Unfortunately, not much given the outcome of most online petitions. But I get your point and I agree with it.
XO = education = change On Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 9:02 AM, John Kintree <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > In 1980, Paul Ehrlich, the author of _The Population Bomb_, > bet Julian Simon that prices of metal commodities would > increase by 1990. Ehrlich thought that the rapidly growing > human population would soon exceed the life supporting > capacity of planet Earth. Simon argued that improvements > in technology would increase the capacity of Earth's > resources so that shortages and higher prices would not occur. > > Ehrlich lost the bet. The prices of all five metals he picked > were lower in 1990 than they were in 1980. > > In seven of the last eight years, including 2007 during which > world grain production reached an all time high, world grain > consumption has exceeded production. World grain stocks > are falling, and grain prices are now rising rapidly. > See Chapter 2 data at: http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/PB3/data.htm > > There have recently been reports of regional shortages of > fertilizer, and of farmers hoarding fertilizer to ensure > adequate stocks for the next growing season. There are > also reports of farmers withholding rice from the market in > order to sell at even higher prices in the future. It is easier > to manipulate prices during times of tight supply. > > All is not bleak. One of the most encouraging things > happening in the world these days is the One Laptop > Per Child project. Why is that encouraging? What good > does Internet access do for a child who does not have > food to eat? > > In the marketplace, a penniless child has zero demand. It > doesn't matter how great the need might be. In a monetary > economy, having zero money means having zero demand. > > Suppose a petition was placed on the Internet to use the > world's grain to feed children instead of using it to fatten > cattle before the slaughter, and instead of using it to > produce ethanol fuel for fat SUVs. And, suppose we let > children in developing countries use their XO laptops to > sign their names to this petition. Would that have any > impact on the distribution of the world's grain? Should it? > vanguard, > John Kintree > 4043 Delor Street > St. Louis, MO 63116 > 314-351-7454 > http://home.swbell.net/jkintree/islt/ > > > _______________________________________________ > Olpc-open mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/olpc-open >
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