1) Intertemporal myopia (wonderful phrase meaning literally intergenerational shortsightedness – we tend to view the present as ‘the most important’ and to overborrow from the future to live better now)

2) the correct ‘pricing’ of the enviroment and the competing priorities and protections of the rights of people, plants, animals and planet.

Many economists and politicians have for years been saying that GDP/ GNP ie growth measurements are a fairly poor way to indicate wellbeing and ‘wealth’ and that ‘balance sheets’ of natural and other assets are much more sensible measurements. the New Economics Foundation nef have done some good work in this area.

Lots of people are working internationally on 2), but I think 1) is much harder to crack unless there is very much more spiritually humble acceptance of ourselves in the great scheme of things.

Sadly the idea of ‘passing on an inheritance’ has come under very bad press (I would say from ’socialists’ but we can argue about this one), but this ethos with a less personal facet and a wider concept of ‘inheritance’ is one part of the solution.

Glad to see this debate and well done to those collaborative Dutch people for kicking it off.

May I suggest that it doesn’t need to be so UK centric. For example, in the sentence “The UK Government’s bailout of the banks and of the car industry…” — take out “UK” and the sentence fits perfectly over here in the States.