Al Gore popularized the idea that there is one profoundly inconvenient truth about life in the developed world, namely, that it is unsustainable. His point, which is now common knowledge, is that our societies and economies are based upon the consumption of fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, which in turn brings about a cascade of consequences that undermine the very lifestyles that we currently enjoy. In response to Gore, it should be noted that there is also one rather convenient truth that is easily overlooked, namely, that in certain parts of the world at least it…