Threat of world resources shortage

amcluesent

Ministers have ordered a review of looming global shortages of resources, from fish and timber to water and precious metals, amid mounting concern that the problem could hit every sector of the economy.

"The study has been commissioned following sharp rises in many commodity prices on the world markets and recent riots in some countries over food shortages.

There is also evidence that some nations are stockpiling important materials. For years, experts have warned of the threat of peak oil to both the world economy and international political stability if countries go to war to secure access to fossil fuels."

2010 marking the start of the Long Emergency for sure!

vivatifosi

Review sounds very sensible, particularly in the light of:

There is also evidence that some nations are stockpiling important materials, buying up key producers and land and restricting exports in an attempt to protect their own businesses from increasingly fierce global competition.

Never had you down as a Guardian reader though amc.

the_flying_pig

Hoorah, shortages, rising prices, great news :beer: - or does that only apply to property?

97trophy

sound like an advert for buying gold....

we have heard all this before....some of us oldies remember the club of Rome in 1968
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_of_Rome

lvader

You wouldn't think so with the way commodity prices have crashed in the last month.

chris_m

amcluesent wrote: »

if countries go to war to secure access to fossil fuels."

If ??????

amcluesent

>Never had you down as a Guardian reader though amc.<

Wrapped my fish supper this evening, the chippie is an educated man!

Kohoutek

97trophy wrote: »

we have heard all this before....some of us oldies remember the club of Rome in 1968
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_of_Rome

Since 1968, the world population population has doubled, and now everyone wants a Western lifestyle :eek:

kabayiri

What's more incredulous is the lack of a plan before now. Implementing a plan to secure resources can take a long time.

Did the last government defer every hard decision, hoping something 'would turn up' ?

Kohoutek

kabayiri wrote: »

What's more incredulous is the lack of a plan before now. Implementing a plan to secure resources can take a long time.

Did the last government defer every hard decision, hoping something 'would turn up' ?

"I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that."
— Thomas Edison, 1931

nearlynew

"Money" is only a abstract representation of the Earth's resources.


Without the Earth's resources, we have nothing.
And it doesn't matter how many IOUs you write, eventually they will become worthless.


What we are witnessing is the early stages of that decline in resources.

Every single problem facing us today - economic, social, political, environmental - is a result of that fact.