Conditions of sustainable civilizations: Difference between revisions

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m (Protected "Conditions of sustainable civilizations" [edit=autoconfirmed:move=autoconfirmed])
(lasting civilization, sustainable and resilient in separate point, no waste - in separate item, increases in knowledge only when certain, rephrase population statement)
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Theses on the conditions of [[sustainable]] and [[resilient]]  [[civilization | civilizations]]
'''Lasting (enduring) civilizations manage to preserve knowledge indefinitely.'''


# Sustainable civilizations manage to keep their population within limits, having neither growth nor decrease in the very long term average
Theses on the conditions of lasting [[civilization | civilizations]]
# Sustainable civilizations do not [[consumption | consume]] anything that then is no longer retrievaable from their environment nor do they produce unrecoverable [[materials | waste]]. They use what remains available and what is replentished at the same rate. Carbon and hydrogen in various forms would seem prime candidates, while a lot of other [[materials]] we now use seem less plausible.
# Population in lasting civilizations does neither grow nor decrease in the long term.
# Sustainable civilizations manage to contain [[internal threats]] (e.g., conflicts) from reducing their population below [[Lower limit of population | critical lower limits]] or impeding its ability to pass on knowledge
:: Population numbers can fluctuate within limits, but the average growth is zero.
# Sustainable civilizations manage to avert destruction by [[external threats]] (e.g., asteroids, averse climates, reversal of magnetic poles). This would seem to require significant technical capabilities
:: Any intermediate fluctuation must maintain the essential knowledge, ruling out disruptive all-out competitition for individual survival (unless survival of [[Lower limit of population |some]] can be ensured and information can be stored to be re-learned)
# Resilient civilisations manage to survive [[internal threats | internal]] and [[external threats]] that are beyond its control.  
# Lasting civilizations do not produce [[materials | waste]].
# Lasting  civilizations do not [[consumption | consume]] anything that is required but no longer retrieveable from their environment with adequate effort by means certain to be available in the future.
:: Increases in knowledge can make it possible to reduce the efforts of retrieval (within natural limits), but a gamble on such increase will sometimes not work, so long term existence requires certainty about retrievability.  
:: Lasting civilizations use what remains available by known means and what is replentished at the same rate. Carbon and hydrogen in various forms would seem prime candidates, while a lot of other [[materials]] we now use seem less plausible. Technical cycles for other materials might be possible, but they must be closed.
# Lasting  civilizations manage to contain [[internal threats]] (e.g., conflicts) from reducing their population below [[Lower limit of population | critical lower limits]] or impeding its ability to pass on knowledge
# Lasting civilizations manage to avert destruction by [[external threats]] (e.g., asteroids, averse climates, reversal of magnetic poles). This would seem to require significant technical capabilities.
# Lasting civilisations manage to survive [[internal threats | internal]] and [[external threats]] that are beyond its control (resilience).
# Lasting civilization uses practices that can be [[sustainable|sustained]] and is organized to be [[resilient]] against threats beyond its control.  
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More a definition than a condition:
* Lasting civilizations manage to preserve knowledge, passing it through generations indefinitely

Revision as of 23:08, 11 April 2010

Lasting (enduring) civilizations manage to preserve knowledge indefinitely.

Theses on the conditions of lasting civilizations

  1. Population in lasting civilizations does neither grow nor decrease in the long term.
Population numbers can fluctuate within limits, but the average growth is zero.
Any intermediate fluctuation must maintain the essential knowledge, ruling out disruptive all-out competitition for individual survival (unless survival of some can be ensured and information can be stored to be re-learned)
  1. Lasting civilizations do not produce waste.
  2. Lasting civilizations do not consume anything that is required but no longer retrieveable from their environment with adequate effort by means certain to be available in the future.
Increases in knowledge can make it possible to reduce the efforts of retrieval (within natural limits), but a gamble on such increase will sometimes not work, so long term existence requires certainty about retrievability.
Lasting civilizations use what remains available by known means and what is replentished at the same rate. Carbon and hydrogen in various forms would seem prime candidates, while a lot of other materials we now use seem less plausible. Technical cycles for other materials might be possible, but they must be closed.
  1. Lasting civilizations manage to contain internal threats (e.g., conflicts) from reducing their population below critical lower limits or impeding its ability to pass on knowledge
  2. Lasting civilizations manage to avert destruction by external threats (e.g., asteroids, averse climates, reversal of magnetic poles). This would seem to require significant technical capabilities.
  3. Lasting civilisations manage to survive internal and external threats that are beyond its control (resilience).
  4. Lasting civilization uses practices that can be sustained and is organized to be resilient against threats beyond its control.

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