By 1900, as Vaclav Smil reminds us ,most of the technology (machines, 'things' in David Edgerton's sense of that word) around us today had been invented and was in active use: as well as being further commercially developed and technically improved.
They are still in use, still under constant commercial development and steady technological improvement.
They are the fruits of the generation of The Children of High Modernity.
Showing posts with label vaclav smil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vaclav smil. Show all posts
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
18 TRILLION tonnes of stupidity raises ocean levels
In just the last 50 years, humans have pumped up 18 trillion tonnes of precious fossil water, non-renewable water from the rock deep below desert and arid parts of the Earth.
Used wisely and slowly in some closed loop system - say waste water to enclosed greenhouse for example, it might have lasted for thousands of years for a small but frugal population on those dry lands.
Instead we blew it - literally.
Blew it up in the air through massive one kilometre long sprinklers to grow open air, water hungry crops like wheat.
Yep, turns out that Saudi Arabia, for but one example, literally blew all of its water resources in a 30 year bid to become self sufficient in food.
Used wisely and slowly in some closed loop system - say waste water to enclosed greenhouse for example, it might have lasted for thousands of years for a small but frugal population on those dry lands.
Instead we blew it - literally.
Blew it up in the air through massive one kilometre long sprinklers to grow open air, water hungry crops like wheat.
Yep, turns out that Saudi Arabia, for but one example, literally blew all of its water resources in a 30 year bid to become self sufficient in food.
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