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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1975)
V editorial WHAT did you 00 ovtR VACATION , MLPH ? X WENT SKIING IN COLORADO. SKIM, HUH, hdww r? WARM! World facing era of crises with no solutions We are at the beginning of an era in which crises overlooked until quite recently are now occurring with such rapidity that our ability to deal with them is being shaken. Almost without exception, we barely decide that a problem should be resolutely faced, construct solutions, and finally find out that conventional wisdom and solutions are woefully inadequate, before a new crisis intrudes. That problems seem to arrive in groups is hardly a mere coincidence. Instead, it is a clear indication that various crises are different interrelated aspects of a more basic ill. To view each crisis as a separate case, with scant relationships to the others, and with its own particular solution, is to completely misread the situation and thus waste valuable time on hopeless solutions. One cannot successfully alter one facet of a complex problem if other facets remain the same, for the patterns are interdependent and reinforce one another. For instance, hunger might be eliminated within 10-15 years if all available resources were directed into a single-minded, all-out effort to increase food production. But, obviously the costs ' would be prohibitive. The same type of effort could be made to meet energy needs-with the same results. Clearly such single-minded, all-out approaches to problem solving would be disastrous. Yet, such approaches are the only way that our present piecemeal efforts could completely ease a particular problem. Crisis must be dealt with not as an isolated phenomenon, but as a larger complex of problems that together constitute the crisis of modern life. On the one hand, modern industrial nations, and all those underdeveloped nations which aspire to such status, pursue fallacy through their commitment to ever increasing economic growth in a world where resources are finite. In a finite world such as ours, each nation is in a viciously competitive zero-sum game. That is, for an industrial nation to have the necessary economic and raw materials at its disposal to support increasingly higher levels of growth, other nations must give up those resources. When the United States wins, others must lose. Taking food as an example, industrial nations heavily depend upon oil-base fertilizers and herbicides to support their agricultural system. Abundance and variety of agricultural products is a keystone of growth economics-one need only Jook at the glut of "junk foods", tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, cotton-based paper and fabric, wood products and so on to realize the importance of fertilizer and herbicides to industrial growth. rickjohnson rhymes end reasons Fertilizer and herbicide prices in the past two years have skyrocketed, due mainly to increased oil prices. When oil is expensive, only the richer countries can afford it thus rising prices put fertilizer and herbicides out of the hands that need them the most. Gluttonous consumption supports economic growth while other nations struggle to produce the bare necessities. . Industrial nations can no longer aim for yearly increases in the gross national product and a continually rising standard of living. This will mean that industrial economics will have to seek a new level of equilibrium away from the growth Tor growth's sake mentality. Cuts in the present living standards will be a likely consequence, but increased efficiency and less waste would minimize these cuts. Of course, world-wide problems are not entirely caused through economic exploitation by industrial nations. The root problem of demand for resources outstripping supply is a two-headed monster. Beyond the disproportional use of resources by some nations, is the problem of burgeoning population. In 1850, world population was one billion; in 1920, two billion; in 1975, four billion; and prospects are for the population to reach eight billion by 2010. The positions of some underdeveloped nations and the Pope are today as untenable as those of industrial nations which were discussed above. Birth control and population planning is rapidly moving beyond the stage of individual preference and into the realm of necessity. At least elementary population planning can no longer be rationally opposed by either the Church or poor nations. On the short-range basis, mankind must recognize that shortages are unavoidable and must be dealt with through conservation and more efficient recycling efforts. But the critical question is whether we. can face the fact that the crises that afflict us are not separate problems, but merely aspects of a greater problem-that of exponential growth in a finite world. Exponential growth in both economics and population are at the heart of our problems. Because the world has so eagerly agreed to insanely disregard any limits for either economic or population growth, all have had to convince themselves that this willingness is right and good. Any change in their positions would mean that someone was wrong-and we all know that the Pope is infallible. . .and Americans. . .and Indians. No one can or will admit that long-held commitments have outlived their usefulness and are increasingly dangerous. As in dramatic tragedy, overweening pride seems likely to bring tragic results. DAILY fC$5ZA5V4AN O GET OUT YOUR, CRAYONS, WYS i GIRLS m ME WE U.S. WINES. (color "them khaki) 7rtoEY ARE RAISING THE FLAG II (color it red vrih low Qutsnort wnan counTru'st iaa ts wtih a callow star? S3 WJ 1 vr 7fefj--v If l S wwVY II page 4 daily nebraskan Ati?Y2SI TO e3l9N h North Vic&iam (1 potrits") Wednesday, april 2, 1975