Long-range communication with devices that consume almost no power

Re:Long-range communication with devices that consume almost... by carapace on Friday September 15, 2017 @03:00PM (#15259774)

That's actually the conversion of oil into biomass.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_fertilizer

Details and other topical information can be had here:

"Toby Hemenway - How Permaculture Can Save Humanity and the Earth, but Not Civilization" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nLKHYHmPbo

Long story short: even a grossly inefficient process can produce massive growth if you have a torrent of free energy.

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Re:Long-range communication with devices that consume almost... by Udik on Friday September 15, 2017 @03:40PM (#15260139)

That's at least partially true. World population in 1850 (before the use of modern fertilizers) was about 1.6 billion. Then you have to take in account mechanization of agriculture and genetic selection of varieties, which also probably multiplied the yields several times.

But I would argue that all these practices are part of the aforementioned "traditional agriculture".

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Re:Long-range communication with devices that consume almost... by carapace on Friday September 15, 2017 @09:09PM (#15262168)

Well, mechanization is powered by oil, yes? And genetic engineering could be applied in any case.

In any event, you haven't made an argument that "traditional agriculture" is more efficient than applied ecology (Permaculture is an (the?) exemplar.)

Yield per acre is greater in a Permaculture farm than in a traditional farm, often by as much as an order of magnitude or more. Inputs are fewer too.

More importantly, under Permaculture the soil improves over time, while in traditional agriculture it is degraded and eventually becomes desert or wasteland.

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