Published at 13:14, Tuesday, 02 March 2010

WITH reference to the letters page, (Evening Mail, February 22), and the Duddon Estuary, possible road bridge and the broader subject.

The possibility of this project and all so-called ‘green’ energy barrages/bridges/roads will only exacerbate the core problems, which I will come to later.

Firstly though, relatively inaccessible areas opened up by these means become easily accessible, leading to more people wishing to live in these generally less populated areas and commuting to centres of employment becomes possible.

In turn, housing development increases due to demand and local areas of employment also become a requirement.

Consequently the levels of all traffic increase to suit industries’ demands.

Also people more readily travel in and out of these areas simply because they can, as is the way of things.

Road systems become congested leading to demand for bigger and as it is seen, better roads – you get the picture?

As the local population increases, so do the cars, needing ever more fuel and of course the demands for more energy increase.

All this of course leads to more demands for ‘green’ energy and yet more pressure on rural areas and the ever decreasing varied habitats for another barrage, or such like, and so on.

This is not sustainable thinking and needs a radical rethink, which leads me back to the core problems I spoke of earlier.

We must tear ourselves away from our insatiable desire for instant gratification in all its forms, whatever it is we want it faster, cheaper and easier, all of which comes at a price ultimately to our planet.

This destructive cycle has to be radically reduced.

At the centre of all the critical problems we face as a species is the dramatically expanding population.

It should be obvious to all that this growth is not sustainable.

The unpalatable (to some) truth is that this population growth must be controlled and thus in the longer term most of these problems will be manageable.

Radical solutions are needed now. Progress – yes; at the cost of further destruction – no; while we still have a choice!

MARTIN STABLES

The Reading Room

Great Urswick

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