Re: and when we're all rich, then what?

[Sven R Larson <slarson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ian Murray wrote:
>
> What do we really want?
>
> Economic growth is seen as good, yet it makes many in the rich world miserable
>
> George Monbiot
> Tuesday August 27, 2002
> The Guardian
>
> But let us, for a moment, assume that they are right. Let us imagine that climate change
> does not exist, that pollution does no damage to ecosystems or human health, that
> fisheries are not collapsing, freshwater reserves are not drying up, topsoil is not
> eroding, and forests and coral reefs are not disappearing. Let us pretend there is no
> conflict between two of the avowed goals of the current earth summit: relieving poverty in
> the poor nations while enhancing economic growth in the rich ones. Let us pretend that
> there is no competition for resources between rich and poor. Let us accept, in other
> words, the myths of neoliberalism.

Scientists uncovering graves of Vikings in England a few years ago
discovered remains of mosquitos in the graves that had been there
since the grave was made. These mosquitos were of a type that cannot
survive as far north as England today. Hence the climate was much
warmer. Also, it is virtually impossible to sail through the icy
waters of Greenland and north-eastern Canada today in a Viking ship.
Yet boatloads of Vikings settled along the Atlantic coast of Canada a
millenium ago.

Towards the end of the 17th century war in Europe, Sweden's army
crossed the Great Belt of Denmark by walking over the ice, pulling
with them heavy armory and enormous loads of supplies. Such ice hasn't
been seen there since. Mid-17th century has sometimes been referred to
by European historians as the Little Ice Age.

In the 1930s there was a record of temperatures above 100F in Boston.
Not long ago the Boston Globe stopped its competition it used to have
every spring on who could predict the first day of the summer when
temperature would pass 100F. There simply were no such warm days. The
1930s also gave Scandinavia ten consecutive almost completely
snow-free winters. 15 years ago the winters were unusually cold and
unusually snowy.

What do these pieces of anecdotal evidence tell us? That relatively
drastic climate changes actually may have other causes than human
activity. We should take the warnings of changing climate seriously
and always strive to reduce the environmental impact of our
civilization, but we should do it for the right reasons and without
taking drastic actions. And, most important: we should definitely try
to reason without bundling together all sorts of environmental changes
in one basket as George Monbiot does here.

Never in the modern part of industrialization has economic growth been
more environmentally friendly. Every year recycling catches on in new
markets. Every year cars get more environmentally friendly (except in
countries where economic growth has come to a standstill). Every year
industrial production has lower impact on the environment. Why?
Because we have more resources to spend on reducing the environmental
impact of civilization. Progress is being made every day. Let's
recognize that and stop lamenting.

/srl
--
Sven R Larson
Department of Economics
Skidmore College
815, North Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
(518) 580-5278