In his essay, "Resources and Environmental Policy," Jan Narveson claims that, "there are no global shortages of anything that we have to worry about." In this claim he makes two basic assumptions about resources. The first assumption concerns infinite substitutability; no matter what we need, we will always be able to find something else that will work just as well or better. The second assumption concerns infinite technological advancement; we will always be able to invent something that will either allow us to use a resource more efficiently and extend its life span, or we will invent something that will allow us to exploit a new resource and thus render the previously scarce resource obsolete. The major problem with Narveson's argument is that he assumes we must look forward for these substitutes, that they will come about as we need them. He could have made a much more convincing argument if he had simply looked a short distance into the past and seen that many of them already exist.
The magic bullet from the past that Narveson neglected to mention is industrial hemp. Hemp was no secret to America's founders, in 1619 a law was passed in Virginia that made it illegal for farmers not to grow hemp. The same law took effect in Massachusetts in 1631, Connecticut in 1632, and the Chesapeake Colonies in the mid-1700s, at which time hemp was the world's leading crop. To quote George Washington, "Make the most of hempseed and sow it everywhere." It is my intention here to show that heeding those words will, through substitution, eliminate any condition of scarcity among what I consider to be our four most critical resources (petroleum, trees, arable land, and water), while at the same time e...
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...h Dakota. 2002. <http://www.sodakhemp.org/votehemp/vote6.htm#plastics>
5. Klotter, Jule. The Benefits of Industrial Hemp. Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients. July 2001 p114
6. Williams, Ted. Legalize It!. Audubon. Nov 1999 v101 n6 p36
7. Editorial. Legalize Hemp. Multinational Monitor. April 1998 v19 n4 p5
8. Williams, Ted. Legalize It!. Audubon. Nov 1999 v101 n6 p36
9. Editorial. Legalize Hemp. Multinational Monitor. April 1998 v19 n4 p5
10. Why hemp provides a complete food source. Vote Hemp 2002 South Dakota. 2002. <http://www.sodakhemp.org/votehemp/vote4.htm#foods
11. Organic hemp oil rich in key EFAs. Prepared Foods. Oct 2002 v171 n10 p83
12. Barbanell, Edward. Common-property arrangements and scarce resources: water in the American West. Praeger, 2001. Westport, Connecticut. p27
The Frontier Thesis has been very influential in people’s understanding of American values, government and culture until fairly recently. Frederick Jackson Turner outlines the frontier thesis in his essay “The Significance of the Frontier in American History”. He argues that expansion of society at the frontier is what explains America’s individuality and ruggedness. Furthermore, he argues that the communitarian values experienced on the frontier carry over to America’s unique perspective on democracy. This idea has been pervasive in studies of American History until fairly recently when it has come under scrutiny for numerous reasons. In his essay “The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature”, William Cronon argues that many scholars, Turner included, fall victim to the false notion that a pristine, untouched wilderness existed before European intervention. Turner’s argument does indeed rely on the idea of pristine wilderness, especially because he fails to notice the serious impact that Native Americans had on the landscape of the Americas before Europeans set foot in America.
The positive aspects of ‘Lake’ Powell are few yet noteworthy. Glen Canyon Dam’s hydroelectric power-plant generates one thousand three hundred mega watts of electricity at full operation. That is enough power to supply three hundred fifty thousand homes. Glen Canyon Dam holds twenty seven million acre feet of water, which is equivalent to twice the Colorado River’s annual flow (Living Rivers: What about the hydroelectric loss?). One of the most valuable reasons for the dam to remain active is that “Lake Powell generates four hundred fifty five million dollars per year in tourist revenue, without this cash inflow, gas-and-motel towns . . . would undoubtedly wilt, and surrounding counties and states would lose a substantial tax base” (Farmer 185). These positive aspects are of no surprise considering they are the reason dams are built in the first place.
West, Elliott, Contested Plains: Indians, Goldseekers and the Rush to Colorado, (University Press of Kansas,
The new technologies that make abundance possible have the potentiality of abolishing scarcity, from the viewpoint of many large corporations this has always been a great disadvantage: it can create a shortage of shortages. It is only logical, therefore, that corporate executives do everything possible to get into situations in which shortages are available. (Gross
In 1940, the import of hemp during World War II was a big factor in creating supplies such as parachutes or cordage. In the 1960’s, President Kennedy found from research that marijuana does not induce violence or lead to heavier drug use. George Washington, the first president of our beloved country, grew cannabis on his plantations. Thomas Jefferson also grew hemp as a reliable
There are many different words for what was originally considered, “hemp” to the ancient world. Some are, cannabis, marijuana, weed, and pot. Over time, the different words have reflected the views and uses of hemp through different societies and time periods. Hemp dates back to the early Mesopotamian days in what is considered Turkey today. It is the first known plant to be domestically cultivated. According to research, “The oldest relic of human history is hemp fabric dated to 8,000 BCE.” In 1492, Christopher Columbus brought hemp as a rope to America. His ships were full of hemp fabric used for uniforms, parachutes, ropes, sails, baggage, shoes and many more military uses. To free the American colonies from England press, Benjamin Franklin started a paper mill, which used cannabis to create paper and print books. This allowed America to have free colonial press from Britian without having to ask for them. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were both drafted on hemp paper. Betsey Ross made the first flag of the United States of America out of hemp, which was the strongest known fiber at the time. “Farmers from 1942 through 1945 who agreed to grow hemp were waived from serving in the military, along with their sons; that is how vitally important hemp was to America during World War II.” Henry Ford also used hemp-based plastic to create vehicles, which was proven to be stronger and lighter than steel and could withstand much more impact without denting. He also used hemp-based ethanol fuel, which was more efficient. Hemp had been used widely throughout the United States before it became illegal and served many purposes.
Fackelmann, Kathleen. “Marijuana: Useful medicine or dangerous drug?” Consumers’ Research Magazine May 1997: Vol.80 Issue 5 page 15. http://ehostvgw8.epnet.com/delivery.asp?…&startHitNum= 10&rlStartHit=10&delType=FT.
California water war has been an great example of different cities fighting against each other since they all share the common characteristics of greed, and selfish. Back in the 1800’s, Los Angeles grew largely in populations when finally it outgr...
The Jamestown settlers cultivated hemp produced by the marijuana plant. They used these fibers to make clothing, rope, and canvas because of its quality and durability. Physicians in the 19th century were prescribing cannabis as a pain reliever, an anticonvulsant, and for migraine headaches (Doweiko, 2002). Following his work in India in the 1840's William
For about five years California has experienced above average temperatures and a lack of rain. This lack of rain and snowfall has caused California to become increasingly dry, starting arguments over whose right to water is more important and who needs to be more mindful with their use of water. Farming in California truly began during the gold rush when water was redirected to land where food was grown for those looking for gold (Siegler, 2015). The farmers that have stayed on that land now have senior water rights (“Water wars”, 2015). Farmers that settled their land before 1914 are those with senior water rights (Terrell, 2015). Governor Jerry Brown has called for a cut in water use by one-quarter percent to people living
Ever since marijuana’s introduction to the United States of America in 1611, controversy of the use and legalization of the claimed-to-be Schedule I drug spread around the nation. While few selective states currently allow marijuana’s production and distribution, the remaining states still skepticize the harmlessness and usefulness of this particular drug; therefore, it remains illegal in the majority of the nation. The government officials and citizens of the opposing states believe the drug creates a threat to citizens due to its “overly-harmful” effects mentally and physically and offers no alternate purposes but creating troublesome addicts hazardous to society; however, they are rather misinformed about marijuana’s abilities. While marijuana has a small amount of negligible effects to its users, the herbal drug more importantly has remarkable health benefits, and legalizing one of the oldest and most commonly known drugs would redirect America’s future with the advantages outweighing the disadvantages.
"Chapter 2 Western Settlement and the Frontier." Major Problems in American History: Documents and Essays. Ed. Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, Edward J. Blum, and Jon Gjerde. 3rd ed. Vol. II: Since 1865. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. 37-68. Print.
In the last fiscal year alone, marijuana brought 70 million dollars in tax revenue in the state of Colorado. Colorado was the first state to legalize marijuana recreationally in the fall of 2012, and since then three other states and the District of Columbia have legalized the plant. Based off of sales in states that have legalized marijuana recreationally, if all fifty states legalized marijuana, they would bring in a combined 3 billion dollars in tax revenue yearly. That much money from sales of the plant alone could help to stabilize the suffering economy. Moreover, the American Government would be able to control the plant and distribute it how ever they see fit. The economic growth marijuana legalization could bring to the United States outweighs any argument against
Environmental and Economic Benefits of Hemp. "Environmental and Economic Benefits of Hemp." Environmental and Economic Benefits of Hemp. Environmental and Economic Benefits of Hemp, n.d. Web.
The state’s common pool resource was and still continues to be water. This delicate resource in the American west is in danger of disappearing, and for the millions of people living in large cities are desperate to continue to use it. But the issue of common pool resources is not one that is recent but is one that has been plaguing California since its founding. When California’s population started to grow around the turn of the twentieth century, the town official within the state started to run into some common pool resource issues, water. Cities, such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, used whatever power they had to own and control what little water the California environment produced. The cities are large and successful municipalities today because of what they had to do to control the water all those years ago. The city used tactics, such as buying out the land, petitioning the government, and, sometimes, illegal actions, to win the waters of California and their success back then highly shows in their success