There is a lot change going on. Let’s consider some of the big changes over the next few days.
Part 1 – ecological change
Two disturbing elements – population growth and resource depletion
First up, population growth – the increase in the number of people living on this little Earth is phenomenal in the last couple of hundred years. We’ve gone from 1 billion to 8 billion between 1800 and now. It’s not just the sheer numbers which are important, it’s the rate of change – the increase is increasing!
Secondly, non-renewable resources. So far, human beings have treated the world as if it is an infinite source of anything we want. But the problem is that we have consumed 80% of ALL known NON-RENEWABLE resources since 1800. Most of it has gone. How much is left?
Put these two developments together and what do you have? A rapidly increasing number of human beings rapidly consuming the finite resources of the Earth.
What does this mean?
The Age of Abundance is past.
And yet, in every country of the world, economists and politicians push for “growth” – greater and greater consumption by more and more people. This isn’t sustainable. We are going to hit the point where the “growth curves” start to dive, dive, dive.
So, the questions include, when and how are we going to change course?
The times they are a’changin’……….
[…] In Part 1, I reflected on the ecological changes, especially the incredible population growth and consumption of non-renewable resources since 1800. Halévy says this change signals the end of the Age of Abundance. […]