The notion of resources are scarce - it's just an illusion ?

Question

Many philosophers have proposed the idea that resources are actually NOT scarce like what people believe to be, but actually there's more than enough for everyone : which is causing alot of unneccessary problems amongst human beings. (jealousy, stinginess etc.)
I want to know what are your views on my question and if you can give support it'll be even better.

Answer 1

Well generally, yes the resources, at least the important ones are scarce. Take crude oil for instance, the heart of energy resources in the world today. The world has just over a hundred years of proven oil reserves and we use more than 83 million barrels a day. One day the world will run out of crude oil and until then we will have to come up with a reliable alternative, which to date we have not. there are many Hybrid fuel vehicles but look at their percentage in commercial use... next to nothing. Apart from that, biproducts of petroleum extraction are used by power plants and yes, these oils are considred to be the best form of energy fuel available. the problem with alternatives is that the cells are too elusive and hence escape whereas the cost is prohibitive. the latest electric car designed by Chevy costs over a million pounds.
So that's just one example and yes I do believe that resources are running out; though I think it should not deprive us of tolerance but infortunately it has.
This world may be mortal and also all those who reside here but unfortunately in retrospect we have decided to live with intolerance and among others, one cause is resources. Ironic that the supreme being should fight over precious commodities, but true.
Excellent question.
Cheers.

Answer 2

Non-renewable resources such as natural gas, petroleum and oil are available in a finite supply. Generous estimates for the life-time of these reserves are about 200 years, and some estimates are as low as 10-50 years. This is a scientific fact, and the very name NON-RENEWABLE means that the more we use, the less there is for future generations.
Besides the limited amount of these resources, their use is causing environmental degredation on both a local and global scale, limiting and impairing the renewability of other resources such as water, soil, and numerous speicies.
Our economy is based on products which are ultimately provided by the environment, to not acknowledge the damage we are causing and adopting the attitude that there is plenty for all will only make the situation worse.
When we chop down a forest to harvest the lumber, we take all the nutrients tied up in the trees biomass out of that ecosystem. This is why conversion of rainforest for agricultural purpsoes never works out, the land is useless in a couple of years because it has lost the ability to support life.
Renewable resources are only renewable if we manage properly and take no more than the maximum sustainable yield (take no more than what can be produced in a given time period). We must also ensure not to put more contaminants into a system than it can clean out in a given amount of time. Otherwise we will destroy the supply, and overwhelm the cleansing properties of the envirnonment. We will impede the planets ability to support human life.
So no, there is not more than enough for everyone, there is just enough for everyone if we make use of clean technologies and manage resources properly.

Answer 3

Purhapes there is is not a'scare' amount of products yet but at the rate that we use it there will be.

I live in north were lots of drilling is down, rigs are constintly moved, because they are empty nad have been used up, and they are coming closer to town too i noticed, but, the question for oil and gas is.. where does it come from... oil i belive comes from the remains of animals crushed and morphed into crude oil.... or so im told...
there are 'pockets' of these every where, and so there would seem to be an unlimited amount of resources, but just as mines dry up so too do these wells, one day there wont be any more, one day eveything will be empty,. it may be hard to imagine now but that is because most people are narrow and short sighted.

Answer 4

The world is never scare in natural resources as long as it exits. Everything is provided and the materials we need to produce is here. Like fusion. The world has a lot of unharness lands and natural resources.

Answer 5

It has more to do with geography than anything else (we have water & the desert has oil). We simply have to learn to distribute the resources we have in a more equitable way. Unfortunately, it seems that most folks have motives that aren't so honorable.

Answer 6

The word scarce means it commands a price. It doesnt mean there is shortage , as you implied.