Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Technology and Wealth

Average wealth  = (Sum of all goods that people have)/(People).  Fortunately, the number of goods produced increases linearly with the number of people there are (with an upper bound on resources).  So the only way to increase the average wealth is to allow the average person to produce more.  Technology is the key way to do this.  Technology allows people to get more work done, faster, and more efficiently.  So overall, and you'll find that history backs up this proposition, you'll find that the only way to increase the quality of life of people is to increase their access to technology.

Recycling, too, will allow the increase of quality of life.  It will increase the supply of materials.  Reducing and reusing items will lower the demand for products.  All in all, this will reduce the cost of goods, allowing more people access to them.

So technology and recycling are the keys to a better future for impoverished countries.  It will allow those people to not have to struggle to satisfy their basic needs for food, water and shelter.  If they don't have to worry about those needs, they can focus on developing their culture, they won't fight as much because survival isn't an unknown quantity, they will be able to develop advanced skill-sets and join the rest of the world in science and technological development.  They will thrive.

This is the key to a better future.