I have often wondered if we as a specie can sustain ourselves with our current rate of consumption. In some ways we are parasitic and seem take a lot from nature and our environment with no end in sight. For quite some time the question – “When will our consumption exceed our production capabilities?” had been on my mind. One of the first things that I think of is commodities – Oil, natural gas, food grain etc. At the rate we are growing – in population and consumption patterns, we will soon be at a point where we will surpass production. What happens then? Can’t we see it coming and change our behavior?
Interestingly NPR’s Science Friday (definitely my favorite radio show), had a discussion on this topic recently and many of my observations are in fact real concerns. The study discussed in the program was focused on China. If Chinese start consuming at the rate which Americans consume, we will have a huge short fall in less than 20 years. One of the examples was of oil. Current world production is 83-85 mil barrels/day. By 2020 China alone will need 90 mil + barrels/day and production of oil will not get any higher that current levels. This is just one commodity. If China starts consuming paper like the US, we will have to wipe out the forests of the world. Not ideal for our sustenance to say the least.
So what can we do? I think the answer is two fold. On one end of the spectrum we have to implement global policies, which needs bold leadership (no were in sight!) and at the grass root level each individual will have to become more environment friendly. It means more than separating recyclable stuff from regular thrash; it has to be imbued into our everyday life. Don’t leave the tap running while shaving. Don’t print anything that is not necessary. Don’t drive if you can walk or use a bicycle. Use energy efficient cars…So many thing and there very little things can have a huge impact.
But we are so reluctant. Why?