Alternatives to the Great Reset

As a global paradigm, the Great Reset is proposing that one solution fits all. Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North and South America, and the pacific Islands have specific issues to contend with. A diversified range of strategies are required. Only after recognizing this can sustainable development can be pursued with benefits being shared equally.

Some issues that need consideration are discussed below.

Rediscovering local eco-systems

Over the last 200 years, human development has destroyed many of the Earth's natural eco-systems. Localized eco-systems supported early communities and shaped their way of life. Deforestation, agriculture, mining, urbanization, and transport systems have compromised self-supporting and co-dependent natural eco-systems, which provide life needing resources such as water, and shape micro-climates.

Local natural eco-system are unique to a specific area. They contain the geography, soils, drainage, water resources, and forests to support sustainable co-dependency of flora and fauna. Human settlements traditionally utilized these eco-systems for life and survival until the end of the 19^th century, when the technologies from the industrial revolution changed the way people lived.

There needs to be an intense effort to rediscover these local eco-systems and where possible rehabilitate them. The world's biological diversity is quickly disappearing which will have massive consequences to the stability of the planet's aggregate eco-system and civilization itself.

The development of civilization has been the biggest threat to these eco-systems. The belief that humankind can mould and control nature is a fallacy. Government planning and development and corporate motivation for profit has done irreparable damage. Smart societies are not those doused with technologies, but those who knew how to blend settlement into their local eco-systems.

Over urbanization

In 1800, only 2 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas. Urban population has grown from 751 million in 1950 to 4.2 billion in 2018. This is 55 percent of the world's population. According to the United Nations, this is projected to rise to 68 percent by 2050. Although, some cities are decreasing in population, China, India, and Nigeria are experiencing rapid urbanization.

In contrast, world rural population is now close to 3.4 billion, and is expected to peak in a few years. World rural population is expected to decline to 3.1 billion by 2050, according to the same United Nations report.

Rapid urbanization is bringing with it a number of undesirable environmental effects. Increasing urban sprawl is creating urban heat islands (UHL), causing excessive heat during summers, and creating milder winters. Cities reflect heat back out into the atmosphere at 15-30 percent less than rural areas. This means that cities are warmer by 0.6-1.3 degrees centigrade, than rural areas. Urbanization is also creating poor regional air quality, resulting in haze and pollution troughs across cities and surrounding regions.

Urban areas not only affect weather patterns, form water run offs, and lower water tables. These water tables and water runs offs also become carriers of pollution.