I recently saw a Bloomberg tv interview with a female executive of Areva, the large French utility.
The lady spoke of many things including nuclear and wind power and her company initiatives in these energy sectors which was moderately interesting.
One thing she said struck me as perhaps quite correct and a source of concern but also great opportunity.
She said that the most important topics, subjects, or instruments of the next 50 years would be Food, Water, and Energy.
This seems so clear and correct but I had not thought of it in this way.
Food, Water, and Energy are all related to population and assume that population will continue to put pressure on resource supplies.
I have heard many investment types, Jim Rogers, of Jim Rogers Holdings for one speak of how investments in Food related industry cannot go wrong since the global population continues to climb.
Water is already scarce in many areas. The countries bordering the far east of the Mediterranean Sea are of course one area of extreme water scarcity.
It’s hard not to think of Energy scarcity with the plethora of reports on the Deepwater Horizon
So how is the society going to handle the importance of these resources in the next 50 years?
I say we can do a few things:
1. Population control is of course the easiest. This may get me in trouble with some organized religions but really no family in the world should have more than 2 children to raise in a lifetime. Many large religions, Judaism, Catholicism, and Islam all speak of more children to perpetuate the religion. But every consumer added to the Earth makes it harder for the other current consumers.
The fewer consumers on the Earth the less pressure on current and future resources.
China has done many ill things as a country, reduced freedom being the most visible, but it should be admired for giving it’s population a steady state growth which smooths per capita use of resources
2. Growth of community gardening. Most rich worlders are taught to go the grocery to pick up their food supplies but at home these folk have yards that are clothed in grass. What a waste. If each homeowner would maintain a small garden and contribute to community gardens as well there would be a large surplus of food.
3. Rainwater capture just makes sense in those areas of the world that get more than 40 inches of rain a year. Since the rain delivery is not always consistent, there should be reliance on a backup system or utility but rainwater for drinking is not that hard to do and if local governments would teach their residents how to do it could be a great source of home power. Of course you will use rainwater for your community or backyard garden-correct!
4.Alternative and public transport will releave pressure on energy requirements.
If you live in a big city you perhaps already use public transport. If you live in the burbs of a big city, and public transport is not reliable, how about purchasing one of the new hybrid or EV cars. Of course there is always biking.
5.Get in the ear of your legislator and let them know that community, state, and federal long term planning should focus on Food, Water, and Energy more than ever before. Is there a plan? if N when will there be one
Most of these ideas to lessen the strain of inconsistent supply of Food, Water, and Energy require a more conservative existence than is taught and practiced in the rich world. But don’t most rich worlders already waste too much and could use a tightening of the belt?
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