Attending the Monthly Meeting at the Newcomers Club - A Presentation about Human Impact on our Plane

This morning I got up early and had a nice breakfastshowed several charts of projections of where our
in the inner courtyard of La Nuestra. Shortly before 9future might take us. Limits to Growth was first
am Andie and I left for her monthly meeting of thepublished in 1972 and several experts modeled the
Newcomers Club, a group of about 170 mostlydevelopment of these key factors and projected
English-speaking expatriates from all differentthem well into the 3rd millenium. From about 2050
countries who have settled in Cuernavaca. Andieonwards their models predict a stark drop in
Grater has been the president of this volunteerpopulation as resources get depleted, pollution takes
organization for the last 4 years. We didn't have toon an increasingly destructive level, and industrial
drive very far and arrived at an Episcopelian Churchoutput multiplies. He mentioned some interesting
where several people were already setting up chairsstatistics: between 1950 and 2000 the global
and coffee for the monthly reunion. Two staffpopulation increased from about 2.5 billion to 6.1 billion.
members from the American Consulate in MexicoAverage incomes tripled and so did the demand for
City were setting up a table with information aboutgrain. Economic output multiplied 6.6 times from $7
taxation, voting and other issues relating specificallytrillion annually to $46 trillion. The demand for grain is
to US Citizens living in Mexico.The Newcomers Clubinteresting because 1 ton of beef, for example, takes
often invites speakers or experts on topics related10 tons of grain to produce, a very
directly to the expatriate community. I had a chanceresource-intensive form of food production.Bob
to speak with a few of the club members. ThereVockerath also went into a brief description of the
was a gentleman roughly in his late 50s who hadbook Plan B and that its author expounds on 6 basic
emigrated from Israel three years ago and was nowsocial goals:1. Basic universal - primary education2.
working in real estate and providing catering servicesAdult literacy programs3. Family planning4. School
for Middle Eastern foods. I also chatted with a younglunches5. Assisting pre-schoolers6. Universal basic
gentleman in his 30s who had emigrated from Polandhealth care In addition these social goals are
and now had a wood-working company with hissupplemented by earth restoration goals:1.
partner, making special wood toys that they sellReforestation2. Protection topsoil on croplands3.
throughout organic food stores in Mexico. Then IRestoring rangelands4. Restoring fisheries5. Protecting
connected with a lady who was originally frombiodiversity6. Stabilizing the water table. Social goals
Germany, and she and her husband have beenand earth restoration together are forecast to cost
working for a long time for a German charity helpingan additional $191 million per year over and above
blind people all over the world. She has lived all overwhat is being spent already. This contrasts to annual
Latin America as well as Pakistan. Cuernavaca'smilitary spending of $975 billion, apparently in the US
Newcomers Club is definitely a very interesting andalone every year $475 billion are spent on defense.
diverse group of people. Most of the members I sawSo if we simply reallocated our spending we would be
were in their 50s, 60s and up, although I saw a fewin a position to effect tremendous social and
younger people. The majority are retirees who haveenvironmental change for the better.The crowd in
settled in Cuernavaca permanently. After the initialthe room was listening attentively and asked many
refreshments were taken, the group settled in andquestions. I was really impressed by this meeting
Andie, as the President, made a variety ofsince many people in the audience were in their 60 all
announcements. Then a lady by the name of Anathe way into their late 80s or beyond and they
Gonzalez, talked about the special project run by anshowed such a strong interest in this topic although
NGO called Caminamos Juntos para la Salud y elthe future consequences of these issues will have a
Desarollo ("Walking Together for Health andmuch stronger affect on their grand and great-grand
Development").The project was founded by Susanchildren. As someone with an interest in ecological
Smith, a Canadian woman, who has adopted a veryissues, I found this presentation very informative and
poor Mexican village. One of the greatest problemsconcluded that the immigrant community in
of this village is that its water has been contaminatedCuernavaca is involved in some pretty interesting
with arsenic, so drinking water is a real issue. Thethings...Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website
people of this village are very poor, and every monthcalled Travel and Transitions ( Travel and Transitions
Susan asks the Newcomers Club to donate differentdeals with unconventional travel and is chock full of
items, from pots and pans, to blankets, toys, schooladvice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews
supplies and much more. Then after a few morewith travellers and travel experts, insights and
announcements, Bob Vockerath, a distinguishedreflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many
looking gentleman in his late seventies, originally fromother features. You will also find stories about life and
Vancouver, Canada, got up give a specialthe transitions that we face as we go through our
presentation. He talked about several books he hadown personal life-long journeys.Submit your own
read (Plan B and Limits to Growth) which talk abouttravel stories in our first travel story contest ( and
human impact on the planet and the sustainability ofhave a chance to win a fabulous 2-Week Sailing
our human activities. He talked about populationAdventure for Two through the Greek Islands.
growth, resources, industrial output, pollution etc. and