Bottom Up Or Top Down?

There are a lot of people in the world---try all of us---who are going to be affected by geopolitical, economic and  environmental decisions and events.  Some of these events we might be able to control or forestall  ---wars, world poverty, recession, hegemony, imperialism.  Others like global warming, we can, if the world has the will,  minimize some of the effects.
BUT----and this is the big but---- we must as a global village be prepared to adapt to changes that will most certainly occur in the decades ahead.  As I have opined before, doomsday scenarios must not lead us to pessimism; we must embrace reality-based optimism.
So, what do I mean by Bottom Up or Top down.  Simple , do we wait for government and science and big business to give us the solutions or remedies or fixes  --- the invidious TOP DOWN approach; or do we pro-actively grasp a grass roots, hands on approach and WE THE PEOPLE develop solutions to the needed adaptations we must develop and accept.
People collectively are smart.  There is knowledge and experience there for the taking. When the global warming crunch comes --- and it is coming---water, food, habitat, energy will all be issues facing us and our children.
I propose grass roots, problem-solving meetings,  TOWN MEETINGS, to mobilize us into be agents for change.  Here is a grab-bag of things we might decide to do:
•    cut back on animal protein; it’s inefficient to produce. Move to complex carbohydrate complimentarity
•    charge for water on a usage based scale, i.e. drinking water @ .05c per gallon. One gallon per person per day.  Wash water, waste disposal water @ $5.00 per gallon;  water to use on golf courses at $1000.00 per gallon; snow-making water at  the same rate; industrial water determined by society needs and on and on.
•    Sewage, transportation, re-cycling, heating, etc.  If people understand the issues, help develop solutions then they will own the approaches.
TOP DOWN APPROACH
     This approach relies on our elected officials and business men--- and scientists. Many believe that the people just don’t have it.  Won’t have it; and need to be led.
     Booshwah!!!!  Part of the trouble we are in is because of the people we allowed to get to the top.  They want us to wait for cataclysmic events to trigger a demand for action.  Then they will impose their will or solutions.  Not good.
     Of course, this approach is not all bad.  There are good people in high positions; their approaches should not be ignored.
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS
     Tough stuff.  Joint ownership is most often problematical.  But, we are all in this together.
     POGO said, “I’ve seen the enemy and he is us!”
     How about a rewrite of Pogo:  “I see the problems and the solution is all of us involved.”
~Ray