Living Within Limits - Chapter 13

Limits: A Constrained View

Hardin introduces the idea of ghost acreage.  The is the idea that the average urban dweller, though occupying and otherwise living out his life in a relatively confined space, actually draws upon the resources of a much larger plot of land.  For example, New Yorkers draw upon wheat produce din Kansas, cattle started in Wyoming and fattened in Missouri, water from upper New York State, electricity from Canada, coffee from Colombia, cocoa from Ghana, etc.

Ghost acreage is one argument against the anecdotal claim made by proponents of limitless growth that, 'it's OK because we still have so much land left to settle'.  While perhaps true, it may not really be 'so much' as we would like to believe.

Education Readiness

Science, like education, relies upon the concept of education readiness.  In education, readiness conveys the idea that individual children mature at different rates (just as young animals do).  Some individuals learn to speak, read, write, multiply faster than other children.  They are not smarter, but they were simply 'more ready' (Einstein was a very awkward child).  Forcing a child to learn concepts before he is ready is not particularly effective, and potentially dangerous.

Similarly, science is cumulative.  With the knowledge of certain things, then progress can be made in certain other, potentially unrelated subjects.  For the ancients to develop the model of the universe, what could have been expected but the flawed, Earth-centric one that was created?