[hasanas]

You can’t just solve everything by “building”.

Build too much, and you end up with depleted resources, non-environmental solutions, and outdated artefacts.

Recycling is surely an option, but it should be the fallback, not the default.

While the current crisis could’ve been handled better, it is not at all badly handled. Nature is much stronger than us, and the fact that we are not totally screwed after over four months since the outbreak is impressive.

Over building hospitals for the next pandemic sounds inefficient to me.

[sverhagen]

He's saying build solutions, not just stuff, is he? So, you could build an environmentally sound solution to replace a polluting incumbent.

[akra]

As I've gotten older I've realised that sometimes us trying to "build our way out of things" is often just "digging the hole deeper". Technology doesn't have all the answers unfortunately; I used to think so but as I've seen more I realise I was wrong. Someone's progress is someone else's nightmare quite often; especially in a system where capital (and therefore technological control) is concentrated in the hands of the few rich.

Anything you built has inputs, outputs and waste (this is the bad stuff that makes our lives worse and is subject to the problem of the commons) - it isn't an efficient process. Often benefit accrues to the person with money, and the waste goes to everyone else. Sure there are some nice solutions out there but on the whole we probably need less building than done today; and what we do build being much more targeted to society's benefit.

As an example I look at China and think - they build a lot of stuff but I wouldn't want to live there personally with the smog, pollution, bad environment, etc. I live in a nice part of the world but can see "progress" coming close to my door. Maybe I'm just getting cynical.

[chrisco255]

Right, this is why I'm bullish on additive manufacturing (or 3d printing). It's incredibly flexible and you can retool your manufacturing to produce masks or whatever you need in record time. This technology is maturing rapidly and it's something I feel will thrive in the coming decades as on-shoring becomes more common.