Harry, where is the reference that shows the U.S. congress is actually taking it seriously? These claims have been around since the ‘70s and all have been debunked. I’d really like to see some actual proof that this works.
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Oh sure, we will run out of materials if we continue to use them at the same rate and dig them up at the same rate as we do today.
You example of copper, might be a good one.
Except that what copper is used for, most often transmitting power, can be replaced by various other things, depending on what that situation is.
Just about every electrical or electronic device uses copper. Please explain a way to move electricity from a power plant to the consumer that doesn’t use copper. Build me an electric motor that doesn’t use copper windings.
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But what you missed Grunt, (again) is that all these doomsayers base their calculations on 'todays consumption' with 'todays technology'.
What is going to stop consumption? Serious recession/depression. Running out of raw materials, so we just can’t make the item or it’s just too damned expensive to bother.
Technology requires resources. We can’t make the raw materials.
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We don't know what the heck will be invented/discovered next week.
Take the video camera I mentioned.
The old one would use up heaps of batteries, record images (but not very well), and used up enormous resources just by being old-tech.
The one we have now records longer, at higher quality, is much smaller, made largely from recycled materials and various other improvements as you would expect over 20 years.
I would think that in another 20 years the thing will record for a week, at eye-perfect quality and be the size of a matchbox.
It will still require aluminium, copper and oil.
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With new technologies popping up all the time, old tech being constantly re-worked, todays consumption figures will prolly increase still, but at a reduced rate than the doomsayers predictions.
There is also a nifty little political model called 'capitalism'.
The short version of it is that 'if you can't afford it, then you go without'. Cold, harsh and tough, but it sorts the men out from the girls.
You are saying here is that everything is going to rosy, except for the boys and girls who can’t afford it. Technology will save the day.
Ultimately, everything will get so expensive that only the very rich will be able to afford their IPods. By this time Apple will be out of business (sorry Midge). Ford, Holden et. al. will be out of business. A lot of unemployment here
The price increases will mean inflation. Reserve Banks will up interest rates. In most of the western world, people are in hock up to there eyeballs. High interest rates will kill them. Foreclosure city here we come.
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Also has a nifty habit of bringing prices closer to their proper value, if never quite hitting it just right. If they are too low today, they might just be too high tomorrow.
The will continue to rise. Even if demand stabilises. Supply will decrease.
And for extra credit, it also pushes technology to improve, because if your blue ipod is out of vogue, then the shinier, smaller and slicker red one might just replace it...
And ( ) use fewer resources doing it.
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You do of course realize that it is advancing technology that got us into this pickle, right? If we had stuck to where we were 20 years ago, I don't think we would be in half the trouble we are now.
But the doomsayers forget that too...
I forgot that, silly me.
What are you saying here, that everything is rosy but we’re in a real trouble now and we should have stopped progressing 20 years ago?
