ABSTRACT
The switch from the virtues of prudence and frugality in the eighteenth century to that of consumption in the twentieth century is one example. The capital shortage has meant that loans are getting scarce too, especially in the face of the declining likelihood that they will ever be paid off. Until then, Georges Bank will in all likelihood be drilled. Whether or not they find oil, the sea life of the bank will survive this brief era of affluence in the long life of the planet. For years, the majority of people have found rural life less attractive than urban life, but the balance is changing. The increased cost of living in cities—for housing, transportation, and food—and the declining employment opportunities are causing people to move back toward rural areas at an increasing rate. The rural areas permit the use of renewable resources more easily, meaning that food, water, fuel, and building materials can all be obtained nearby.
