What if we run out of stuff?
September 10th, 2007, 8:40 am · Post a Comment · posted by fsherman
A recent Daily News article on copper thefts has me wondering what happens if there’s not enough stuff to go around.
From what I’ve read, the reason why copper has become worth stealing — whether it’s taken from construction sites or by ripping the wires out of a house under construction — is that with China and India industrializing, there’s now a huge demand for that stuff, so there’s profit to be made in theft.
That makes me wonder about the future, given that the industrializing of China has barely begun, so their need for copper—and oil, and other materials—will inevitably grow. And what if other parts of the world now in a pre-industrial stage start to move ahead as well?
Right now, the U.S. and western Europe are the apex of the economic pyramid, living at a level the vast majority of humankind doesn’t come close to (houses, cars, personal computers, air-conditioning and central heating, a steady supply of food, etc.). What I’m asking is, are there enough raw materials for everyone in the world to move up the pyramid? And what effect will it have when they try?
Take oil, for instance: What happens if China (or some other nation down the road) begins outbidding us for the oil that now flows into our economy? Will we try to make a go on less oil? Or pay more to keep the spigot turned on, even if China’s bidding pushes the price through the roof? Or following the longstanding doctrine that Mideast oil is a vital American resource, would we use force to maintain the supply as is?
The same questions apply to copper, or any other resource that might become scarce in the future: Is there enough to go around? And if not, how will we cope if our share is threatened? Because someday, it probably will be.
I’ve no particular answer, but I wanted to raise the question.
