Abundance
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There’s too much doom and gloom, and not enough excitement and determination to build a great future. We need a positive, compelling vision to work towards. In “The Case for Energy Abundance”, Matt Yglesias lays out a strong case for energy abundance. He argues for not finding ways to cut energy usage, but instead finding ways to greatly increase production of clean energy and open up new possibilities. It’s an expansive vision of improved living standards instead of a drab vision of curtailment of the way we live. It’s the right way to think about what to aim for in general.
Take transportation. Transportation is not only of practical importance, but of symbolic importance. No matter their politics, people love their cars. It is just plain cool to have a machine that enables you to zip around on a whim, whether it’s a car, a bike, a scooter, or a plane. Vehicles grant temporary superpowers. What are the technological advancements that have captured the public’s imagination in the last decade? Tesla and SpaceX. Elon Musk is carrying the torch of progress, and we need a series of Elon Musks to carry it forward. Fortunately, there are many intriguing efforts in progress. For example, several electric vertical takeoff and landing startups like Joby Aviation. Will this end up being practical? Who knows, but it’s good people are working on it and iterating towards something radically better.
Perhaps most radical is the burgeoning area of extending longevity. I know very little about this, but just the fact that it’s becoming a thing that people talk about without sounding totally crazy is a very good thing.
What’s the point of material abundance, or even longer life? The point is to enable humans to actualize themselves, to elevate themselves above repeatedly solving problems like “how will I feed my family tomorrow?” or “where will I live next month?” Humans are problem solvers. What really fulfills us is solving interesting, difficult problems, not being stuck in loops of desperation or drudgery. While many in rich countries question whether modern, technologically advanced life is all that great, there are still hundreds of millions of people who don’t get to choose to have that life or not. We need to make the world rich, and allow every human to freely choose their own way, free of crushing material constraints.