> European Union members have signed off on a report that warns focusing on unchecked economic growth is contributing to the destruction of global biodiversity It would be good to know which members of the EU are currently experiencing unchecked economic growth.
They already destroyed all of their forest natural resources a long time ago. Maybe they are trying to warn north america of their own mistakes.
Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
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Re: Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
#12May not be a problem if the trend continues that wealthy/high-consumption cultures choose to stop reproducing?
In the abstract we have to pick one crisis or the other, but the real world is messy. Global warming has momentum, and so does population despite what look like reliable projections of population decline in many places. In other words we could see negative impacts from both without them canceling each other out.
Re: Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
#13This ignores innovation, which drastically reduces externalities over time (as it has historically; see smog and pollution from England Industrial revolution). Granted that can benefit or even require investment from the State to expedite things. R&D spending was better in the 20th century. At any rate you cannot divorce said innovation from growth and consumption.
By contrast, "degrowth" would inflict harm and make it impossible for developing countries to improve their quality of life. People aren't immigrating to the U.S. for the healthcare. We can easily qualify why it represents a "better life": houses, vehicles, abundance of food, goods and conveniences, public infrastructure and services, etc.
Global population growth rate for it's part is poised to stagnate. There's no question of "infinite growth", nor is it relied upon.
Re: Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
#14This ignores innovation, which drastically reduces externalities over time (as it has historically; see smog and pollution from England Industrial revolution). Granted that can benefit or even require investment from the State to expedite things. R&D spending was better in the 20th century. At any rate you cannot divorce said innovation from growth and consumption. By contrast, "degrowth" would inflict harm and make…
These arguments all fell like they're warning that we'll all be drowning in horse manure and running out of guano in 5 years. Likening economic growth to the growth of organisms in a petri dish is the wrong model entirely. We are all the time finding new uses for things and moving on from old ways of powering society. It on;y looks static if you're quite myopic.
Re: Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
#15May not be a problem if the trend continues that wealthy/high-consumption cultures choose to stop reproducing?
In the abstract we have to pick one crisis or the other, but the real world is messy. Global warming has momentum, and so does population despite what look like reliable projections of population decline in many places. In other words we could see negative impacts from both without them canceling each other out.
> In other words we could see negative impacts from both without them canceling each other out.
See William Gibson's concept of Jackpot.
Re: Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
#16Yes, but we have to think of the shareholders
Re: Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
#17Countries that fail to compete trying to hold back the winners.
Re: Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
#18Growth is what makes us rich enough to afford expensive environmental mitigation.
Re: Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
#19"Bacterial obsession with growth is destroying the ecosystem in the petri dish, scientists warn."
This sort of analogy should have died with Paul Ehrlich.
Re: Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
#20Trantor still managed to have imperial gardens though, so how bad could it really be? /s