and have inflicted severe damage on the natural world. The continued development of technology will worsen the situation.”
Weirdly I agree with scaredy and phaster (mostly weird that I’m agreeing with scaredy)
AN specifically for you, I’m linking my favorite essay. I know it’s a bit of a read, maybe 30 minutes, but I re-read it every few years. This nails it!
Phaster, I make no sure and certain claim when fusion, or if fusion is our energy future. I just see no viable path forward without it. You and I seem to agree on water, it’s just that water is a subset of energy availability. Currently oil still has the best EROEI, but has nasty long tail costs. In fact all current energy sources except geothermal have those costs, especially nuclear. My biggest fear about nuclear power is that it dovetails so cleanly with human capacity for short term thinking at the cost of long term environmental health.
Back to water. My preference would be a combination of restrictions on usage, raising of prices and outright banning of growing certain crops. Almonds for export are the poster child, but in CA rice and cotton should never be grown either. Market forces by themselves will not stabilize or assure food availability or the survival of civilization in a desert.
Josh
