Global warming, Oil, Water, How do we prioritise?

I think we could try to use less and not waste any, maybe that'll do it somehow.

I find it interesting that you include these 3 things under the same discussion. Further, I find it fascinating that you haven't received several hundred responses to this issue, while the really hot topics are ones that are at best superficial. This is the kind of topic I was hoping to find when I joined mylot and I know that it is still a relatively new site so perhaps in time there will be members who share these kind of interests. With respect to the topic itself, if our world governments actually accorded global warming the kind of attention it deserved, the oil issue would autmatically be addressed in the solution to global warming. As it is I think that the problem is so severe that we are probably past the point of no return.

I believe that the threat is definitely real. The problem is that being a capitalistic society, short-term gain is prioritised by the companies (ie water-powered car engine technologies have been around for decades, but that wouldn't make fiscal sense to the government or the car and oil industries. Our priorities need to shift from trying to make our environment as "idea" and "convenient", to as sustainable and ecological as possible. I know this won't be a popular stance, but with a democratic government who are in the pocket of big business, we're only ever likely to see prohibitive taxation affecting those who pollute the least - the average person on the street. If we were to have a benign dictator, we'd be able to have the wholescale changes we need, and get the job of cleaning up our act, done. I vote Richard Branson, or Prince Charles!