To: letters@guardian.co.uk
Re: The INSANITY of seeing China as the “ultimate motoring market ”
Date: Friday, 14 October 05

Dear Editors,

Does Terry Macalister ("BP plans a pioneering drive into China") or anyone else, not recognize the INSANITY of seeing China as the “ultimate motoring market”? Already, with just a fraction of Earth's population individually motorised (or able to afford frequent air travel), our planet is groaning under the strain, warning us that this cannot go on.

But we are compelled - by our growth-dependent economy and a socio-economic order rooted in our “more animal than human ” nature - to pretend and act as though it can.

If we do not come out of denial (which is where we are) and face up to the immense (initially, overwhelming) challenge of achieving sustainability (for 7-9 billion people!) on our finite and vulnerable planet, Spaceship Earth, make no mistake, a ruthless mother nature will do it for us. Indeed, for those not blinded by the blindingly obvious, she has already begun her terrible work, which, unless we radically and rapidly change our ways, may well end in the extinction of ALL the great apes, including the Greatest Ape of all, i.e. ourselves! It doesn't bear thinking about - radically changing our ways - does it?  Much easier to remain in denial and dismiss people like me as crackpots . . .

Perhaps that is what we are, “crackpots ” - the likes of which, however, it may take to recognise the blindingly obvious, and point it out to more normal folk like you.

 www.spaceship-earth.org