The equality of opportunities
But let us return to the energy problems that are
indeed
measurable and let us ask the following question:
Well, world energy consumption increases
continuously as does our population.
This consumption however, how is it distributed around the globe?
It is worthwhile, I think, to take a look at Figure 2.
The chart contains the answer to the question
posed above, but also reveals a side of our
behaviour of critical importance.
It demonstrates the size of the problem which our
species is facing, at least as drastically as Figure 1.
This diagram is very illuminating.
Maybe it's just enough to explain everything.
And perhaps based on this diagram we can right
away
find out if we can hope to get mercy or not.
The diagram also has the characteristic shape
of an explosion and shows how much electricity
the inhabitants of the Earth consume each year.
As one would expect, this varies from region to
region.
Every inhabitant of the planet, according to the place
where he happened to be born, consumes a different
percentage of the common energy wealth.
Well, what do you think? Is it not convincing?
Doesn't it show everything quite clearly?
It has the same shape as Figure 1.
Only the horizontal axis is not the
coordinate of the time.
Is it perhaps the axis of the
development or progress?
Or is it the axis of inequality,
social injustice and exploitation?
The discrepancy in
energy
consumption is the
best measure of the
inequality in the world.
Truly, what has become of this fable of equality,
or equal possibilities
or equal opportunities
or equal rights?
Has a resident of Africa really the
same rights as a North American?
Do you see that we are
dealing
here with another explosion?
The explosion of greed,
the concentration of wealth
and power, and of course,
the
indifference towards the
others.
And you realize of course that where it says
"Africa"
this includes South Africa, where a part section of
the population (the whites) is on the level of Europe,
as well as Ethiopia, where people don't have a twig
to cook their food.
Within each region of this diagram we have a very
similar distribution between rich and poor countries.
And of course, still further within each country,
we
have a similar distribution between rich and poor
people.
Where it says "North America", you've
seen of course
some pictures showing people gathered around a barrel,
where they have lit a fire with some old wood, and are
trying to keep warm.
This is the real picture of the
current state of the world:
Poor people on the one hand who
always have less and less, and the rich
on the other who always want more
and more for themselves.