Maddenation
World in the balance
I watched a NOVA tonight on the environmental impact of China’s economic development. Following a pattern that has been prevalent in most other affluent countries, China has focused on production, jobs and, technology to the virtual exclusion of environmental impact. Coal is used for most of its energy needs, automobiles comply with outdated emissions standards, and economic growth is increasing pollution at a rate that will surpass the U.S. in a few decades. Everybody wants to be like US.
This issue reminds me of a previous entry in which I reproduced Garrett Hardin’s essay, “The Tragedy of the Commons.” Not much discussion ensued, probably because it’s a hard subject that’s difficult to talk about without doing some research. Yet the problems of population growth and environmental degradation (even when care is taken to reduce pollution) are out there and growing and largely ignored. The problems are ignored because they are massive and politically intractable. Individuals acting in their own self interest inevitably cause problems for society, but they also tend to resist the restrictions imposed by governments to mitigate those problems. This is especially true in free societies that value personal freedom so highly.
As an engineer, I worry about what the future may bring. The world will inevitably balance itself, as it is constrained to do by the various conservation laws. However, the transition to a new “balance point” where our energy, food, and other resources match our population, may be extremely traumatic. Ultimately, human ingenuity will create as yet unimagined solutions to the compelling problems of our day, but I worry about the time it will take, and the cost.
Dad • Observations • 06/23/05 • 3 comments
Comments
David • 06/26/05 • 4:13 PM:How does this issue not remind you of the time when I wrote an entry on it? If I was able to search on Maddenation, I’d include the link. The entry I had on www.myfootprint.org was originally about/from that NOVA show. You’re right though, Pops, it is an excellent episode - giving us good reason for thought and in some ways, fear. I use the dvd in school for ecology and a number of other topics. I’d say the only negative is the trouble I have shortening our discussion to less than 2 days.
Dad • 06/27/05 • 12:24 AM:David, I appreciate your effort to add multiple comments to my un-commented entries (of which there are many), but the idea is to make them different.
Dan • 06/27/05 • 12:01 PM:And Dave, your “entry” on this NOVA segment is here: Our Footprints
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