Yes. Born in Prussia. And also German. The Kingdom of Prussia was a German state.
Jonathan
Yes. The production of fertiliser needs to move to novel methods to reduce the energy consumption, as do many other processes. There are many candidates. The problem is the usual one: each step in the change might not be immediately profitable for the people who have to make it. That's why we have to be smarter and more collaborative.AlaninWales wrote: ↑26 Jul 2022, 3:27pmNow we have a much larger population highly dependent on the energy-hungry process (amongst others) and are rapidly running out of the main sources of energy production we are set up to exploit. At the same time, our means of exploiting energy reserves are causing knock-on effects that have been known but ignored for decades. When the energy crunch comes (as is probably inevitable now), the effects won't just be the direct climatic effects and high energy prices; those processes we relied on to allow our increased population and higher (on average) quality of life, will themselves be unsustainable.
But we aren't,that is we aren't enough to see ourselves as a collective,that's what capitalism's all about,or am I mistaken?
There are many good examples of collaboration. There aren't enough yet.
Agreed!
"We" never were in control. Humans do hubris, tending to obscure the fact that we're controlled not controlling. The controller is "nature", a highly complex "system" that's essentially chaotic but contains periods of apparent stability as events interact around a "strange attractor". Such stable states gradually break down and there's a lurch to a new strange attractor with it's new apparently stable state. The new stable state may contain rather less elements of the old one than we would like - no humans ... or even mammals perhaps!simonineaston wrote: ↑26 Jul 2022, 12:56pm What will be interesting is what'll happen when the bulk of population realises that the very few who are in charge are not doing what's right. I don't think that day is far off.
Of course "doing what's right" is indefinable, so for one group it might mean keeping immigants out, others may feel its more important to cease all use of fossil fuels, others might set greatest store on their continuing right to cart their kiddies to the local school by car, etc. etc. etc. - the exact nature of each red line is by-the-by...
What's more important is the perception that we are no longer in control. The rule of law is under stress and the prospect of civil dispobedience becomes increasingly real. And of course, this trend has already begun.
But on the plus side, there is time left for a few more bike rides
I think capitalism is inherently promoting climate change. "I'm alright Jack" is the driving force.
Agreed and the way it's been promoted in the UK at least with almost god like status,certainly over the past 50years,is proof of that.
We already have. The problem with the birth rate is already fixed, the additional projected growth is already locked into the system as living kids grow up and have kids of their own.
One of the best ways to stabilise or even reduce population is to more evenly distribute wealth, as soon as populations become wealthier they become better educated and stop having as many children.axel_knutt wrote: ↑27 Jul 2022, 6:05pmWe already have. The problem with the birth rate is already fixed, the additional projected growth is already locked into the system as living kids grow up and have kids of their own.
The problem is not the population, or economic development by the poorest, it’s the rich minority hogging all the wealth, and blaming it on the poor.
Global Wealth Distribution.png
1.1% of the population hold 46% of the wealth, and 55% of the population hold 1.3% of the wealth. If the rich stopped hogging wealth and still seeking more you could lift the poorest out of poverty, and reduce the environmental burden as well.
The UK is part of the 12% of the world's population hogging 85% of the wealth, that's what needs to change.
Yes. Only looking at historical population growth is very misleading.
Rosling is an exceptionally good explainer of how this works. And watching or reading his explanations a very valuable counterweight to innumerate apocalypse.