Scarce Resources?

[Auff]

It seems to me that there are few practical limits on economic resources. To prove this, I challenge anyone to name a resouce which has a limit.

[jhans]

Oil?

[JBMoney]

My bandwidth.

[Auff]

Oil is a source of energy. We can use nukes (fission) to make all we want. By the time Yucca mountain fills up, we will have developed fusion. Limitless energy.

Bandwidth: You are not short on bandwidth, you are short on cash. Cable modems, DSL or satellite are available. Cost difference from dial up is as low as $25/ month. I am referring to economic resources: things we take from the earth to produce wealth. Cash is a medium of transfering wealth, and is obviously limited.

[This message has been edited by Auff (edited 01-23-2002).]

[Laurie]

Humans

[jhans]

You said "name a resouce which has a limit." When I posted my original answer I re-read your post to make sure that you didn't qualify your statement with something like "name a limited resource which has no alternative." Since you did not state it that way I'll stick with "oil". However, if your point is that environmentalists are full of shit when they try to claim that the sky is falling, I'd have to agree with you.

[cuda]

Rainforest, deforestation. No, I'm not a tree-hugger, but it's definitely limited and necessary.

[jhans]

Cuda, I have several friends who purchased fake Christmas trees this year. We might have to modify them slightly but I think they are an obvious alternative to living trees.

Oh wait, I've got another idea. We could re-plant real ones. I know, they would not be old growth and the sloth population would decrease and blah blah blah...... but they are renewable. Therefore, you have chosen a renewable economic resource and have fallen into Auff's trap. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars.

[Macbeth]

I think Cuda might be refering to the other resources found in the rainforest. Such as certain antibiodics, prescription drugs and whatnot.

[Laurie]

Please tell me what rainforest in which I can find Valium, Vicodin, and Viagra (I could make millions dealing the latter.) I'll purchase the airline ticket now.

But yeah, there are a few compounds found in these places, but now most are manufactured by these drug companies.

[Auff]

Since there are, what, 3 billion humans on earth, are they considered scarce? I don't think so. Intelligence and imagination, however, could they be scarce? But education can solve that scarcity, so therefore I would argue that there is no practical limit to the level of intelligence or imagination.

Rain Forests? Congratulations. You have hit on the one type of resource (that I know of) that has limits. There is a wealth of genetic knowledge amassed in diverse species, and the best way to exploit that knowledge is to preserve it and study it. How can we save this diversity? By making it more valuable than the land mass which it resides. Instead of cattle farms in the rain forest, and boycotts of tropical woods, how about "Amazon Disney" managed harvest of choice lumber, and research facilities? The reason we don't have these things there is that the local governments are too unstable, and lawlessness prevails, so than no profit motivated individuals would invest the capital required for anything other than farms or other low tech operations. These resources can only be saved by a stable political system that encourages investment.

Name another?


[This message has been edited by Auff (edited 01-24-2002).]

[cuda]

Woo-Hooooo...! Think I'm gonna quit while I'm ahead.


I know it's a little off subject, but can't help mentioning it. As far as the oil thing goes, if it wasn't for the big money corporations I believe we would have found an alternate energy source a long time ago. It took us less than 100 yrs to get to where we're at now with automobiles and less that sixty years to get to where we're at now with our space program! (thanks to those evil Nazis...ironic) Hell, look at where we're at with our computers. Yet we're still dependent on fossil fuels that's basically been our main energy source since the industrial revolution! What was that, 200 - 300 yrs ago? Heh, go figure.

[Eddy's Geist]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by cuda:

(thanks to those evil Nazis...ironic) </font>

Not all Nazi's showed evil tendencies. Some were very good people.

[Auff]

The main reason we are still on fossil fuels, belching CO2, making the Saudis rich so they can finace terroism, is the liberal environmentalist wackos. By fighting nuke power they will cause the destruction of society with terrorist suitcase bombs.

Why would you blame corporations? Don't they have the most to gain if we bankrupt the Saudis? Why won't they be able to make a profit owning nuclear reactors?


[This message has been edited by Auff (edited 01-25-2002).]

[cuda]

I was just pointing fingers I guess. Mainly at big oil companies and any influential people that are heavily invested in oil. I'm sure in some way they are able to convince whoever to keep fossil fuel in business. "I'll scratch your back if you scratch my back" kind of thing. Just doing the ass-u-me thing. http://bushwhacked.net/ubb/wink.gif

[Eddy's Geist]

Auff, don't get me wrong.. I'm all for nuclear powered vehicles.. but where would one stick the fuel core in 427 Cobra?

[Deamon]

Oil creates plastic.. limited..

[Auff]

Eddy, use nukes to make hydogen to power your 427.

Deamon, plastic recycles: unlimited.

cuda: why wouldn't Exxon be interested in owning nukes and distributing hydrogen? Perhaps this is part of the "vast right wing conspiracy"?

[This message has been edited by Auff (edited 01-27-2002).]