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Re: Ecological Economics and Entropy



bg364@torfree.net (Yuri Kuchinsky) wrote for all to see:

>Harold Brashears (brshears@whale.st.usm.edu) wrote:
>: yuku@io.org (Yuri Kuchinsky) wrote for all to see:

[deleted]

>: >World Food Organization reports that over 800 million people are starving 
>: >on this planet right now. Get rid of your pink glasses.
>
>: I know I will hate myself for replying, but I feel a desire to note
>: that, with less than 16% of the world, this means that more than 84%
>: are getting sufficient food.  This is in stark contrast to previous
>: eras, when much larger portions of the population were continually
>: starving.
>
>How do you know this?

I will give you references, but I am under no illusion that you will
visit a library to find out the truth, maybe some lurkers will enjoy
the experience:

1. Hatcher, J., "Mortality in the Fifteenth Century", Economic History
Review, vol 39(1), p 19, 1986.

2. Freudenberger, Herman, Cummins, "Health, Work and Leisure Before
the Industrial Revolution", Explorations In Economic History, 13,
1-12.

3. Braudel, "Capitalism and Material Life 1400-1800".  New York,
Harper and Row, 1967.

>As the absolute number of people starving is now greater than ever in the 
>world, that means that the total amount of misery is greater than ever. 
>This is progress?

I am not sure where you get this assertion, since you appear to be
trying to guage the misery of your fellow humans, and passing
judgement on the quality of their misery.  I would hesitate to do
that.


References: