Valuable Resources

It's a finite planet. Stuff, just about any stuff at all, is going to run out. We can debate how long resources will last. We can debate the probability that stuff in short supply can be replaced with stuff in greater supply. None of that changes the fact that it's a finite planet.

There are more people on the planet than ever before. Every one of those people use and need stuff. Some use a little stuff. Some use a lot more stuff. Remember though, in the end, there's only so much stuff. People are a big burden on the planet's carrying capacity.

Then I got to thinking. Maybe we are looking at people in the wrong way. What if we moved them from the liability column to the asset column? How would we do that?

Well the first thing we'd do is take a lot better care of the people. People are more useful if they have enough to eat, shelter, security, education and a chance to develop their creativity. It's that creativity that we are all going to need to survive. It can be done. One small example. In the US there is both a housing glut and a homeless problem. Absurd. It's just the political/economic system keeping the two apart. Problems like that need to be fixed. A person with no place to live is too focused on that immediate problem to be able to devote much time to greater problems.

Speaking of absurd misuse of current resources, what about all those cultures and countries that limit the opportunities of women? They are fighting the creativity fight with one hand tied behind their back. That can't last, not if we are going to solve us some problems.

So yes, we the world has problems, but people are problem solves. Doesn't it only make sense to give as many of those people the tools and opportunity to solve those problems?

-Sixbears