I just heard Bill McKibben talk about his new book, Deep Economy. So
I'm thinking about growth and growth-related issues. Just wanted to
say, apropos the earlier exchanges, that I know very well that
growth--or, rather, a certain kind of growth--is likely the key
source of a complex of problems we face.
But then I came home and reread a news story I'd flagged for one of
my news groups, about how the number of people with cancer on the
planet will, inevitably, double over the next 25 years. Simply
because the population will have grown to 8 billion plus.
Its like watching the Titanic in the long period of time after they
spot the iceberg, realize they're going to hit it, and then are
helpless to do anything about changing course--for all the ringing of
the bells and the spinning of wheels. There's an inertia in the
system. The moment of that inertia makes some portion of the future
effectively inevitable. Nothing that we can do, nothing short of
massacre and mayhem, is going to change the population increase over
the next couple of decades. Now what is to be done? What price zero
growth then?
We've got one more doubling coming up. No maybes about it. The only
question is, can we lighten our tread enough to accommodate that
coming increase? Or do we take the Garrett Hardin way, and advocate
for his infamous lifeboat ethic...lets save ourselves and let the
rest of the world drown? Again, remember the Titanic. There's a
horror on that path too.
Regards,
-
Ashwani
Vasishth [EMAIL PROTECTED] (818) 677-6137
http://www.csun.edu/~vasishth/
http://www.myspace.com/ashwanivasishth
