Chris

I'm not interested in politics. I posted in the design science section of the forum because I work toward making obsolete the perception that Malthus was right.

Dick

As a lover of the history and philosophy of science I have to say my confidence has fallen to zero -that wonderfull mistress from Babylon- and science alone in the face of a Western capitalist economy is as useful as eugenics and the bomb. Um,come to think of it, under the Bush regime aren't we employing our national superiority with military persuasion on the rest of the world? But that is a little off topic.
No science has value unless it is directed by a benovelent economic system (or we get eugenics and the bomb, remember the Nazi regime was a capitalist economy)and this science, without economic awareness, pumps the heart of the ecological movement. For decades thinkers and designers have come up with housing projects and architecture so we may live more in harmony and with less destruction to the environment.
But the only two urban systems that made an impact in a global sense, were Le Corbisier's tragic high-rise experiment that failed and the architecture of Brasilia, which also fell into slum-neglect.
My question is the eternal musing of the thinker and humanist in a capitalist culture. The one thing that will prevent all and every truly beneficial quantum leap forward in housing and living with nature will be the economic system. Remembering that capitalism needs consumerism and this is why ecological beneficial architecture and housing, urban planning etc will not work.
Corporate America, et;al will not allow it. The construction industry, will oppose less is more philosophy. Look how much timber and other comsumerables is in the traditional house. The timber industry will be against new designs that have less of a 'footprint' as will anyone profiting from traditional building.
I mean the housing boom that is destroying the landscape all over the country, can you image the middle-class, flag-waving nationalists who see the American way of life under threat in the suburbs outside Las Vegas and other rapidly expanding areas of ugly, wasteful, castles of corporate consumerism actually living in houses that are not made of a forest of timber and synthetic chemical that contribute to all manner of alegies, illnesses and autism. The masses won't go for it anyway as the consumer mentality is the 'America way of life'. That war-mongering nationalist are defending around the world.

And it won't get better in the future because in 50 years capitalism will be more desperate to keep profit margins up.

Look at what happened to Oprah Winfry when she said something against the beef industry. Corporate greed will not allow it, even if energy companies and the auto industry come on board to 'capitalize' on the new, ecological designs. Building codes will be written to help Home Depot's consumers and profits. Do you remember the Sarich orbital engine from the 70's. An Australian engine that was bought-out by US automakers and shelved?
My point is, science is nothing but great ideas without an economic system that allows humans to impliment the ideas. Look at the Bush regimes attitude to funding science and their religious adgenda on Stem Cells?
What is the Fuller institute doing to solve this problem? I would argue that this is the greatest issue facing humankind. We have proven that the mind is capable of invention but is it capable of regulating everything we design?
I mean in a practical sense... (please don't mention that you are an optimist and reason will prevail.)