I think densification as a general philosophy may be toast. It will be like Fukushima for nuclear.
Conversation
Replying to
To me, meat consumption is a much more likely victim. Pandemics are caused by high-density livestock. Once everyone understands the costs, I don't think people will think meat is worth it.
COVID-19 = Meat Market
1918 Spanish Flu = Slaughterhouse
H1N1 = Chicken
Swine Flu = Pork
3
1
16
Replying to
I hope you’re right, but I doubt it. This will be blamed on exotic meats only, (with some justification), and traditional factory farming will just face more regulation. Plant-based proteins are a promising development but so far don’t seem on a trajectory to displace meat
2
11
Replying to
There is also vat grown meat coming down the pipe and traditional veganism (just fruits and veggies). I think it's much more likely than cities going away. That take goes against the metabolic theory of ecology, summarized by Geoffrey West here:
1
4
Replying to
West’s theories on cities have been seriously and credibly challenged unfortunately. I like them but they do seem shaky. arxiv.org/pdf/1102.4101.
Replying to
I agree that Dr. West may be stretching the analogy of allopatry in cities but whether you want to assign a phenomenological reason or a mechanistic one to cities outsized GDP production, there are clear benefits to living in cities. I don’t think covid-19 will offset those.
