STS Class. 02/26/13
This article of Schumacher highlights the importance of natural resources, both renewable and nonrenewable, to man’s sustainability. It emphasizes the need for conservation and optimization of such resources in a manner that it needs not to endanger nature for industrial growth. The validity and significance of the article is within its stand as an eye-opener to the public reader to once and for all cater to the course of action driven towards maximizing resources without excessively misusing and wasting such supply.
The author accumulated constructive ideas to present his main points and strengthened his arguments through citing reference places in the globe proof to diminishing resources and of with excessive use of oil for energy supply. Schumacher points that ,” an industrial system which uses 40% of the world’s primary resources to supply less than 6% of the world’s population could be called efficient only if it obtained strikingly successful results in terms of human happiness, well being…”.
I agree to the author on what he stated that, “it might said that energy is for the mechanical world what consciousness is for the human world”. And with similar realizations as to his, I also believe that what is lacking in the present efforts towards progress in the industry is an in-depth consideration of the metaphysics of the subject matter—this, I may point out is the lacking ingredient to the attempts to success.
The great scientists of the past generations may have well too come out to the same conclusion regarding the situation of man’s adventures towards natural resources. They may have shared the same observations that what is lacking in the equation of attaining resources to supply the industry is an alternate course of action with respect to metaphysical aspects. Albert Einstein even once said, “We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.” What we must presently strive to achieve aside from finding efficient ways to attain resources is that we must as well aim to preserve a considerable amount of resources to be bequeath for the future generations to use.
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt must have shared the same sentiments and thoughts when he said, “The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets, which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired in value”.
Overall, it may be said that the present scenario depicts instances of man forgetting what Aldo Leopold said that, “the oldest task in human history is to live in a piece of land without spoiling it.” Another line said by him may leave us a motivation, “that the situation that appears hopeless should not prevent us from doing our best” and as to resources of industry, we still can afford to save it if we have the will.
tinang 