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We are able to use existing resources more and more efficiently. This is why the global wealth per person is higher than it was in say Roman times, despite the

We are able to use existing resources more and more efficiently. This is why the global wealth per person is higher than it was in say Roman times, despite the global population being orders of magnitudes higher

StavrosK 6y ago
That only means that you can add wealth up to the new delta. Anything more is zero-sum.
- atomicity 6y ago
  But we don't value things solely based on their natural resource composition; we pay far more for "labor" and other intangibles. As a result of the above, the value of a natural resource changes over time. For example, natural resources used in electronics and batteries are relatively more expensive now than they were 100 years ago. So, you can be technically correct by saying that wealth is zero-sum, but that's pretty much the same thing as saying "the world's 'wealth' traded for natural resources sums up to 100% of all natural resources"
fock 6y ago
and we are also much better at exploiting resources. Which ultimately run out. Oh, wait...