"Can we solve two problems at once - unemployment and preparing for power down?
Posted by Gail the Actuary on August 22, 2010 - 10:38am in The Oil Drum: Campfire
Topic: Environment/Sustainability
Tags: george mobus, soils, unemployment [list all tags]
This is a guest post by George Mobus. George is an Associate Professor of Computing and Software Systems at the University of Washington, Tacoma. His blog is Question Everything.

Solving the Unemployment Problem and Preparing for Power Down Simultaneously

Here is an old idea with a potential future:

Put People to Work Doing Something Worthwhile
While the politicians wring their hands and cry about how awful the jobs situation is, and as they contemplate a possible stimulus package (except, of course for the Republicans who have bravely led the fight to curb the deficit — as if it mattered), the real solution will evade them because they simply do not see the future. They are as lost as the neoclassical economists are in believing this economic ‘situation’ is temporary and that we will eventually get back to business as usual. That is we will eventually get back on the track to growth and prosperity. Not likely.

There is really only one physically feasible solution. It's not one that anyone will like, and so it will be contested and rejected until it is too late. It isn't, as we say, politically feasible. But it would work if humans were wise enough to follow it. What is it?
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http://campfire.theoi...
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I would love to discuss the article.