Are You Dematerializing?

the AZEL PERSPECTIVE Commentary on Cuba's Future, U.S. Foreign Policy & Individual Freedoms - Issue 162

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Are you dematerializing? I ask, not because I think you are overly concerned with material possessions and should become more ascetic. Nor am I trying to find out if you are dematerializing to be tele-transported back to the Starship Enterprise after asking Scotty to beam you up. Dematerialization in economics refers to a reduction in the quantity of materials required for economic functions. Dematerialization also means using less, or no materials, to deliver the same level of functionality in a product.  In short, dematerialization is about doing more with less. So essentially, I am asking if you are using fewer materials in your life. I had never thought much about this topic until introduced to it by neuroscientist Steven Pinker. Below, I will borrow from his presentation. The Club of Rome, (ironically now based in Switzerland), is made up of distinguished, politicians, scientists, business leaders, and officials from governments and international organizations from around the world. It describes itself as “an organization of individuals who share a common concern for the future of humanity and strive to make a difference.” Its mission is “to promote understanding of the global challenges facing humanity and to propose solutions through scientific analysis communication and advocacy.” In 1972, The Club of Rome published an influential report titled “The Limits of Growth.” Using sophisticated computer simulations, the report predicted a steadily increasing demand for materials as economies and population grew exponentially.  Given a finite supply of material resources, the report’s computer simulations extrapolated that the increasing demand for resources would eventually lead to an abrupt worldwide economic collapse.  The Limits of Growth report sold 30 million copies in more than 30 languages. It became the best selling environmental book in history. And it was wrong. Current studies on the use of materials and economic growth show that, economies are growing using much less physical materials. How can this be? Here is where Dr. Pinker simplifies the complex science for us with examples we can relate to.  My old music collection, (and I suspect this is true for most of my readers) required many cubic yards of vinyl for my long-play records. In time, this material use was reduced to only cubic inches for compact disks. And now, my music collection in MP3 requires no materials. The paper and ink used to print my daily newspapers, and the fuel used to deliver them have been replaced by my almost material-less iPad. Mobile phone systems do not require much in terms of telephone poles and wire. My extensive paper files and file cabinets are gone. My material-less files are now stored in the cloud (wherever that is). The office supply store must be missing my frequent purchases of reams of paper. And, as Pinker remind us, “just think of all the plastic, metal, and paper that no longer go into the forty-odd products that can be replaced by a single smartphone.” This one device has replaced our old telephones, our answering machines, phone books, cameras, and camcorders, tape recorders, radios, alarm clocks, calculators, dictionaries, Rolodexes, calendars, street maps, flashlights, fax machines, scanners, compasses, and more. That is a lot of materials not being used. You are dematerializing, and so is everyone else on the planet. Technological advances allow us to do more with less and, “The digital revolution, by replacing atoms with bits, is dematerializing the world in front of our eyes.” The world is also being dematerialized by technologies that enable the sharing of things that used to sit unused most of the time. Think of shared automobiles, unused bedrooms, power tools, etc., that Uber, Airbnb, and others are facilitating. What I find most instructive is that, this reduction in our use or materials was not compelled. It required no government coercion. We reduced our use of materials spontaneously by the free choices made with our purchases. There is something sublime about how technological progress and free markets can decouple our personal flourishing from the material world.  We are not becoming Mahatma Gandhi-like ascetics, but we are surely dematerializing. And that is good for the planet. Beam me down, Scotty. Please let us know if you  this article. We welcome your feedback. Abrazos,  Lily & José  (click on the name to email Lily or Jose) José Azel, Ph.D. José Azel left Cuba in 1961 as a 13 year-old political exile in what has been dubbed Operation Pedro Pan - the largest unaccompanied child refugee movement in the history of the Western Hemisphere. He is currently dedicated to the in-depth analyses of Cuba's economic, social and political state, with a keen interest in post-Castro-Cuba strategies. Formerly, a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS) at the University of Miami, Jose Azel has published extensively on Cuba related topics. In 2012 and 2015, Dr. Azel testified in the U.S. Congress on U.S.-Cuba Policy, and U.S. National Security.  He is a frequent speaker and commentator on these and related topics on local, national and international media.  He holds undergraduate and masters degrees in business administration and a Ph.D. in International Affairs from the University of Miami. José along with his wife Lily are avid skiers and adventure travelers.  In recent years they have climbed Grand Teton in Wyoming, trekked Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Machu Pichu in Peru.  They have also hiked in Tibet and in the Himalayas to Mt. Everest Base Camp. They cycled St. James Way (El Camino de Santiago de Compostela) and cycled alongside the Danube from Germany to Hungary. They have scuba dived in the Bay Islands off the Honduran coast and in the Galapagos Islands. Their adventurers are normally dedicated to raise funds for causes that are dear to them.  Watch Joe & Lily summit Kilimanjaro. Books by Dr. José Azel "Liberty for beginners is much more than what the title promises. It is eighty themes touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone that wishes to understand why countries do, or do not progress, will find in this book the best explanations. If it was in my power, this work would be required reading for all college and university students, and I would recommend its reading to politicians, journalists, and policymakers. With this book Azel accomplishes what was achieved in France by Frédéric Bastiat, and in the United States by Henry Hazlitt: brings together common sense with intelligent observation, and academic substance. Stupendous" Carlos Alberto Montaner Buy Now "Libertad para novatos es mucho más de lo que promete el título. Son ochenta temas tocados con la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquier adulto que desee saber por qué progresan o se estancan los pueblos aquí encontrará las mejores explicaciones. Si estuviera en mis manos, esta obra sería lectura obligatoria de todos los estudiantes, tanto de bachillerato como universitarios, pero, además, se la recomendaría a todos los políticos y periodistas, a todos los policy makers. Azel logra con este libro lo que Frédéric Bastiat consiguiera en Francia y Henry Hazlitt en Estados Unidos: aunar el sentido común, la observación inteligente y la enjundia académica. Estupendo." Carlos Alberto Montaner Compre Aqui In Reflections on Freedom, José Azel brings together a collection of his columns published in prestigious newspapers.  Each article reveals his heartfelt and personal awareness of the importance of freedom in our lives.  They are his reflections after nearly sixty years of living and learning as a Cuban outside Cuba. In what has become his stylistic trademark, Professor Azel brilliantly introduces complex topics in brief journalistic articles. Buy Now En Reflexiones sobre la libertad José Azel reúne una colección de sus columnas publicadas en prestigiosos periódicos. Cada artículo revela su percepción sincera y personal de la importancia de la libertad en nuestras vidas. Son sus reflexiones después de casi sesenta años viviendo y aprendiendo como cubano fuera de Cuba.  En lo que ha resultado ser característica distintiva de sus artículos, el Profesor Azel introduce con brillantez complejos temas en  breves artículos de carácter periodístico. Compre Aqui Mañana in Cuba is a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Cuba with an incisive perspective of the Cuban frame of mind and its relevancy for Cuba's future. Buy now Pedazos y Vacíos is a collection of poems written in by Dr. Azel in his youth. Poems are in Spanish. Buy now

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