Existing scarcity

So what surmountable scarcity exists today? Slums built on swamp land near a garbage dump in Jakarta Collecting water in Mwamanongu Village, Tanzania Pharmaceuticals All the usual suspects, and a lot applies as much to Western countries as it does to the developing world. Clean energy Clean water Nutritious food Medicine and medical facilities Decent housing in slum areas Sustainable development  High quality, interesting education Safe and efficient transportation that doesn't kill or maim significant numbers of passengers or contribute to changing our climate The facilities for people and communities to do more things for themselves - we are too reliant on machines and products from big business Resources to get things done that need to be done - at a community level — sounds woolly perhaps but covers uncountable worthy projects that simply don't get done through lack of funds, manpower or bureaucratic hurdles Quality - quality products and architecture as examples. Time - people's time. Time to follow things important to the individual. Time for other people. Causes Lack of appropriate technology Locked-up resources Short-term thinking Inadequate co-operation (lack of communication and sharing of knowledge) Self-interest (at many levels) Cultural inertia (that's the way it has always been done) Lack of trust Ignorance (lack of education or understanding) Incompetent government administration Bureaucracy War and in no small part, monetary economics See also Scarcity  (Wikipedia entry) Post-scarcity Mankind's fundamental resources