@Jackofalltrades phil,
It seems to me that there are two kind of arguments.
One that argues that Capitalism is the best bet, the dirty things like effluents and pollution the end products of the assembly line can be or could be taken care by virtue of the human mind and spirit.
The other, although not represented in this thread yet, argues that capitalism should shut shop, and bring in a lot of government control that would save the world from an impending environmental disastor.
Both the view points have its merits, and disadvantages also. It appears that humanity is trying to find its soul. On one side we are trying to fight population growth on the assumption that resources will eventually run-out, and on the other hand we have reposed faith on technological advancement and development which will make individuals live more by promising higher and higher standard of living.
In the practical sense, it is double battle, so to speak. We are not clear of what exactly we want. Either we want better and better life, like for example from a one room apartment to double storeyed row house, from 70 as the average age to 100 as an average age, from cars to owning our own helicopters. In the 17th an d18th century 99 percent of the world population was surviving on 2 meals a day, 19th and 20th century saw, 50 percent enjoying 3 meals a day., today thanks to democarcies we have around 80 per cent having 3 meals a day.
The race to compete man to man, corporate to corporate, nation to nation has brought us to this dire situation where we are today discussing about alternate forms of energy. And for what. It is not to see that 100 percent of the world population will have a proper 3 meals a day, but to enhance my production and thereby my profits in the name of satisfying the consumer needs of vanity and extravagance.
The strategy is to use cheap labour, cheap raw materials, control of technology, and flood the market with stuffs which are not required for everyday living. A saturation has come about in America on car sales. The 50s upto the 90s the American car industry made hay while sun shined brightly over those energy guzzling sedans and chevorelets. The American dream was driven by the fantastic looking beauties on wheels. It assembly line dished out 100 cars an hour, more or less. Today it has gone bust through out the year.
Lets us find out the reason why it happened. The cheap rate at which gas (petrol) is available in America cannot offset the factor of consumer awareness about the utility of cheap cars running on cheap gas. It is during these days when America began to emit 30 percent of the worlds polluted gasses into the Earth atmosphere.
Today, not only the consumer is aware but factors like emission control norms, cheap labour and better production techniques in South Korea, China and Japan has beat the American car manufacturers in their own game. The marketing propoganda was sustained a couple or more decades but eventually the market had to saturate inspite of relying on generous influx of emigrants and paying good wages so that teh great American dream can be lived with those extra shining sleek cars.
So, also the idea that technology can eventually master any human crises. To take control of the limited resources, technology will be used to obliterate or exterminate an entire neighbourhood. Relying on technology creates the horrors like in Nagasaki, Chernobyl, Bhopal, WTC - Newyork, Iraq (remember the shock and awe bombardment). Technology may help us produce sufficient food stocks, but can it prevent wars.
The human element is the worrying element. Without curbing the wants which have turned luxurious today, without the spirit of cooperation instead competition, without the spirit of compassion and aesthetics, the future of human community is very grim.
To prevent the horrific incidents like European holocaust, Rwanda massacres, Chechyans operation, it is but necessary to give an hard look at basic governance issues like democracies, justice, and poverty reduction.
If we need a better world, i believe the three basic issues needs to be addressed. For this to succeed, the world needs to find a viable economic model with the good points of governance within capitalism and the good points of equitable distribution within socialism. I hope and believe that it is not as hard to coopt both the strong points in a single economic system.
