"To inspire them to realize more and more of their capacities for living meaningful lives. Because there certainly is meaning to life."
-John Coltrane on Uplifting Others

Monday, September 27, 2010

Abundance and Scarcity

I just finished reading this post on Economics, and couldn't help but see a contradiction. Namely, I saw the shift from necessity (scarcity) to abundance. While there is an abundance of consumer products that came with the Industrial and Digital revolutions, the prices for staples (food especially) are rising. Some may chalk this up to inflation, but there is a scarier trend happening.
Recently Mozambicans rioted because of rising food prices(see picture above); hundreds were injured. CNN wrote an article on "food security;"I'm still not sure what that means. However, I realize the implication. While we have abundance in bandwidth and other technological goods, food and water are becoming scarce. Here's another article about the problems we're facing.
Are there people using today's technology to enhance food productivity, other than genetically enhanced fish or pigs?

3 comments:

  1. You know Mike, we live in the last days. If we think it's bad now, we just need to wait for the fulfillment of a few more prophecies! I don't know the answer to your question, but I am interested in replacing the fear of this trend with faith.

    I really believe that our God loves us, His children, and that He is in control. I also believe that He will let us know His will through President Monson.

    Soon enough, we'll all care much more about life essentials, basic food and water, than we do about digital literacy and blogs. Thanks for reminding me of my last days perspective that I had forgotten.

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  2. This is very much a concern to me. I don't think we spend enough time in our society contemplating how we are going to provide enough food and water to everyone.

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  3. I know what the church is doing in Africa with drilling clean water wells and delivering humanitarian aid, but where are the other organizations who can or should step up?

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