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> no weight at all is given to the downsides of truly challenging levels of resource extraction currently at play to meet the high consumption demands of a smal
by dash2 3y ago
> no weight at all is given to the downsides of truly challenging levels of resource extraction currently at play to meet the high consumption demands of a small proportion of the large population we already have on the planet.
Those arguments are addressed in the second paragraph:
> Historically, as we run out of a resource (whale oil, elephant tusks, seabird guano), we transition to a new technology based on a more abundant resource—and there are basically no major examples of catastrophic resource shortages in the industrial age. The carrying capacity of the planet is not fixed, but a function of technology; and side effects such as pollution or climate change are just more problems to be solved. As long as we can keep coming up with new ideas, growth can continue.
- defrost 3y agoNot addressed well or at depth. The current pressures global populations face due to water access and increased insulation in the atmosphere are not ones that can be magically waved away by technology in short order as population increases and increases the scale of those issues. Of course there are other challenges, but those two suffice for now.
- dash2 3y agoThere are links to three pages where he goes into depth.
- throwanem 3y agoIn the sense that one might read palms among the vast array of waving hands, yes.
- defrost 3y agoCures both the water crisis and climate crisis while also allowing unlimited population growth with increased consumption expectations across the planet? Riiiiight.
- Sammi 3y agoWhy not? Both water shortage and greenhouse gas emissions are because of our lacking energy technology. Get better energy tech and we solve both. Go modern nuclear.
- pixl97 3y agoThis depends what you mean by 'solutions'. Burning resources of the planet is not a solution, it's a delay tactic that is only buying you time. Nuclear has it's own host of problems, even the modern ones.
- naasking 3y agoThe problems of nuclear are dramatically overblown, particularly nuclear waste.
- naasking 3y ago> The current pressures global populations face due to water access Nearly unlimited water access only requires cheaper energy (desalination and condensers).
- d0gsg0w00f 3y agoAlso no mention of the outlier downsides. More research geniuses also means more psychopaths and rapists. The question is whether one's positives outweigh the other's negatives.
- silverquiet 3y agoWhat about a genius-psychopath rapist? (Have to be careful of the grammar there because I want to be clear that I mean a rapist who is also a genius and psychopath, not a genius who targets psychopath rapists). I kid, but a lot of the top Nazis were geniuses by IQ; I don't know that there's any reason to believe that virtue and genius are correlated, which is only one of the reasons I think this whole conversation is a bit goofy. It honestly feels like yet another weirdo billionaire rationalization for why the line must always go up.