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Undertoad · 10-10-2002, 02:16 PM

A lot of folks wring their hands over sustainability, but they usually make the mistake of not considering improved productivity and new innovation over that time period.

There is no way that the agricultural practices of the year 1900 could feed the populations of 2000, for example. Absolutely unsustainable. But on the way to disaster mankind worked out how to apply new technology and practices to farming. In 1900 it took 50% of the population to grow the food for everyone. Now it takes about 1%.

10-10-2002, 02:16 PM	#6
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	A lot of folks wring their hands over sustainability, but they usually make the mistake of not considering improved productivity and new innovation over that time period. There is no way that the agricultural practices of the year 1900 could feed the populations of 2000, for example. Absolutely unsustainable. But on the way to disaster mankind worked out how to apply new technology and practices to farming. In 1900 it took 50% of the population to grow the food for everyone. Now it takes about 1%.