Quote:
Originally Posted by LostCause
I'm confused as to why people want to turn every square inch of the earth into productive land. I don't understand the motivation to turn rural land, into surburban land, into urban land, into a metropolis. Who actually thought that quality of life is increased by maximizing population density?
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Don't get me wrong, I would prefer to run everything from super capacitors and produce all of our energy from Hydro power, nuclear and solar (wind mills disrupt the look of the landscape). BUT, if I have to choose between strip mining a few hundred square miles for coal for syn gas production OR planting tens of thousands of square miles of the amazon for growing bio-fuels then I'd much prefer strip mining coal.
And that third picture, what can I say, more cushion for the 'pushin (eek!)
And population growth, I don't want to get into that argument, but the problem isn't population growth in first world countries, we'd be dying off if it weren't for immigration. First world populations could be sustainable with proper infrastructure and technology - the problem is not the American woman with 2.1 children, but the Indian, Nigerian or Saudi Arabian woman with 6 or 10. If anything population collapse in the first world might be even worse for the world, since that might mean progressive environmentally conscious cultures are replaced by others. If you're a cultural relativist though your opinion might differ. If we want to discuss that though, it would be better to do it somewhere else
