Environmentalism, Innovation & Economics: Author Ramez Naam

The Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet

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Environmentalism, Innovation & Economics: Author Ramez Naam

"Innovation is the key to success," says Ramez Naam, author of the new book Infinite Resource: the Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet. "We have serious problems, but we are capable of fixing them." Naam believes that many environmental issues facing humanity can be overcome by focusing on innovation, technology, and the economy. 

According to Naam, many of the major environmental problems stem from issues relating to defective property rights. No one owns these natural resources and therefore abuse and overuse is more likely to occur, says Naam, and technical innovation is the key to generating more resources. 

Naam is an award-winning author whose books include the transhumanist novel More Than Human:  Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement and Nexus, a science fiction thriller. He is also a computer scientist and has contributed to the development of widely used software such as Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook. 

About 11 minutes.

Interview by Ron Bailey. Shot by Joshua Swain and Amanda Winkler. Edited by Winkler.

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Comments

[Warrren]

It's only a technological fix! Not Sunsteinable!

[SiliconDoc]

Very cassy of you to point out.

[tulebuhyhafe]

If you think Peggy`s story is astonishing..., three weeks-ago father in-law basically got a cheque for $8022 working a sixteen hour week at home and there friend's mom`s neighbour done this for 6 months and recieved a check for over $8022 part time from there computer. follow the guidelines available at this link........ wep6.com
(Go to site and open "Home" for details)

[Fist of Etiquette]

The suit and tie is negated by the ponytail. I reject everything he says.

[Warrren]

What if he had a tiny suit and tie hanging off the back of his head and a ponytail hanging off of his neck?

[Fist of Etiquette]

I don't deal in hypotheticals, the world as it is is vexing enough.

[JWatts]

+6 bonus points for the use of the word "vexing"

[AAnderson]

Nice True Grit reference.

[Hash Brown]

I'm not optimistic. It's hard to be innovative when a boot is stomping on your face.

[Sevo]

"I'm not optimistic. It's hard to be innovative when a boot is stomping on your face."

True, but when you're sucking at the government trough, you can get very clever!
Admitting (by deception) that you can't charge the damn things in any reasonable time, Tesla is now offering battery swaps instead of charging! Only half an hour, if you're first in line, and I hope they locate the swap stations next to gas stations, so I can thumb my nose as I fill the tank in 3 minutes.
http://blog.sfgate.com/energy/.....ap-em-out/

[SiliconDoc]

This never crossed my mind, but is a huge problem:
"..in dense urban areas ? such as Manhattan ? where apartment-dwelling drivers don't have the option of charging at home."

LOL - libtards - they are epic fail

[SiliconDoc]

I just read or saw in some youtube video earlier about some 50 million dollar donation to Sierra Club to be used to shut down Coal Fired Power Plants in the USA.
Last time I saw news on it the shutdown count hit well over 200, the first time it was 157 shut down.

Why isn't this some giant news story ongoing - it was Barkies pre office oath to his idiots and fools, doesn't the MSM wants to celebrate total destruction ?
Why not crush a few million more perfectly functional automobiles so Barky can gas it up on air ?

Why don't we just illegally install a Demolitioncrat for the next 8 year round robbing.

[SiliconDoc]

Bill Gates has decided that 16 billion in new taxes per year must be spent on green research by the governmentand that is a tiny tiny amount and is massively RLI positive when done correctly...

Thanks Bill, you and ponyhead together can do it for 3 years with your combined fortunes, GOOD LUCK mr innovator.

( And to think when Al Gore said he was going to pay for Bill Gates healthcare I thought we were getting a --- deal ? )

Thank you Bill Gates, you have 57 Billion and now you need an extra 10 Billion plus a year from Americans.

[jimmy jean]

No one owns these natural resources and http://www.vendreceintures.com therefore abuse and overuse is more likely to occur, says Naam, and technical innovation is the key to generating more resources.

[AAnderson]

I like this guy, for the most part. While GMO's may represent the absolute centralization of food diversity and choice, I understand where they may come in handy in certain situations. However, the rise of GMO's has particularly taken place as the American diet has drastically changed. Quicker, faster meals requires increasingly processed items that have extraordinarily long shelf lives and mindless preparations. Corn, soy, etc. provide wonderful fillers for these "products." Choice, as any libertarian should be a fan of, is becoming greater in local food movements--not in grocery stores. While thousands of products line the shelves, they're typically owned by only a handful of large corporations--not something I prefer at least. Increase food diversity by supporting small businesses, small-scale market transactions, and indeed, as Ron Paul would likely suggest, expelling fiat money in general by bartering.