[lbo-talk] How many earths

[Miles Jackson]

James Heartfield wrote:
> "James, it's not just about farming. It's about other resource use, too 
> - like energy, water, air, and waste disposal. Cars, airplanes, 
> computers, loads of laundry, paper towels, etc. etc. "
> 
> I hear what you say, but the reason that I single out farming is because 
> that is the largest land use there is. There is forestry and mining, 
> too, and as much as 0.2 per cent of the world's land surface is covered 
> in homes and factories. But it is hard to get away from the fact that 
> the total land area that humanity uses is reducing, while the global 
> footprint people tell us that it is increasing.

I don't construe the "global footprint" as primarily about land use. 
It's about the finite resources that Doug highlighted.  For instance, 
the U. S. uses about 25% of the world's nonrenewable energy supplies to 
maintain our industrialized society.  Given the finite resources of oil, 
coal, and gas, how can every 6% segment of the world's population use 
25% of the energy?  That's just one example; I can provide many others. 

  The planet has a relatively limited amount of nonrenewable, crucial 
raw materials, so it is not possible for the entire world population to 
live like the privileged few in industrialized nations.  That's why 
improving the living conditions in developing nations requires a 
significant shift in energy and resource use in industrialized nations. 
--To put it bluntly: if nations like the U. S. didn't exploit a 
disproportionate amount of the world's nonrenewable resources, more 
resources would be available to improve basic infrastructure in poor 
nations.

Miles