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Worrying about unsustainable growth is the selfish tantrum of rich spoilt brats | 55 comments (52 topical, 3 editorial, 0 hidden)
Sharing better (4.00 / 2)
Saying there isn't enough for all and that we must learn to share better does not mean favoring poverty

This is the heart of the problem, isn't it (at least once you accept the premise that the planet's resources are finite.)

In already wealthy countries, the year upon year increase in consumption of natural resources must be brought to 0, at least; i.e. GDP growth would have to be brought to 0, or even lower (unless of course we figure out a way to increase GDP without increasing resource consumption).  This will allow poorer countries to continue to grow economically (which will inevitably increase their resource consumption -- again, unless they figure out a way to increase GDP without increasing resource consumption), thereby helping the billions of people who are currently in poverty to obtain higher standards of living on par with people in wealthier countries (assuming of course a fairly equitable distribution of the resulting wealth -- a huge assumption, I know.)

The key is that even if growth and resource consumption continue to increase in poorer countries, globally the rate of resource consumption must not increase, and if possible, should decrease, eventually to the point where the world economy consumes resources at a constant rate within its planetary "budget" of sunshine and what resources we can recycle in a sustainable fashion.

Point n'est besoin d'espérer pour entreprendre, ni de réussir pour persévérer. - Charles le Téméraire

by marco on Thu Aug 3rd, 2006 at 09:56:17 AM EST
Re: Sharing better (4.00 / 3)
(unless of course we figure out a way to increase GDP without increasing resource consumption).  

There are lots of ways of doing that. In fact you could probably increase GDP while decreasing resource consumption, at least in the short run: economic activity in the pursuit of more efficient consumption would generate GDP while reducing resource consumption. This doesn't work in the long run, of course.

by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Aug 3rd, 2006 at 10:01:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Sharing better (4.00 / 3)
Resource use already grows slower than GDP. But it still grows. Actually, resource use by industry is declining despite increasing output, but resource use growth is a lot more correlated to overall household consumption growth in that sector (sadly the biggest of the economy).

Companies and big organisations actually behave better in thatrespect than individuals. They have better incentives (costs), however flawed or imperfect these are.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Thu Aug 3rd, 2006 at 10:54:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Sharing better (none / 0)
That's pretty trippy.  My prejudice was that business investment was responsible for most resource consumption.

I guess that supports Drew's point above that

we're not using all of the tools at our disposal -- the tax code being the most important, in my opinion.  People respond to incentives, but we're not providing them with those incentives.

with respect to getting people to consume in a more resource-friendly way (assuming he was talking about households/private individuals).

By the way, is your point about resource use by industry declining true globally, including in developing countries?

Point n'est besoin d'espérer pour entreprendre, ni de réussir pour persévérer. - Charles le Téméraire

by marco on Thu Aug 3rd, 2006 at 11:40:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Worrying about unsustainable growth is the selfish tantrum of rich spoilt brats | 55 comments (52 topical, 3 editorial, 0 hidden)
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