<p>If residents in Boulder Co. pass a 'carbon tax' ballot measure next week, hundreds of thousands of dollars will be made available to fund renewable energy and conservation measures.</p>
<p>Responding to a report by British economist Nicholas Stern, a recent article in the Guardian outlines a 10 point plan for taking action on climate change without "bringing civilization crashing down."</p>
<p>Millions of middle-class homeowners may lose their life savings if the economy slides into a severe recession, so why aren't more politicians, bankers, economists and policy analysts taking the threat of a housing market collapse seriously?</p>
<p>Federal governments everywhere are not structured to recognize -- much less address -- the serious environmental pressures they face, and as a result end up responding militarily. The alternative? Ministries and Departments of Sustainable Development.</p>
