Comments on: Only the slums can save us now http://futurismic.com/2010/02/22/only-the-slums-can-save-us-now/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:03:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Paul Raven http://futurismic.com/2010/02/22/only-the-slums-can-save-us-now/comment-page-1/#comment-77592 Paul Raven Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:49:23 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=10528#comment-77592 Not at all, Dave, not at all - dissenting views and opinions are always welcome here, provided they're argued politely and free of political axe-grinding. That's how we learn new things, right? :) Not at all, Dave, not at all – dissenting views and opinions are always welcome here, provided they’re argued politely and free of political axe-grinding. That’s how we learn new things, right? :)

]]> By: Dave http://futurismic.com/2010/02/22/only-the-slums-can-save-us-now/comment-page-1/#comment-77591 Dave Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:46:16 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=10528#comment-77591 . . . I only ever post here to get in fights, apparently. . . . I only ever post here to get in fights, apparently.

]]> By: Dave http://futurismic.com/2010/02/22/only-the-slums-can-save-us-now/comment-page-1/#comment-77590 Dave Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:46:01 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=10528#comment-77590 Perhaps I am drawing the wrong implication from the word "chic" above . . . but I doubt it. It reminds me of the glamorization of "marginal" living in the cyberpunk writers. Anyway, I guess I am not inclined to think of the modalities of extreme poverty as techniques or inventions. You'll get "an industry based on gathering up old cardboard boxes" where the price of labor is very low relative to materials. It's not an ecological hack, it's just an economic condition -- and it's a condition that corresponds to being very poor. An additional implication is that most of these tactics couldn't be ported to the rich world, because they would be a hideous waste of resources. Perhaps I am drawing the wrong implication from the word “chic” above . . . but I doubt it. It reminds me of the glamorization of “marginal” living in the cyberpunk writers.

Anyway, I guess I am not inclined to think of the modalities of extreme poverty as techniques or inventions. You’ll get “an industry based on gathering up old cardboard boxes” where the price of labor is very low relative to materials. It’s not an ecological hack, it’s just an economic condition — and it’s a condition that corresponds to being very poor.

An additional implication is that most of these tactics couldn’t be ported to the rich world, because they would be a hideous waste of resources.

]]> By: Paul Raven http://futurismic.com/2010/02/22/only-the-slums-can-save-us-now/comment-page-1/#comment-77539 Paul Raven Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:51:56 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=10528#comment-77539 I don't think anyone's saying it's "cool" - I'm certainly not! I do however think it's interesting to turn to the adaptive behaviours of the world's least fortunate people for lessons in how to get by with a smaller ecological footprint. Necessity is the mother of invention, and all that. :) I don’t think anyone’s saying it’s “cool” – I’m certainly not! I do however think it’s interesting to turn to the adaptive behaviours of the world’s least fortunate people for lessons in how to get by with a smaller ecological footprint. Necessity is the mother of invention, and all that. :)

]]> By: Dave http://futurismic.com/2010/02/22/only-the-slums-can-save-us-now/comment-page-1/#comment-77244 Dave Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:12:59 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=10528#comment-77244 They're "efficient" because they're grindingly poor. You can bet ragpickers would be ragbuyers if they could afford it. Permanent, grinding poverty may very well be in all of our future, but you're an idiot if you think it's cool. They’re “efficient” because they’re grindingly poor. You can bet ragpickers would be ragbuyers if they could afford it. Permanent, grinding poverty may very well be in all of our future, but you’re an idiot if you think it’s cool.

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