Generation whY?

Allright, this may be short and simple, but it's a start. Better to start small than to sit on the sidelines of the discussion.

With all of the talk of GenX and GenY, it has surprised me that nobody has picked up on the possibility of Generation whY... as in

• Why did we spend the last 100 years acting as if the days of oil would last forever?
• Why have we acted as if the test tube in which we live, planet Earth, has the ability to dilute our pollution indefinitely?
• Why do our leaders and elders shuffle continue to ignore the fact that even if the inevitable catastrophes (environmental, economical and certainly social) will not hit until they are well on their way off this rock, they will hit their descendants?

My real aim isn't blame. That would be as pointless as finding the current world citizens responsible for US slavery, the genocide of the native American people or whatever other horrible crimes of the past you care to address.

My goal is to find a way off this slide to catastrophe. If not for everyone, at least for myself and those for whom I care the most. Some items I'm focused on currently include:

• Becoming more food-independent, including use of local markets/supply and backyard gardening.
• Converting our lifestyle, especially work, to be less dependent on cars. (But damn if we won't keep enjoying our travel-related hobbies... kayaking, ultimate, foreign travel, etc... -- enjoy 'em while ya can, eh?)
• Building a community of family/friends upon whom we can depend, sharing the load of what will certainly include shortages that we couldn't foresee.
• Shifting assets/investments into those less dependent on "global market" forces. (e.g. more local real estate, fewer Large Cap stock funds.)
  

What am I missing? What do you have planned when the stuff hits the fan?


Cheers,
shiv