rty values crashed; foreclosure and bankruptcy rates bled. For states, counties, cities, and towns; for manufacturers, retailers, and middle- and low-income families, the consequences were—and continue to be—catastrophic. Other nations were soon caught up in the undertow.In late 2009 and early 2010, the economy showed some signs of renewed vigor. Understandably, everyone wants it to get “back to normal.” But here’s a disturbing thought: What if that is not possible? What if the goalposts have been moved, the rules rewritten, the game changed? What if the decades-long era of economic growth based on ever-increasing rates of resource extraction, manufacturing, and consumption is over, finished, and done? What if the economic conditions that all of us grew up expecting to continue practically forever were merely a blip on history’s timeline?It’s an uncomfortable idea, but one that cannot be ignored: The “normal” late-20th century economy of seemingly endless growth actually emerged from an aberrant set of conditions that cannot be perpetuated.That “normal” is gone. One way or another, a “new normal” will emerge to replace it. Can we build a different, more sustainable economy to replace the one now in tatters?Let’s be clear: I believe we are in for some very hard times. The transitional period on our way toward a post-growth, equilibrium economy will prove to be the most challenging time any of us has ever lived through. Nevertheless, I am convinced that we can survive this collective journey, and that if we make sound choices as families and communities, life can actually be better for us in the decades ahead than it was during the heady days of seemingly endless economic expansion. Richard Heinberg…
Added by Michael Grove at 11:01 on December 10, 2010
ject. "People were abseiling down buildings to raise money for charity. I'm not
the sort of person who does that one bit," he said. He wasn't an artist, but he always liked the
idea of painting a mural. "I remember going past them with my parents, looking up and just
thinking they were the coolest things ever." He owned a house with a wall big enough to
paint one on, so he decided that would be his project. "That was the easy bit," he says.
Deciding what to paint was harder. One night, he discussed options with a friend. He had
decided it had to be something natural • murals of people "always look rubbish", he says •
and had been thinking about a tree, swaying in the wind. But the friend said, "What about
a wave?" And then both had the same thought... "HOW about that Japanese ONE ?" MY OWN personal BBC STORY, however, relates to my Journey of LiFE, during the time
of my involvement with Acorn and the BBC Computer Literacy Project.
…
mous "Mona Lisa" painting, also known as "La Gioconda"
-which refers to Lisa Gherardini, the second wife of a Florentine silk
merchant, Francesco del Giocondo.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Remains of relatives of the woman believed to be the "Mona Lisa" model have been found
Researchers plan to check their DNA against
the DNA of a skeleton found at her burial site
If there is a match, they will reconstruct the
skeleton's face and compare it to the portrait
Yet another step in the journey to to truly understand the LIFE and WORKS of Leonardo.
…