DDATT discussion to examine rationing

    DEXTER — At the end of 1941, the Roosevelt administration made some very serious and potentially controversial decisions which were required by the sudden entry into World War II. A set of far-reaching measures was instituted that would rapidly transform the U.S. from a relatively weak nation, still dealing with the effects of the Great Depression, to the most powerful military and economic behemoth the world had ever seen. Americans had to come together as never before and make major individual and collective sacrifices involving all aspects of everyday life. 

    In order to meet production goals for the war effort, the government initiated a broad set of rationing measures which would insure that the appropriate industries received what they needed. Because of the shortages that inevitably developed, people quickly learned to do without certain staples, or to develop local substitutes. Most people felt a shared responsibility to support the war effort and generally saw the need to come together and do what had to be done, no matter the cost and the sacrifice. History shows that the effort was quite successful.
    Since World War II, an enormous economic expansion across the entire world has allowed more people to enjoy a material standard of living never imagined just before the war. However, this material success has come at a high price as Earth’s systems come under increasing strain as the exploding human population demands all types of resources, including food. Many scientists have asked the question:  are we coming up against some physical limits to what Earth can provide us and still maintain a habitable planet?  If so, is rationing once more a possible strategy for coping with potential shortages and disruptions just as it was over 70 years ago after Pearl Harbor?
    Dexter Dover Area Towns in Transition (DDATT) is holding a public discussion on the subject of rationing and its possible impacts on this region. It will be held on Friday evening, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of the Abbott Memorial Library. Anyone with an interest in discussing this topic is encouraged to attend and all points of view will be welcome. As usual, refreshments will be provided.
    For more information call 924-3836 or e-mail at info@ddatt.org.