The Illusion of Resource Scarcity

Jeremy Wallman
Jul 10, 2017 · 1 min read

Approximately 85 petawatts of energy reaches the earth’s surface per year. All of humanity uses roughly 16 terawatts annually. There is nearly five thousand times more (clean and emission-free) energy falling from the sky than humans consume. Resource scarcity is the primary cause of human suffering, but it is no more than an illusion perpetuated by a lack of vision and willingness to work together. The solution to humanity’s problems is literally shining down upon us from the heavens. Yet we choose instead to poison our aquifers, scrape off the tops of mountains, and damage our ecosystem so we can burn the dead animals underneath. We should consider rethinking our approach.