[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Re: Ecological Economics and Entropy
In <E1J8In.Fr6.0.sheppard@torfree.net> bg364@torfree.net (Yuri
Kuchinsky) writes:
>
>Matt Kennel (mbk@caffeine.engr.utk.edu) wrote:
>
>: [...]but one must consider the possibility that the
>: screwed up governmental policies and civil wars are significantly
exacerbated
>: by existing local overpopulation.
To consider this a possibility, one must first establish
that there is such a thing as "local overpopulation".
To do that, one must first define "overpopulation".
Any meaningful definition of "overpopulation" (aside from
ecobabble) must include the following condition:
an area is only overpopulated if its prosperity
would be greater with a smaller population -
other *independent* factors being equal.
Production is not an independent factor, because
it depends on population; so do crop yields per
acre, known mineral reserves etc - all of these
are changed by human activity, and so by population.
This condition may hold, for example, in a besieged
city - because it is consuming the rations accumulated
previously, and is not producing much.
This is an artificial and abnormal situation.
Normally, per capita productivity grows
with increased population, because of the
positive economic effects of human cooperation.
Therefore, prosperity of a productive economy
(as opposed to an artificial enclave that
only consumes) grows with population.
If there is not enough to go around
for N people, there will be enough for
2N or 4N people - because production
will more than double with 2N people and
much more than quadruple with 4N.
Seeming overpopulation
is a mask of underproduction - therefore a
mask (among other things) of *underpopulation*.
Underpopulation is real, overpopulation (except in
artificial cases) is only a superstition,
based on falsified Malthusian assumptions.
Not existing, overpopulation cannot contribute to civil wars
or to anything else. False assumption of it *can*,
however. I can't ythink of any case where it actually contributed
to *civil* wars, but the expansionist policy of both Japan
and Germany was reinforced by this false assumption.
Having failed in their exoansion, both nations became
prosperous at home,
with smaller territory and greater population.
Go thou and do likewise...
Follow-Ups:
References: