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"Who knows what will be possible with the technologies of the future? " This entire argument is based on the idea that we should be able to continually expand
by grannyg00se 13y ago
"Who knows what will be possible with the technologies of the future? "
This entire argument is based on the idea that we should be able to continually expand carrying capacity by our inventiveness. Stating for example increased farming yield with technology.
Not only is there a likely limit to our ability to squeeze more and more out of finite resources, but the author completely ignores the subtle long term damage that our technology creates. Our current food production systems are highly toxic to the environment and are a major source of CO2 output. So while we increased food carrying capacity we did so by reducing long term habitability of the planet.
Personally, I'd like to see populatin growth reduced by a global increase in quality of live. But not western culture consumption obsessed quality of life. That would need to change. As would the growth based financial system. Those two go hand in hand so this could all gradually happen at the same time. In theory.
- gd1 13y agoIn what possible way can freeing fossilized carbon back (where it came from) into the carbon cycle "reduce long term habitability of the planet"?. It may make it awkward for some low lying cities in the short term, but long term it guarantees a warmer, moister, more bountiful planet if anything.
- phillnom 13y agoIn what way does it guarantee a more "bountiful planet" other than more extreme weather?
- gd1 13y agoBasic biology? Are you seriously asking or just being obtuse? Do you know what the world looked like the last time we had 1000+ ppm CO2? Teeming with plant life. C3 plants were facing extinction if CO2 levels dropped any further than they had, we've done the biosphere a huge favour by digging it up and putting it back in the air where it came from. Maybe we haven't done humans a favour, but that's a different conversation.