permaculture

["Steve Bonney" <sustainableearth.steve@verizon.net>]

> The figures have been used as evidence that economic growth is the key to
> global wellbeing, a notion popularised by the North American academic
> economist, Dr Julian Simon, some years ago.
>
> What do you say in response, Claude asks?

Economic analyses never contain an assessment of quality of life, which is
the real indicator of wellbeing. The following information comes from the
Partnership for Solutions, a Project of Johns  Hopkins University and The
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
     More than 125 million Americans (45 percent) have at least one
chronic health condition and 60 million (nearly 25%) have more than one
condition. A chronic condition lasts a year or longer, limits what one can
do and may require ongoing care. Examples of chronic conditions are
diabetes, cancer, glaucoma and heart disease.
          Many people with different chronic conditions face common
problems,
including very high costs that are often not covered by insurance, and a
complex health care system that it is difficult to use. Both private
insurance
plans and government programs are not easy to navigate.
        The number of people with chronic conditions is growing at an
alarming rate.
In 2000, 20 million more people had one or more chronic conditions than the
number originally estimated in1996. By the year 2020, 25% of the American
population will be living with multiple chronic conditions, and costs for
managing
these conditions will reach $1.07 trillion.
            The number of people with chronic conditions is projected to
increase
from 125 million in 2000 to 171 million in the year 2030.The current health
care
system excels at responding to immediate medical needs such as accidents and
severe injury and sudden bouts of illness. American health care is less
expert at
providing ongoing care to people with chronic conditions and improving their
day-to-day lives.

Steve Bonney
Sustainable Earth
  a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to the
  development of sustainable family farming systems
  and local food systems
100 Georgton Ct.
W. Lafayette, IN 47906
(765) 463-9366