the ideal solution

Most people are aware of climate change and most are smart enough to agree with the prevailing scientific view that humans are causing global warming. Those that don't, either don't get it, or more often perhaps, don't want to get it. They prefer to be left alone and continue doing the things they have always done and more. Those that do seem to care and argue against, are often misguided but sometimes it appears the issues are simply too complex for them to understand. Or perhaps they think that by endlessly repeating the same argument, it will somehow become reality.

Regardless of whether you "buy into" global warming, it is clear enough to those willing to look that we are faced with a myriad of problems that all find their roots in having too many humans wasting too much stuff. We are running out of fish, our only way to produce enough meat is unsustainable, the forests are disappearing, the coral reefs are turning to wastelands, and everywhere you look pollution is rampant, etc. etc. The list is endless and what is more important, these items are perhaps easier to understand than climate science. You may not buy that the world is getting warmer, but you can certainly see that it is getting hopelessly polluted and that our natural resources are being depleted at breakneck speeds.

But enough already, let's assume you are sensible enough to see the obvious. The question is how to fix it? It appears that the ideal solution is also the least palatable one. Many people who do understand the seriousness of our predicament, will nonetheless object to the only proven solution. That solution is also the most elegant of all and it requires no technology breakthroughs, or alternative energy, or what have you. Simply make things more expensive. Raise prices. The only way to make humans appreciate the value of resources is to make it so they can ill afford to use them. Only then will they modify their behavior and act sensibly. It appears we aren't smart enough to stop ourselves. We are like addicts who cannot refuse another drink, no matter how bad it will be for our health. And worse, even if we tried to abstain and not touch the drink, as soon as someone else did, we'd be all over them with envy and all hell would break lose.

Rising prices have several beneficial effects. Not only do they reduce consumption, they also have a negative effect on population growth. And right now, that is very important. We are near the limit of what the planet can sustain. Especially if we all live or want to live the way Americans do. If that is the goal, it would probably be better if we reduced the size of the world population by a good 30-40%. If we could somehow all agree to live sensibly, we could perhaps keep the total near 6 or so billion, but not too much more. That scenario is however extremely unlikely.

Oh, and one last thing. If we don't have the stomach to make the necessary changes, they will be made for us. That, my friends is going to start happening soon enough for most of us to notice.