In Response to C. Smith. Your paradox arises from an unacknowledged, and false, assumption. It's a common error to ignore the creation of new resources once people employ their minds. New ways of extending shrinking resources, and even discovery and invention of alternative resources, takes place every day. As long as people are free to think, innovate, produce, and retain the value of their efforts, there are no "finite resources" to be consumed. To confirm this with historical evidence, one can make comparisons of commodity prices for supposedly "finite" resources (such as gold, crude oil, etc.). If they were truly "finite", supply and demand would force the prices higher over the long term. However, they always fall. The falling prices cannot be explained by demand falling faster than supply, with population growth, demand tends to grow and force prices of a finite commodity higher. The reality is that the prices fall. The false assumption is that resources are finite.
JOIN THE DEBATE Be sure to include your name and affiliation. Legitimate requests for anonymity will be honored. Submissions may be condensed or edited for clarity.
| ||||||||
previous response
Copyright © 1999 by The Chronicle of Higher Education