Beauty is everywhere and in everything I think.

Then you've never been to LA.

I really do enjoy all of the marvelous gadgets and what nots of the modern world. But the bottom line is that the way life is lead in modern, developed nations is unsustainable. While we trudge on with this caricature of living, we are destroying the planet - the planet's ability to harbor our species and our species' ability to survive on this planet.

Simple, natural living is appealing because it is sustainable. It is a living we can handle on our own. The big city living, while great fun, is not something we can carry on without significant support from others - which usually demands that we pay the others a sum of money.

A can partly agree, this is the case with the old world. The new world (China) has been build toward the future with lot's of green and renewable energy. Their ways of achieving this is something else.

The Simple natural living you find appealing is only possible on wide scale if humanity declined with billions. Letting everyone live the natural living is impossible with 6 to 7 billion people.

Then you've never been to LA.

I really do enjoy all of the marvelous gadgets and what nots of the modern world. But the bottom line is that the way life is lead in modern, developed nations is unsustainable. While we trudge on with this caricature of living, we are destroying the planet - the planet's ability to harbor our species and our species' ability to survive on this planet.

Simple, natural living is appealing because it is sustainable. It is a living we can handle on our own. The big city living, while great fun, is not something we can carry on without significant support from others - which usually demands that we pay the others a sum of money.

Very true, but I find the emotional provocation from the negatives as moving as the positives, urban decay and the destruction of our species is just more beautiful. I guess I don't let practical implications alter the aesthetic, the painting is no less beautiful if it is difficult to hang.

China is terribly dirty. Olympic athletes have decided not to go because of the pollution. They do not rely on renewable energy, they rely on coal and petroleum. The Chinese government has systematically demolished a nation that was sustainable, Tibet.

Nothing is impossible. Difficult, yes, this is true. And most would simply refuse. We like our cars.

At the moment they rely on it, for economical growth. but their green projects are huge and all other parts of China can be build green. Some have already build this way.

Olympic Athletes decided not to go because of the bad human rights in China. The pollution thing is something else. America today is a bigger polluter and gets away with it, while China does not. Hypocrisy.

Making sure that 7 billion people start to live green is impossible. Almost everything we rely on today is not green, and cannot be green unless we give up a lot of luxuries and start living the simple life, which billions won't do.

A little over a year ago, I took a business trip to L.A. The company I was with had a branch there and I was (again) called over to resolve to IT issues they had. I hate traveling... after 20 years in the military I'd thoroughly had my fill of flying.

As we flew in to LAX I found myself absently staring out the window, it was sunny and clear with a good view all around. Below, I saw what seemed an unending sea of concrete and asphalt. Only a few trees here and there with miles of cars. Through the noxious haze I saw mountains raped and scarred with homes, businesses and other clutter. Now... typically I'm not given to hugging the trees too enthusiastically, but I found this whole sight very disturbing. It was... so much ugliness... so much trash; I found myself genuinely moved to tears beholding the very environment so many of us are flocking to.

I now live in a small rural town in Missouri; yes, on purpose. Outside is a veritable jungle: packed trees, grasses and vines with every variety of birds, small animals and deer. Trees grow up, old then die in place... falling over eachother to return to the soil. Everything's entwined with vines. The air is so thick with life; a thick 'sweet' smell of lilacs, grass and moist soil. My wife and I sit out on Friday afternoons, beers in hand, and just sit... watching the wind blow and enjoying the silence. After months of living here we still end up like this, both staring out, with the only conversation being each of us occasionally exclaiming, "wow".

Now... this has *never* been me. I've been a city-guy whose loved being close to others. I've always loved my gadgets and have been generally proud of 'civilization' so to speak. Aside from all the 'personal' issues I may be having, what (specifically) makes 'natural' settings so appealing to so many? Why is Green so appealing? Is this genetic knowledge of 'health'?

I've often wondered this... Loving the Natural Beauty of our Planet: Learned or Ingrained? Any thoughts?

Right, for China to sustain it's current growth they must continue to completely ignore environmental factors. For China to adopt environmentally friendly policies would severely cripple their economic growth, which China depends on as they secure their place as a super power. I'm sure the Chinese government has made examples of green progress, but these examples are no comfort in the face of the communist government's clear economic policy - full steam ahead.

China could adopt greener practices, but they won't do so as long as the money is pouring in.

For the Olympic athletes, it's a mixed bag. Depends on which one we are talking about. As for pollution, you are right, America pollutes more. America is also more developed. China will soon surpass my homeland for the top spot. And as China continues to grow without restraint China will very soon overshadow our pollution issues. Oh, and we have far greater pollution controls over here. The fact that we pollute more is a direct result of how developed the nations are.

For some reason my previous comment did not get trough. Let's go at it again. China has put a stop to their economical growth, and learned from the mistakes made by the west by avoiding lot's of problems. They take a slower (but still fast) road to becoming a superpower. Their approach to humans and the west has changed considerably the last 20 years.

The pollution issue, America pollutes in the wrong ways; China does it to develop, America does it out of comfort. Gas prices were low, and therefore it was no problem to buy huge cars riding 1 on 4, pollution was something many people don't care about. (Europe pollutes to, but our cars are somewhat more gas-friendly because of the high prices.)

Is this a hypothetical situation you are trying to get me to consider? That I can follow. Reality, on the other hand, has China growing at an extremely fast rate with almost no regard for the environment. I'm sure Chinese propoganda would have us believe otherwise, but that reality is sure hard to get around. It's like the US government trying to sell a war on terror when the US is the largest terrorist supporter on the planet.

China, on purpose, develops at such a pace that the environment is terribly scarred for the growth. The Chinese government knows exactly what they are doing.

And yes, rah rah, the US government is a joke. Wonderful, but none of the US shortcomings make up for the Chinese problems.