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Re: Ecological Economics and Entropy



Jay Hanson includes:

     You may not remeber, but we humans have already appropriated
     nearly 50% of the terrestrial net product of
     photosynthesis. In other words, all solar energy is now
     being used -- one way or another.

The "in other words" is mistaken.

Most of the sun's energy that strikes the earth is not causing
photosynthesis of any kind.  It just warms the ground and is
re-radiated.  It is available for solar electric power or for
increasing the total amount of photosynthesis.

He also repeats that uranium is only 4 parts per million of the
earth's crust.  Correct.  He says we are nearly out of usable uranium
assuming we don't use breeder reactors.  This is old information.  We
aren't nearly out, because rich new uranium deposits have been
discovered.  However, in the long run we will use breeder reactors.

Hanson also includes:

     As far as "nukes" go, 35 years wouldn't even get you past
     the lawsuits.  Nukes are a political no-go.

Coupling this with his prediction of industrial civilization
collapsing, it suggests that humanity in general and the U.S. in
particular would rather perish than overcome legal guerrilla warfare.
Does he really believe that?


-- 
John McCarthy, Computer Science Department, Stanford, CA 94305
http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/
During the last years of the Second Millenium, the Earthmen complained
a lot.


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