The Environment vs. The Economy – Is Sustainable Growth Possible?
Presenter: John Pope
June, 2018
Yale University Review: “To grow or not to grow? That is not the question. Policymakers are unconsciously limited in their choices regarding climate policy by the conventional expectation to achieve economic growth. In a recent article, a researcher examines different perspectives on growth-versus-climate debate and points out a way forward. …it is unclear whether higher GDP growth will lead to greater or lesser social benefits in the context of climate change.” https://environment-review.yale.edu/economic-growth-era-climate-change (short article)
“You Can’t Have Infinite Growth On A Finite Planet” video ~7 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiAWQFnZIRQ
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RELATED ARTICLES
The most important means of saving the planet: “The greatest impact individuals can have in fighting climate change is to have one fewer child,…” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/12/want-to-fight-climate-change-have-fewer-children
“A circular economy is a regenerative system in which resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimised by slowing, closing, and narrowing energy and material loops.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_economy
Neo-liberalism is blamed for duping the public into taking the wrong actions: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/true-north/2017/jul/17/neoliberalism-has-conned-us-into-fighting-climate-change-as-individuals
Blog: https://www.quora.com/Is-the-environment-more-important-than-a-strong-economy
QUESTIONS
We have had public awareness of this issue since the 70’s. Could we have resolved this problem if we had started to work on it earlier? Are we experiencing the ‘Boiling Frog’ syndrome?
What role does capitalism play in efforts to address the effects of climate change?
Can humanity be rescued?