Robbins opens Chapter 2 by talking about Phoenix, Arizona. He talks about the vast number of people that live there and the amount of resources in which the land has to offer. It is disconcerting to think about the 12th largest city in America being in the middle of a dessert, especially when one thinks about the roadways and housing developments that are currently being built.
Is the world overpopulated with humans? Is it too late to do anything about it? Robbins reminds us that there are some that hold the position that populace growth leads to innovation. Take agricultural development for example. As more and more people have come into existence there have been advancements to produce more food. After all, there was a time in which humans lived in a hunter/gatherer mode of life.
In 1999 it was estimated that the six billionth person had been born. Some estimated that there have been about a hundred billion people to ever live. It is difficult to imagine that the living populace makes up for six percent of the entire human population that has ever lived.
The question begs the answer: “Is population a social driver of environmental change or is it actually the product or outcome of social and environmental circumstance and conditions?”
The Jevon’s problem is quite interesting. The idea that technological improvements that increase the efficiency of a material ultimately lead to an increased rate of consumption is an interesting one. A good example of this is England and lumber. The English found effective ways to gather and shape trees in order to sail around the world. As a result, many forests were devastated.
Green washing is one of my biggest pet peeves. A good example of this practice is the way in which Toyota advertises its hybrid cars. Take the Prius for example, it is considered to be one of the most fuel-efficient cars sold in the United States. As fuel-efficient as it may be, the company fails to advertise that the engine blocks for the cars came from across an ocean in a giant cargo ship.
“Many governments, including the United States, therefore express fear that if they make sacrifices in this direction while others do not, they will no longer be competitive. The benefits of carbon reduction, in a parallel way, would be experienced by all countries but must be paid by individual countries.” Prisoner’s dilemma is a provoking problem in Game Theory. It is curious that situations occur when multiple parties will not cooperate, even if it is in their best interest.
