Whose responsibility is it to manage the world’s resources?

Question

This question was asked at the Dropping Knowledge event on 9th September by Barbara Mark, 54, San Francisco. To find out more about Dropping Knowledge check out our blog:

Dropping Knowledge in the UK: http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-qT1KKPQoRKdVT4lowpJCljbFokkuIzI8?p=1048

To discuss this subject in more detail follow this link to the official Dropping Knowledge website: http://www.droppingknowledge.org/bin/posts/focus/22482.page

Answer 1

This is one of those "micro-macro" kind of questions.

On a large scale, it's up to organizations, governments, and corporations - the big-scale players with the largest mass of power and best chance to influence events - to use the resources at their disposal responsibly, with an eye toward the future.

Of course, on a small scale, it's up to us all, individually, in our own daily lives, and as a part of those larger institutions. Every government, every corporation, every organization and institution is made up of hundreds, thousands, millions or billions of individual human beings making decisions every day.

By making responsible choices for yourself, and for your family, you change the world in a small way. By participating in those larger institutions and demanding more responsible choices, by voting, by getting involved in organizations, by urging your employer (or leading your business) to make better choices, you put the engine of cooperation into gear to change the world in large ways.

Because each institution is a congregation of individuals, the individual is the heart of the decision-making process - both on a micro, and macro scale.

Answer 2

It is everyone's... For the general population, it is our responsibility to stay informed on social, econnomic, environmental, and any other issues. We then have to go out and make a vote based on those needs. There are more "younger" people then "older". It is our future, and our children's future, and the responsibility to elect the right leader is in our hands. Once we have voted someone in, it is their responsibility to hold their words true, and act accordingly. At this point it is our responsibility to keep our leader informed of what we want... If he/they want to do something that the populous disagrees with, we have to call in, write in, sign petitions, and let them know.
When you can't find someone to vote for there is the quick fix... Find someone to vote against, (the lesser "evil"), or the not so quick fix, try running yourself. Yes it takes money, but where there is a will, there is a way. Get political, get informed, and speak up.
I think the suiting song for this is Raise A Little Hell, by Trooper. To Take a quote from it... "If you don't like your world, rearange it."
CyberNara
P.S. Beautiful Snowwhite also raises a good point.
Eve... We have haven't "evolved" any in a long time. We have grasped a bigger part of our world. But that is based on wisedom, and intelect. The last time our brains made a evolutionary leap was around 70,000-100,000 years ago, and our brains went from 900-1,400cc.

Answer 3

Frankly, each country should manage it's own resources.

If a country lacks something, they ought to find a way to manage with what they have or discover alternatives. If they have an abundance it could be shared, but I think the danger lies in relying too heavily on someone else and not managing with "what you have".

Frankly the world and humanity existed long before many of our resources were tapped into. If it wasn't for greed, we wouldn't have the need for so many resources. Granted we may not have evolved as quickly but did we really need to evolve to the extent we have. The world would not have fallen to pieces without automobiles or planes and trains and roadways etc etc etc. We would have managed just fine I'm sure.

So now everyone fights as our resources exhaust themselves and we seek them out from others and the greed and corruption that has built up has led to the point we are at now, and it will only worsen unless all the big wigs and corporations just "give it up" as that is all we have left...all the mom and pop places are gone and those who run the world know no limits yet govern even governments.

It's time for some major reforms in this world...and time for the rich to accept there is a limit to their greed and that they need to put a cap on it before the world erupts like a volcano. Time to concede and return to this earth and it's people all that was taken from it. There is something to be learned from the aboriginals that inhabited this continent before we took it over and made such shambles of it all.

Answer 4

It is an individual responsibility. Man builds a society and vice versa. If man keeps a check on the extravagance, the rest will fall in place.

As it relates to management- I'd say it's the responsibility of the national governments with cooperation from the population itself.

Answer 5

This is a real connundrum isn't it because the obvious answers are either "all of us" or "not me".

In the former case, although well intentioned, this approach isn't likely to work fast enough. We need a capability which is a) knowledgable b) able to take a global view and c)in a position to influence the behaviours of governments and big business at a macro level. I firmly believe that we must each do our part to influence governments and big business as individual voters and customers, but this is a very long slow path towards change.

In the latter case, I would ask you to consider whether any single drop of rain feels responsible for causing flood... The current "powers that be" are certainly not doing a good job, so if we itsn't "me" then I am afraid that the default is that it isn't anyone at all.

Lets consider the example of jet fuel. How many people currently make travel decisions based on the environmental impact of air travel? Some, certainly do, but the reality is currenlty it is a minority. Governments don't seem to be doing much respond to this problem globally, so who is or could do that? More fuel efficient jets are in the business interest of the carriers, so that is likely to get some attention, but use of bio-fuels to power jets? As far as I know, no-one is even thinking about it because it isn't in the interest of any of the groups involved.

Assuming the absence of magic or some new super-body, we are going to have to each use our own voting and buying power to make the tiny incremental differnce that we each can and hope that they add up to a global answer before it is too late.

Answer 6

This is a false question.

The world is comprised of sovereign nations. Each nation has responsibility for its political, social, economic, technological, natural and human resources. Resources need to be discovered, exploited, planned, and managed. The last thing we need is some NGO like the UN planning everyone's resources in a one-world order I suppose your questioner from ultra-liberal San Francisco would like to see.

Answer 7

A better question would be HOW
to make people have a feeling of
RESPONSIBILITY toward the
world's resources.

It should be taught in school.
From preschool up.

Then if it isn't too late the
education and the responsibility
would be ingrained into everybody.

They would just be responsible
as a part of their lives.

There is nothing that can be done
with this miserable, self serving
generation on the earth right
now.

It will have to be done
as a part of the future.
If there is time left, and
if the education is started
immediately.

Answer 8

it is all of us you and me , who have responsibility,
not to squander the earths resources

Our children and our children's children , should not suffer because we sat on our hands and did nothing .

we can influence the politicians and even the great multiples not to misuse what is our wonderful bounty

So much can be done starting in a small way in our own homes .
conserving energy , saving water , buying from "kind" farming outlets and voting for green issues, such as education in resource management .
If each family unit made a small effort , slowly ( too slowly) things would get better .
IT takes one small step in the right direction
and our dwindling resources,
may yet be saved . For the next generation.

>^,,^<

Answer 9

The g-8 has this responsibility. Third world countries cannot be counted on to manage their own resources, they are usually taken over by CARTELS or DICTATORS. This is why OUR resources are so poorly managed!

Answer 10

ideally it would be managed by a non-profit organization that is accountable to the people of the world, committed to use that income to better the world for all.

However, in reality, it must be managed by the nation that possesses it through geographic boundaries. The resources found within those boundaries must be managed by bodies accountable to the people so that income goes towards a better life for all.

...tough question

Answer 11

We say the world is like a home to all

Whose responsibility is it to manage the home resources?
You'd say the people living in the home , right ?

Simple as that - Similarly , it is the responsibility of the people living in the world to manage the worlds resources.I'm not trying to imply that by going overboard with this statement but it simply means that conserve electricity,dont harm wildlife,donot cut trees,preserve water.Such simple things from the grass root level will ensure the conservation of resources and that would be our contribution to help make this world a better place to live in !