[Coral-List] IPAT

[David Obura]

Hi all,
there’s a discussion raging which exemplifies the problems being discussed, and a few have pointed out the problem that we scientists like to have a single answer that is more correct than others …
There is a well-known (well, sort of, in some fields) equation, IPAT …
Impact = Population * Affluence * Technology(or Energy)
Total impact, from local to global levels, is function of all three factors, and we just bow to the methods of the manipulators to argue which of these is most important, pitting the over-populated south against the over-wealthy north while the over-fuelled 1% giggle in the wings. They’re all important, as any benefits derived from changing one can be completely swamped by opposite changes in the others.
So lets build our consensus, drive a discourse that talks to evidence over belief (and by this I mean the type of discussion, not having more and more charts) and speak to the people who are not in our choir!!
cheers, David


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