Quote Originally Posted by wiggin View Post
If you want. Obviously the environmental issues of rapid growth in the third world (notably China and India) are not to be ignored. If you're interested we can discuss this in another thread.
I'm not sure how to word what I'd like to discuss I might give it a go later if my thoughts clear up. (Or you can start it from your own POV if you're inclined)

Quote Originally Posted by wiggin View Post
Electronics waste is an issue, yes, but already it's being addressed. I'm really not very concerned about this - demand is increasing for rare earths, yes, but there's vast amounts out there, plenty of it in economically extractable concentration. As prices rise, recycling and new mining will pick up.

I haven't read Omnivore's Dilemma, but I imagine I'm aware of the gist of what he says. It's not really a question that meat is an incredibly wasteful use of land, and it's going to be a real challenge to feed the world once we reach peak population in a few decades. As people become more affluent, meat consumption increases dramatically, which will exacerbate the problem (along with climate change, diminishing returns on maximal yields from technological improvements, etc.). I think we can do it, but there will probably be some very scary periods for the world's poor and hungry while we figure it out.
The problem is so huge and multifaceted that I have a hard time thinking about it!

I wonder if we can turns the oceans into farms...I suppose farming in space would be way too expensive.

The Moon?