Difference between revisions of "Post-scarcity/Intro"
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| − | [[Image:Cornucopia.jpg|right| | + | [[Image:Cornucopia.jpg|right|180px|Cornucopia (the horn of plenty)]] The '''post-scarcity age''' is an anticipated period where due to advancing technology, efficient use of natural resources and co-operation there should exist a great abundance of the material items that everyone needs, achieved with a minimal impact to the environment. |
| − | Many fictional visions of post scarcity involve as yet undeveloped technologies | + | Many fictional visions of post scarcity involve as yet undeveloped technologies but the reality is that global material abundance can be produced with current technologies. Food is one example, where there is more than enough produced for everyone on the planet <sup>[http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm]</sup>, but politics, economics and logistics prevent fair distribution. The bottom line is that in the [[fundamental resources]] of this planet there exists many orders of magnitude more energy, raw material and biological resources than humanity requires, it is a matter of developing systems that use and distribute them more efficiently. |
| − | + | By employing [[open collaborative design]], [[Virtual designs into physical objects|digital manufacturing]] and [[advanced automation]] in combination, everything we need should be trivial to [[Virtual designs into physical objects|fabricate]] and [[Automated transport systems|distribute]] {{em}} from the basics like clean [[Fundamental resources/Water|water]], good quality [[Fundamental resources/Food|food]], [[medicine]] and [[Construction|suitable housing]], to increasingly essential material goods such as vehicles, computers and mobile phones {{en}} all the way up to purely luxury items. [[Decentralization|Decentralizing]] production of these things will also allow more equal access to them and sidestep many of the issues involved in distributing them. These methods could overcome nearly all [[scarcity|significant scarcity]] that persists due to the economic framework we have inherited from previous eras. This isn't to say what is proposed here ''will'' happen, but that it ''could'' happen {{en}} it is feasible from a physical and technological viewpoint. It is a matter of spreading the knowledge that these things are possible and enough people choosing to work towards it. | |
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Latest revision as of 14:29, 16 December 2012
Many fictional visions of post scarcity involve as yet undeveloped technologies but the reality is that global material abundance can be produced with current technologies. Food is one example, where there is more than enough produced for everyone on the planet [1], but politics, economics and logistics prevent fair distribution. The bottom line is that in the fundamental resources of this planet there exists many orders of magnitude more energy, raw material and biological resources than humanity requires, it is a matter of developing systems that use and distribute them more efficiently.
By employing open collaborative design, digital manufacturing and advanced automation in combination, everything we need should be trivial to fabricate and distribute — from the basics like clean water, good quality food, medicine and suitable housing, to increasingly essential material goods such as vehicles, computers and mobile phones – all the way up to purely luxury items. Decentralizing production of these things will also allow more equal access to them and sidestep many of the issues involved in distributing them. These methods could overcome nearly all significant scarcity that persists due to the economic framework we have inherited from previous eras. This isn't to say what is proposed here will happen, but that it could happen – it is feasible from a physical and technological viewpoint. It is a matter of spreading the knowledge that these things are possible and enough people choosing to work towards it.
