We're masters of our own demise
Mark Pavilons

It's no secret we humans are our own worst enemies.

Whether it relates to our innate biological flaws or mental incapacity to learn from our mistakes, we are apt to mess things up. Thousands of years of our rather blemished human history attests to our propensity for violence and total disregard for our livegiving planet.

In this post-industrialized society - where the emphasis here in North America is on consumption not production - the pursuit of the all-mighty dollar is a major villain in this theatrical tragedy that is the human spectacle.

No matter how you slice it dear friends, we are somewhat doomed. But what the heck, at least when Judgement Day comes we'll be sipping margaritas in our hot tubs, watching our favorite reality show on our big-screen plasma TVs! What a way to go!

We Canadians like to think of ourselves as leaders, roles models and peacekeepers.

We're leaders all right. Canada is second only to the United States in (drum roll please) highest fresh water use per capita; largest per capita emitter of greenhouse gases and incidence of breast cancer. We're also the second most workaholic nation (next to Japan) and second in amount of gum chewed (the U.S. is first). I don't know if there's any correlation to gum-chewing and the wasting of natural resources, but that's another study for another day.

Even though our closest neighbours know very little about their northern brethren, we love to emulate our American colleagues in almost every way.

We're gluttons in terms of trends, fads and fashions. We're gizmo junkies; SUV drivers and huge consumers of coffee, donuts, beer and things made in China.

Don't laugh. Fueling the massive economic engine that China has become is the slippery slope of western economic decline.

Think about it. China has grown exponentially in recent years. They are putting up cities and infrastructure as fast as humanly possible - and with their huge workforce that's pretty fast. Apparently, they are putting up new coal-fired generating plants on a weekly basis. They're beginning to build cars. They've already established themselves as manufacturing pros, churning out everything from silk designer ties and purses to toys, car parts and electronics.

This is all well and good for that country and its inhabitants. They are reaping the benefits of economic prosperity. The downside is the demand on the rest of the planet.

Given China's size and immense manufacturing prowess, they eat up a great deal of the planet's natural resources - everything from forest products, to minerals and fossil fuels. We all know what a tiny shortage in crude oil means to us at the gas pumps. What will happen when China begins drinking up the fuel faster than we do in North America? We ain't seen high gas prices yet, people.

China has the ability to completely drain the world of its precious resources and, given their current lack of environmental legislation, are polluting their sizeable piece of the planet even further.

Again, they're laughing, all the way to the bank. Apparently, the Chinese are currently the world's largest buyers of luxury cars like the Rolls Royce. Many would say what's wrong with progress?

Nothing at all. And the fact that millions of Chinese are earning decent incomes is very good news on many fronts. They too, will become important consumers of goods from around the world, stimulating the economies of several countries.

From a purely economic, nationalistic viewpoint, it can be dangerous.

And we're the worst offenders.

We consume anything and everything made in China, from shoes and designer t-shirts to computers and vacuums. More and more North American manufacturers are out-sourcing labor and using Chinese parts for their products. Even the Big Three are starting to buy car parts made in China. And the very intelligent Japanese manufacturers are using China to produce and assemble their goods. Any historian would find that quite ironic, since the two nations have a long history of bad feelings.

But back to us. Our insatiable appetite for consuming, coupled with our workaholic nature to make money, will set the stage for a Super China one day.

If there's even a penny extra in profit to be made by North Americans, they will find a way. If that means sending more work to China, so be it. If that means using parts and systems made outside of North America, that's just dandy. The bottom line must be obeyed!

This has begun a vicious cycle, a self-fulfilling prophesy of sorts. The more we buy, the more needs to be produced, and the more profits need to be guaranteed.

So what if the product is the result of slave wages, no health care, an absence of human rights legislation, environmental abuse and harvesting turtles as snacks?

We must have our sneakers with wheels on them; our cell phones that sing; plastic widgets that will spend the next 1,000 years in our garbage dumps.

Our entire economy must change to keep pace. Manufacturing jobs in North America may become a thing of the past, as we concentrate on more IT and white collar services.

Unlike a world of the past, we simply can't convert our entire manufacturing sector overnight. And what of the jobs - the people - who depend on these segments of our society?

I don't know if there's a logical, easy way out of this consuming spiral. I can't predict the future.

But my bottom line is this - perhaps we should spent a bit more time on ourselves, our own backyards and our children. Maybe the answers rest with those who are wearing lightup running shoes and Mickey Mouse socks.

An ounce of prevention is always a good philosophy to adopt. When trying to save the planet, we should be casting our net globally, not just the local pond.

The old entrepreneurial motto still rings true today - let the buyer beware!