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A third option is to increase Earth’s carrying capacity. I don’t know how, but the capacity depends on technology and resource use, so it should be possible.
by mikeash 9y ago
A third option is to increase Earth’s carrying capacity. I don’t know how, but the capacity depends on technology and resource use, so it should be possible.
- graeme 9y agoWe have been doing that. But one problem is that it's easy to fool ourselves: you can temporarily raise carrying capcity by eating capital. So, we catch many more fish now, for example. But we are catching at faster than replacement rate, depleting the natural capital stock. Carbon energy + space in the atmosphere for CO2 is another variety of capital stock which we have used for temporary carrying capacity gains. There are also long run carrying capacity improvements in the mix. General efficiency improvements fall in this category.