Friday, July 13, 2012

Scarcity and Abundance

The rain came today to central KY. In this area the prediction is for about 3" over the weekend. Much needed, it goes without saying. At the same time the rain began to fall I read an article that 1,000 counties are in a drought emergency across the country; 1,000 counties.

That climate change is upon us seems self-evident. Of course the earth has gone through many cycles of truly significant climate change what with ice ages and all. Are we on the threshold of a significant change? Who can say at the moment? What is the role of humanity in the rate of climate change? There can be no serious doubt that urbanization has led to surface changes that have an effect on the weather, but how much?

In the meantime there are these cycles of scarcity and abundance. They don't have too profound an effect on those of us who have a decent income and a home, but surely the economic impact of scarcity and abundance effects millions of people and it's all interrelated. When something is scarce it has potential to bring abundance to those who profit from scarcity and when something is abundant the one who depends upon its provision receives less in profit.

It isn't a perfected world, nor system. Even as we have industrialized and urbanized we are still dependent on the earth and are subject to scarcity and abundance.