L5

>
> Why can't these be offered more cheaply on Earth?
>
> TangoMan

TangoMan, as usual, made some very good arguments about economics in his
reply to this thread. The value of an economicly viable solution cannot
be over stated but at the same time one has to be sure that it is
relevant. Let's take the case of a L5 colony. Is there really a
relationship between information worker man-hours in the L5 and
information worker man-hours on the Earth? Without a direct correlation
that cannot be a valid comparison.

Earth:
Buys food, housing, energy from global market.

L5:
Food, housing, and energy are supplied by L5 resources under the
assumption that the L5 is capable of being self sufficient otherwise it
is a dead end anyway. Within the L5 value may or may not be assigned to
commodities. Energy may not be assigned a value except that it will
obviously be tracked for system maintainance reasons. Common food
staples may not be assigned a value and the same for housing.
Earth news and entertainment may not have much bearing on those living
in an L5.

In short the L5 is NOT integrated into the global market and therefore
trying to measure L5 wage values against Earth values may be totally
meaningless.

If a persons basic needs are satisfied by just living in an L5 then
higher level fulfillments are required as exchange for labor. Higher
level fulfillments tend to be mental and difficult to define value for.
Trying to relate labor value in an L5 with Earth wages may be meaningless.

Mitchell James
www.InnerTransit.org