A Society of Sloth

James Hansen, the eminent climate scientist, wrote the following:

"With modern technology, probably less than 5% of the population could produce all the goods we really 'need'. A certain number of 'producers' could be drafted and trained by society to produce for two years. The rest can stay home and sleep, sing, dance, paint, read, write, pray, play, do minor repairs, work in the garden, and practice birth control."

Heh, heh. I know what that "practice birth control" really means. However, birth control is no longer necessary for most of us on Brangus Lane.

Maybe the "producers" could be drafted right out of high school and they could produce for their community service, and then retire like the rest of us.

I found this quote in the context of an article about the four-day workweek, something that businesses and even universities are contemplating to cut back on energy use. People would drive to work one less day, and perhaps buildings could be less climate-controlled on those days. The lights could be off.

Best of all, people would have more leisure, as Hansen says, and more time for the things that make life really worth living.