CONFERENCE: How do we overcome negative 'progress'?

I recently attended a seminar by David Ritter, CEO of Greenpeace Australia Pacific.  In his presentation he provided an overview of the negative aspects of 'progress' in our 21st century society, and drafted a set of 'needs' for a healthy, productive and sustainable future.  The presentation was passionate and thought-provoking, and included many ideas that are key to modern environmental policy.

I left the seminar feeling compelled to provide a response.  While I agreed with much of David Ritter's argument - particularly in terms of the woeful state of the environment and what has brought us to this point - I couldn't help but feel there was an oversimplification of many of the issues involved.  So, I did what bloggers do and wrote a response.

In my response to his presentation I detail his key themes and elaborate on what I see as the main flaws in his delivery - primarily the need for personal sacrifice in order to achieve sustainable outcomes, and the role of individual self-interest in democratic politics.  My blog entry can be found here.