Vandana Shiva and economic growth

Alternative view of economic growth by Vandana Shiva.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vandana_Shiva

Phosphorus - underrespected resource

Phosphorus is a very important resource for industrial agriculture. Phosphorus is mainly mined from rock phosphorus that is a limited resource.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/phosphorus-000319.htm

Humans don't usually suffer from phosphorus deficiencies and too much phosphorus is not good for you. However, all plants need phosphorus to grow. Without adequate supply of phosphorus growth of plants is very small.
soils.usda.gov/sqi/publications/files/prole.pdf

http://www.energybulletin.net/node/33164

Phosphorus is a limited resource like oil. As we have peak oil, we also have peak phosphorus. Peak phosphorus is estimated to happen soon.

There are no substitutes for phosphorus in agriculture.

http://www.energybulletin.net/node/33164

http://www.naturalnews.com/031516_agriculture_phosphorus.html

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-02/uow-wpu021411.php

Availability of phosphorus defines the fundamental maximum life sustaining capacity of planet earth. In many ways phosphorus is more fundamental to human life than oil. Oil has substitutes, phosphorus does not have any.
http://phosphorusfutures.net/

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/chemical-fertilisers-china/blog/44517/

Generational attitudes and Environmentalism

Generation Y is more likely than older generations to support clean energy and environmental protection and to believe climate change is happening and is caused by human activity, according to new Pew polling and analysis. Generation X is close behind. Boomers aren't so bad either. It's the old folks, the so-called Silent Generation aged 66-83, that are the big problem.

http://www.grist.org/climate-energy/2011-11-07-gen-y-and-gen-x-get-it-right-on-the-environment-old-folks-dont

http://bafric.blogspot.com/2011/10/climate-change-and-cocoa-production.html

Younger generations tend to have more positive attitudes toward efforts that address climate change.
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-01-23-under-25-should-be-pissed-about-climate-change-mark-hertsgaard

Climate change mainly affects young people as older people are likely to die naturally before any serious problems occur.

Recycling of electronics

Used electronics gadgets have some value left in them and there are number of companies offering to buy used electronics.

There's no question that smartphones have become a major investment for consumers. And with the pace of innovation accelerating, it seems like the minute you buy one smartphone, a newer and better one has been released. Reselling old devices to help pay for new ones is a great idea, but as I just pointed out, consumers must beware. A whole new industry has popped up to help people unload their old devices for cash, but as with all "gold rushes" there are often some less reputable establishments mixed in with legitimate ones.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-57318211-266/dont-get-scammed-when-selling-your-old-iphone-ask-maggie/

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/cash-for-iphonescom-sparks-nevada-c496171.html

http://cashforiphones.com

http://blog.gazelle.com/posts/the-trashiest-iphone-case-ever/

http://www.gazelle.com/

For most products resale value is pretty low but for Apple products it is higher as there is demand for old Apple iPhone and Apple computers.

Eco datacenter dream by HP

Internet companies are learning that small towns are often great places to set up data centers. They have lots of land, cheap energy, low-cost labor, and something that may be a secret weapon in the race toward internet nirvana: cow dung.

http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2011/11/the-data-center-of-the-future/all/1

Energy is a limited resource and CO2 causes climate change.
http://enveconomics.blogspot.com/2011/07/green-it.html

Datacenters consume a lot of energy and many companies are trying to innovate new ways to save energy.

The dung-fired data center is closer than even Patel first thought. There are lots of places where they’d work, he says. You don’t need to build any special generators or equipment, and cows are everywhere. “We found many sites where it is totally doable today,” he says, “You can go anywhere from South Dakota to Wisconsin to Virginia. Even between Chicago and Indiana there are lots of dairy farms.”

http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2011/11/the-data-center-of-the-future/all/1

Japan Is Bleeding

Japanese pay heavy price for cheap energy...

End of Oil

Oil is very important resource for any industrial and post-industrial nation. Wars are being fought in order to secure access to oil. If oil end; also most food sources end because agriculture needs inputs that are made from oil.
http://endofcrudeoil.blogspot.com/2011/09/proved-oil-reserves.html

http://enveconomics.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-10-countries-with-massive-natural.html

http://enveconomics.blogspot.com/2011/07/peak-oil.html

http://enveconomics.blogspot.com/2011/07/thorium-as-energy-source.html