Is today important or tomorrow? Is today's generation or tomorrow's generation more important? Foolish questions? Maybe but they contain the essence of the dilemma of our times. Someone tells you to save and conserve for tomorrow, while you believe in living this moment and making merry. No total justifications on either side. But, what is required is the middle path - live today and keep aside for tomorrow. Resources are finite.Tomorrow may be for some one else but being humane calls for it.
It is also in this context that more and more thinkers are asking for a paradigm shift in how we view growth. Is our world a capital-constrained one or resource-constrained one? Is money alone the defining factor of growth? Herman Daly, thinker of our times points out: What limits the annual fish catch — fishing boats (capital) or remaining fish in the sea (natural resources)? What limits barrels of crude oil extracted — drilling rigs and pumps (capital), or remaining accessible deposits of petroleum — or capacity of the atmosphere to absorb the CO2 from burning petroleum (both natural resources)? What limits production of cut timber — number of chain saws and lumber mills, or standing forests and their rate of growth? What limits irrigated agriculture — pumps and sprinklers, or aquifer recharge rates and river flow volumes?
Yes, we need to invest in and economise on the limiting factor, but that factor is no more capital, but natural resource. Instead of conserving and preserving the scarce resource, we are not only over-using them but also degrading them. Look at the way we treat soil or water. And when the crops fail, we start tinkering with the genetic basis of plants, to maximize short-run growth.
Do we wish to remain as fly by night operators or long-term ones who adopt sustainable methods to live today and leave sufficient for tomorrow?
It is also in this context that more and more thinkers are asking for a paradigm shift in how we view growth. Is our world a capital-constrained one or resource-constrained one? Is money alone the defining factor of growth? Herman Daly, thinker of our times points out: What limits the annual fish catch — fishing boats (capital) or remaining fish in the sea (natural resources)? What limits barrels of crude oil extracted — drilling rigs and pumps (capital), or remaining accessible deposits of petroleum — or capacity of the atmosphere to absorb the CO2 from burning petroleum (both natural resources)? What limits production of cut timber — number of chain saws and lumber mills, or standing forests and their rate of growth? What limits irrigated agriculture — pumps and sprinklers, or aquifer recharge rates and river flow volumes?
Yes, we need to invest in and economise on the limiting factor, but that factor is no more capital, but natural resource. Instead of conserving and preserving the scarce resource, we are not only over-using them but also degrading them. Look at the way we treat soil or water. And when the crops fail, we start tinkering with the genetic basis of plants, to maximize short-run growth.
Do we wish to remain as fly by night operators or long-term ones who adopt sustainable methods to live today and leave sufficient for tomorrow?
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