Is western civilisation in terminal decline?

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 05 Dec 2015, 16:21

I think we are agreeing with each other with slightly different wording!

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 05 Dec 2015, 17:28

kenneal - lagger wrote:I think we are agreeing with each other with slightly different wording!

Yes and most likely it comes down to definitions. But we have managed to yet again take a perfectly good thread totally off topic.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 05 Dec 2015, 17:53

I wouldn't say that we're completely off topic because most previous civilisations have declined because they have exhausted or overun their energy or food supplies or both. A discussion on the way that food supplies our energy is useful to many people as they have no comprehension of the sustainability of our current food production methods.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 05 Dec 2015, 18:37

kenneal - lagger wrote:I wouldn't say that we're completely off topic because most previous civilisations have declined because they have exhausted or overun their energy or food supplies or both. A discussion on the way that food supplies our energy is useful to many people as they have no comprehension of the sustainability of our current food production methods.

I would argue that it is sustainable post fossil fuel and fertilizer, but even if it is at seven billion population it certainly won't be at nine or ten billion. That predicts a population crash and the surviving population will have to subsist on whatever is sustainable after the resource wars which will be part of that population crash.
I expect the grandchildren of this generation will have a very hard time of it.