Trakar
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- Feb 28, 2011
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- #21
Since some have asked about problem resolution, I think it is first necessary to look at our options for action. The first decision we would need to make is whether or not to continue as we have over the last half century or so. I own inclination is to reject the continuation of the present policies and practices as they have led us to the current, untenable situation.
So, if the current situation is unacceptable, what are our options?
Matthew has suggested that we eliminate all of the food assistance and charity work and replace this with birth-control assistance and campaigns. I don't think this would prove easy to sell to American politicians of either party, but I'm willing to entertain a more extensive examination of that possible solution if Matthew (and/or others) would care to more fully discuss and explain that proposal.
The OP links to a man who offers a book with an outline for a variety of resolution considerations, the book is for sale, but the author has also made it freely available as a downloadable .pdf so any who are interested can review his considerations. The book is called "World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse" and can be found at - Bookstore - World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse | EPI.
(I have only skimmed through it, and just begun (since the OP) to actually read through the work. While I already see several points of disagreement with the author, it is apparent that a lot of consideration and research has gone into the forming and support of his thesis so I'll save my review until after I complete his offering and have a chance to do a bit of research myself.)
For the purposes of this thread, however, I believe we can look at his central considerations regarding sustainable agriculture changes (many of which form the foundation of modern American small farming practices, and some of which seem logical extensions of these same practices). In his chapter 12 ("Feeding Eight Billion"), he talks about the main advances that led to the Western agricultural revolution namely the development of high-yeild crops, the use of more efficient fertilizers and soil-supplements, and the improvement of irrigation systems which allow the water to be more efficiently delivered and utilized in agricultural systems (I would think that we should add pesticides to that list though it is a tender spot for some environmentalists who don't seem to understand the difference between efficient usage and careless over-use/abuse). One of the other problems he mentions is the lack of supporting infrastructure throughout most of the world. It is horrifically ironic that several of the modern ag efforts in places like Ethiopia suffered not from the lack of resources and understanding in using modern agricultural techniques to turn dust into food (they actually raised bumper crops that were in excess of local need), rather, the lack of even basic roads and medium to heavy transport, meant that local markets were flooded with food causing prices to plummet crashing the market, there was no means of getting the food from the regions where it was being grown, to surrounding area markets or larger regional or cross-border markets. Likewise, areas that had previously not been able to support local needs had no facilities to properly store or convert the excess production into longer shelf-life consumables so much of the food produced ended up spoiling and becoming unusable. ---- this just outlines more depth to the problem rather than offering solutions, but it exemplifies that any potential solution needs to do much more than just provide food, or even books about how to grow food.
There are huge layers of basic infrastructure that we tend to overlook and take for granted in the US, that are the underpinnings of our success both as a nation and as individual entrepeneurs. These are often the most important distinction between 1rst world and 3rd world conditions, problems and solution options.
But these are just my early considerations as drawn, so far, from the OP material. Personally, I'm interested in other perspectives primarily because full consideration requires looking at issues from a lot of different angles and you never know what insight might be drawn from even a mistaken perception.
So, if the current situation is unacceptable, what are our options?
Matthew has suggested that we eliminate all of the food assistance and charity work and replace this with birth-control assistance and campaigns. I don't think this would prove easy to sell to American politicians of either party, but I'm willing to entertain a more extensive examination of that possible solution if Matthew (and/or others) would care to more fully discuss and explain that proposal.
The OP links to a man who offers a book with an outline for a variety of resolution considerations, the book is for sale, but the author has also made it freely available as a downloadable .pdf so any who are interested can review his considerations. The book is called "World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse" and can be found at - Bookstore - World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse | EPI.
(I have only skimmed through it, and just begun (since the OP) to actually read through the work. While I already see several points of disagreement with the author, it is apparent that a lot of consideration and research has gone into the forming and support of his thesis so I'll save my review until after I complete his offering and have a chance to do a bit of research myself.)
For the purposes of this thread, however, I believe we can look at his central considerations regarding sustainable agriculture changes (many of which form the foundation of modern American small farming practices, and some of which seem logical extensions of these same practices). In his chapter 12 ("Feeding Eight Billion"), he talks about the main advances that led to the Western agricultural revolution namely the development of high-yeild crops, the use of more efficient fertilizers and soil-supplements, and the improvement of irrigation systems which allow the water to be more efficiently delivered and utilized in agricultural systems (I would think that we should add pesticides to that list though it is a tender spot for some environmentalists who don't seem to understand the difference between efficient usage and careless over-use/abuse). One of the other problems he mentions is the lack of supporting infrastructure throughout most of the world. It is horrifically ironic that several of the modern ag efforts in places like Ethiopia suffered not from the lack of resources and understanding in using modern agricultural techniques to turn dust into food (they actually raised bumper crops that were in excess of local need), rather, the lack of even basic roads and medium to heavy transport, meant that local markets were flooded with food causing prices to plummet crashing the market, there was no means of getting the food from the regions where it was being grown, to surrounding area markets or larger regional or cross-border markets. Likewise, areas that had previously not been able to support local needs had no facilities to properly store or convert the excess production into longer shelf-life consumables so much of the food produced ended up spoiling and becoming unusable. ---- this just outlines more depth to the problem rather than offering solutions, but it exemplifies that any potential solution needs to do much more than just provide food, or even books about how to grow food.
There are huge layers of basic infrastructure that we tend to overlook and take for granted in the US, that are the underpinnings of our success both as a nation and as individual entrepeneurs. These are often the most important distinction between 1rst world and 3rd world conditions, problems and solution options.
But these are just my early considerations as drawn, so far, from the OP material. Personally, I'm interested in other perspectives primarily because full consideration requires looking at issues from a lot of different angles and you never know what insight might be drawn from even a mistaken perception.