time. I hope it will encourage you to get the book, if you don't have it already, and read it.

Talk it up! 

If you've read Plan B, this lens will give you talking points to share with your friends, civic leaders and congressional representatives. Together, we will build a better future for ourselves, our grandkids--and theirs.

What you'll get from Plan B 3.0 

REALLY BIG PICTURE

  • Where we are now -- Plan A
  • Vision of a sustainable economy -- Plan B
  • Road map from Plan A to Plan B

Image credit: NASA's Visible Earth series

1. Where we are now 

PLAN A NOT WORKING

You'll understand why--if we care about leaving a world full of promise and opportunity to our children and grandchildren--a world of prosperity, fresh air and clean water--our present world economy isn't working and won't get us there.

2. Vision of a sustainable econcomy 

PLAN B - Workable, doable and has a viable budget

You'll get a clear vision of the new economy--what our world would look like if we all lived sustainably. Brown shows us how we can build an economy of almost unimaginable comfort worldwide for generations to come.

3. Roadmap from A to B 

and a glorious future for all

You'll finish with a road map from Plan A--not working--to a sustainable Plan B, complete with travel budget, so we all get there safely, in one piece, and with a glorious future ahead of us.

Okay, what if we can solve world poverty and global warming simultaneously? 

How long will it take?

First, the idea of solving world hunger, poverty and disease, let alone putting the breaks on global warming is just a little bit daunting. But that's not all. Brown says, if we want to save our civilization and leave a comfortable planet for our children and grandchildren, we have to do it by 2020. That's barely eleven years. And that is overwhelming. Can we do it? Brown makes a good case for it.

 

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 

Last year I heard David Wann speak. He is the author of Simple Prosperity: Finding real wealth in a sustainable lifestyle and coauthor of Affluenza. He's done a lot of research on this stuff, too, and he said we're not alone any more. Sixty million people, that's 60,000,000 people in the United States today, are all on the same page about this: all making conscious decisions about the ways we spend our money, what we eat, how much energy we use, and how our every day choices affect the future we're all building together.

Simple prosperity 

Having our cake and eating it too

Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle

Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle

by: David Wann

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 07/10/2009)Buy Now
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 voting with our pocketbooks at the checkout line, switching from high-energy to low-energy light bulbs, picking organic milk, apples and oranges, grass-fed beef and pork, free-range chickens and their eggs. More and more of us ask our grocers and restaurateurs for locally-grown, organic food--and we're getting it. We're carrying it home in ever-more stylish and eco-trendy reusable bags slung over our shoulders and stuffed into the back of our Priuses and Honda hybrids. (Catch up American automakers!)

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

Every time we buy something, we vote with our hard-earned dollars. Next time you need a light bulb, vote for cleaner air, slow global warming and reduce your energy bill with these new, easy-to-use compact flourescent bulbs. We're all part of the problem. We can become part of the solution one light bulb at a time.
Could not locate item B000I1AC04. Please try again.Sorry, there are no results available from Amazon.

Making a difference is easy as your morning cup o' jo 

Collectively, we send 25 billion cups to the landfill every year, says Ideal Bite. "Small changes make a big difference, especially for daily drinkers. Individually, one cup of coffee purchased every day in a disposable container contributes about 22.75 pounds of waste per year."
Ignite USA #21324 16OZ WLoop Silver Travel Mug

Ignite USA #21324 16OZ WLoop Silver Travel Mug

Amazon Price: $21.50 (as of 07/10/2009)Buy Now

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

In population, the US is the third largest country in the world. China's population is more than four times ours. India's nearly four times. Thanks in part to the US outsourcing the manufacture of many of the goods we consume every day, people in China and India are moving up the economic ladder--and they're buying stuff.

4X as many cars, cell phones, CDs, refrigerators 

4X as much fuel as we consume in the US every day

Imagine two rapidly growing countries, each with four times as many people driving four times as many cars, buying four times as many cell phones, computers, groceries, CDs in their plastic covers, paper towels, books, printers, copiers, snowmobiles, refrigerators, washers and dryers, and yes chewing gum and coffee in disposable cups. Wow.

Running on empty 

Thing is, to support that many people at the US level of comfort and fun today, China alone would need big chunks of the resources pie. In fact, Brown says, China will need:

  • Two-thirds of the world's grain harvest
  • Twice the world's current paper production
  • 99 million barrels of oil per day
Worldwide, right now, we pump 84 million barrels of oil per day. Many think we have reached or surpassed peak production--that going forward, oil production can only decline. Do the math. But don't take my word for it. On December 9, the New York Times reported that some oil-rich countries are already cutting exports to fuel their growing economies. This is what we call unsustainable growth.

That's where the vision comes in 

WORLDWIDE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC PROGRESS IS IN OUR SIGHTS

And well within the realm of possibility. Get the first installment of the Plan B 3.0 road map here, with tips for taking your own first steps toward sustainability, and more if you're already well on your path
featured lens Plan B 3.0 road map: Start here

Destination: Global prosperity, sustainable lifestyles worldwide, an end to poverty. Can you imagine it? In Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to save civilization, world-renowned economist Lester Brown hands us a road map to worldwide prosperity and sustainabil...

Want the full story? 

GET THE BOOK!

Buy it! If you can't buy it, check it from your local library. If they don't have it, ask them to secure it on an interlibrary loan. If you can't wait, read it online for free, and if you're so inclined, make a donation to the Earth Policy Institute to help defray the costs of hosting the book.
 
Plan B 3.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble by Lester R. Brown

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.

1

Vote Up
Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Third Edition by Lester R. Brown

Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Third Edition by Lester R. Brown

"How to build a more just world and save the more...1 point

created by Graceonline

Free online

 
Download the pdf version of Plan B 3.0 for free - Brown's message is that important
 
 
 

Already a fan of Plan B 3.0? 

JOIN THE PLAN B 3.0 TEAM

featured lens Join the Plan B 3.0 Team!

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...

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.

Lensmaster

CherylK wrote...

You are so right...every little thing helps. I always carry my reusable coffee cup and water bottle plus I have a small zippered case with flatware & a corkscrew (natch!) which I bought at a flea market! Carrying a bowl (or small plate) l is a great idea which I will now employ! Thanks!

ReplyPosted February 22, 2009

Lensmaster

FurnaceFilterGuy wrote...

Nice work. If we each do our part we can make a difference. Check out my lens on air conditioner filters

ReplyPosted April 13, 2008

Lensmaster

happyhour

Thank you for the lens. It was a very informative post.

http://www.bathtubworld.com

ReplyPosted March 21, 2008

Lensmaster

Barkely wrote...

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.

ReplyPosted July 29, 2007

Lensmaster

Graceonline wrote...

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.

ReplyPosted July 17, 2007

Get Plan B 3.0

Buy the book.
Read.
Take action.
We have eleven years to save ourselves.
 

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.
featured lens Lester R. Brown

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...

WIRED - The interview with Lester Brown 

For a capsule image of Plan B, check out Wired's interview with Dr. Brown.

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.
featured lens Why buy organic cotton

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...

featured lens Village of Ordinary

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...

featured lens Building Ordinary Headquarters

Welcome to the Building Ordinary Group Come on in. Explore our community. 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...

featured lens That's Bamboo? Wow!

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...

featured lens Building Ordinary--Sustainable Community

  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...

Build your own Squidoo lens in minutes - It's easy! 

Use this button to take you to the startup page. Don't worry, if you're not a member of Squidoo, they'll walk you through step-by-step. Careful, though. Squidoo can become a pleasurable addiction.

by Graceonline

This is one of a series of lenses focusing on Lester Brown's Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to save civilization.

The purpose of these lenses is to break Pla...

(more)

Related Topics

Graceonline Recommends...

Favorited By

Create a Lens!