Re: local-sufficiency

[tom abeles <tabeles@tmn.com>]

Roberto Verzola wrote:
> 
> Hi Tom. Yes, we have to run the model through many generations. Your
> model appears to be one of unlimited growth -- each generation's needs
> are larger than the previous one's. 
-----------------------------------
Yes, this is worthy of discussion because it is at the heart of the
issue. First, let's just look at longevity- if good nutrition and health
support is available, we will see an increase in life span. Not even
imrpving in lifestyles- just the increased population in a confined area
places pressure by this very factor. Now if these health improving
benefits are limited, we are in the same competitive mode and those with
greater capacities will gain an advantage in the community and across
community boundaries just to accrue these service benefits- an issue
which looms large the world over- who gets the scarce liver or heart
transpant or the wonder drug etc

Next, I like your idea of improved efficiency which can increse the
carrying capacity. This has been Julian /Simon's argument with the
sustainers. Necessity is the mother of invention. Run out of metal, get
plastic from petrol. run out of petrol, grow it with biomass or get
nanobots to disassemble and reaasemble.- so why worry in the first
place-- the issue is not availability but distribution- who gets the
benefits and who doesn't- its not a resource model, its a political
issue

To return to population- this seems to be the key as argued by many-
carrying capacity can be outstripped not by increased demand by theose
who have but increased demand by large increases in numbers- again, not
a resource, but a political issue- population control has been called
genocide and other names.

Sustainability is a verb and not a noun- Ricardo Arjona has a song
"Jesus  verbo, no  sustantivo- it is a moving target, a process and is
like the carrot tied to the front of the milk horse- always close but
never attainable- it is a term out of the old objective reality.

And that is why y2k is the wrong flag to raise to rally sustainable
communities. No matter if its a bang or a whimper, it will pass like a
wave, the boat will rock, recover and wait for the next wave to roll by.

Modularization or local communities are like battening the hatch for the
storm. While the hatch is covered, the community on board is living in a
restricted environment- given global information flows, will those
caught in this constricted environment be willing to live in this
manner. Here in the US some communities of Mennonites are finding that
they can't restrain the desires of succeeding generations to this
bounded world- knowledge is a powerful thing- But then some snake knew
that way back in the days of the Garden

cheers

tom