Absolute and Relative Scarcity: There is no Planet B

Scarcity expresses why the overuse of raw materials, the overexploitation of agricultural land, polluted waters, the creation of waste, or the deforestation of (rain)forest become a problem for humanity. The simple answer is: “There is no Planet B!”. So scarcity expresses that humanity, through its economic and lifestyle choices, is globally destroying its natural basis of life. We, humanity, do this, even though we do not have unlimited possibilities to resort to alternative areas and resources, that is, even though we are confronted with scarcity. This chapter discusses the different forms of scarcity, in particular relative & absolute scarcity, how they change in the course of ongoing environmental destruction, and how we can deal with scarcity.