By Jim Dickens, February 2026
I think the pundits are wrong about the need for more babies. We visited Tasmania and glimpsed a wonderful world with a pristine environment. With the world human population growing from living longer and still mostly living by extractive versus sustainable means, I’d first advocate for transformation to sustainability among other things.
For context, Tasmania is a state of Australia and an island south of the mainland. It is forested and has a low population, 500,000, relative to its land mass, the size of West Virginia. The climate is temperate and the soil is fertile. It is carbon neutral with relatively benign agricultural practices, abundant wild life and protected wilderness and sufficient renewable energy. The cities are manageable and unclogged with traffic.
Lori and I with 4 good friends joined a group tour of supported biking, hiking and kayaking with luxury dining and lodging. We started north in Launceston and meandered down to Hobart in the south. We biked three days, hiked three days and kayaked with a staff that told us what we were doing and seeing. We had local meals with hosts telling us their stories, at a regenerative farm, a restored movie house, and a converted presbyterian church.
The lake shores and beaches were uncrowded without docks and high rises. The air is the cleanest in the world and the waters and forests are teaming with strange animals and plants compared to our northern hemisphere specimens. The topography is gentle and manageable.
We’d love to comeback and just explore some more on our own. In an apocalypse, Tasmania is touted as a great place to survive. I’d rather we transform our world in this direction than increasing our population and wearing out our environment.
R1T Tour 