Are There Limits to Growth?

Perhaps the greatest debate in sustainability is whether there are limits to growth. Is it possible to achieve sustainability while continuously growing the economy, or is there a fundamental trade-off between these two objectives? Ever since the publication of the book the “Limits to Growth” in the 1970s, this question has been fiercely debated. In this lecture, I explore the arguments both for and against the continued pursuit of economic growth in wealthy nations. I discuss topics including poverty eradication, the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, decoupling, planetary boundaries, happiness, GDP, and the rebound effect.

Пікірлер: 28

  • @annesheridan3924
    @annesheridan39242 жыл бұрын

    Probably the easiest to understand overview of growth/post-growth I've seen. Well done!

  • @leskuzyk2425
    @leskuzyk24252 жыл бұрын

    I've worked with the Ecological Footprint for 15 years. We globally overshot the planet's biocapacity in the 1970s, and now consume 1.7 planets annually. This varies significantly, country to country. If you live in Canada, or the US, that's a five planet lifestyle.

  • @tgerdin1
    @tgerdin13 жыл бұрын

    A reference to the second law of thermodynamics as exemplified by Daly for instance provides the best argument I think, perhaps good to mention?

  • @phqnomenon

    @phqnomenon

    2 жыл бұрын

    Do you have a link for me? I have been thinking about this issue for a while now and I haven't really found an answer to some of the problems, as what makes prices and values? And how does monetary / fiscal policy play into this. More production / consumption of goods and services when measured in GDP needs to take prices into account as well, no? Sorry, I'm not an economist.

  • @sociocyberneering
    @sociocyberneering Жыл бұрын

    Very nice summary of both sides. Thanks!

  • @kevinc5895
    @kevinc5895 Жыл бұрын

    Jevon's paradox completely dismantles the liberal approach to tackling climate change. We cannot invent or buy our way out of climate change.

  • @avinashreji60

    @avinashreji60

    Жыл бұрын

    Liberals think if we just tinker with capitalism then we can deal with climate change, instead of overcoming it entirely. Considering we’ve known about it since the 70s, I think it’s fair to say that this is utter bunk

  • @Tusto2525
    @Tusto2525 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for this clear explanation 🙏

  • @marcusmoonstein242
    @marcusmoonstein242 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for a clear and concise explanation of both sides of the story. Obviously there has to be some practical limit to the size of the global economy, since the Earth itself is a finite resource. The real question is what that practical economic limit is. If we're nowhere near that limit then we've nothing to worry about. If we're already very close to that limit then we need to dramatically overhaul our economic system.

  • @SuperTonyony
    @SuperTonyony2 жыл бұрын

    Today's topic: "Are there limits to growth?" Tomorrow we will tackle: "Is Up the Opposite of Down?" and next week: "Oxygen--do we really need it?".

  • @Andre_XX
    @Andre_XX Жыл бұрын

    There are only two types of people who think growth can go on forever: economists and the insane.

  • @JohnDoe-kq2nc
    @JohnDoe-kq2nc Жыл бұрын

    From what perspective is decoupling GDP per capita from "happiness" (also need a measure of this) less desirable to achieve than decoupling GDP per capita from materials and resources? Also, most authoritative sources (e.g., the World Bank national accounts data) do not suggest a leveling off of GDP per capita.

  • @kennethbranson4711
    @kennethbranson47112 жыл бұрын

    To even ask the question is a sign of ignorance on a magnitude that can't even be addressed in this space. The Earth is NOT an infinite resource. The Earth is NOT an unlimited sized trash can. There. Question answered.

  • @charlieshowers7642

    @charlieshowers7642

    2 жыл бұрын

    The video actually articulates your point and explains why there are limits to growth. A useful video for those new to the concept.

  • @WebHubbleTelescope
    @WebHubbleTelescope3 жыл бұрын

    Generic "growth"? or specific natural resources that are finite and non-renewable ? or species that will eventually go extinct?

  • @aristotlechange1424
    @aristotlechange142411 ай бұрын

    SOS... necesitamos un cambio en nuestra sociedad en todo el mundo, no necesitamos crecimiento económico, no necesitamos todos los alimentos que se ofrecen en los supermercados, no necesitamos múltiples ejércitos, solo necesitamos uno para reprimir todas las guerras. ¿No necesitamos viajar por todo el mundo? No necesitamos minar bosques y mares vírgenes. No necesitamos riqueza, mira al monje shaolin. Podemos tener un cielo sobre la tierra y aun así explorar el universo por dentro y por fuera. Sigue esto y todo estará bien. Guardián verde

  • @urbanistgod
    @urbanistgod2 жыл бұрын

    We need a lower stable population.

  • @andreias5564
    @andreias5564 Жыл бұрын

    have a question how do you think the world can cope with pornography and GDP? If the economics of medicine not even have a positive GDP. This is a health question. If a society should grow to treat everyone equal and to be concerned about the growth of people how are you going to resolve the medicine problem. Which is the following: not everyone has access to health care systems. And private healthcare is almost in every country worldwide. These high value medical treatments can only be purchased through the earnings of doing online porn. Is going to be impossible to make society grow because of that. medicine treatments are also always growing, evolving and becoming even more and more expensive, gradually with time so… You can not have an equal society because of this. Healthcare can not function from the State either, is too much. Medicine is private and is different from Public Health. Why they are doing Medicine instead of Public Health anyway? These are the true questions here. The effects of pornography on hook up culture and men’s mental state is not going to create an equal society either. And porn. You get an equal society when you start respecting other people’s privacy. Cancel Facebook industry, Instagram, KZread. The true cause of all of the stop of growth is medical since were doctors invented hormonal birth controls. This is not growth, is the illusion of it

  • @StressRUs
    @StressRUs2 жыл бұрын

    Is this a joke? What part of "finite" do you not understand? Peace, out. Stress R Us

  • @charlieshowers7642

    @charlieshowers7642

    2 жыл бұрын

    The video actually articulates your point and explains why there are limits to growth. A useful video for those new to the concept.

  • @StressRUs

    @StressRUs

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@charlieshowers7642 We are producing 206,000 more copies of ourselves, primarily in small fanatical progrowth and large poor populations (sub-Saharan Africa, Central America), DAILY and our population growth is driving massive migrations and social unrest, wars, environmental collapse, natural resource depletion, failing health, etc. We, long ago, exceeded the limits to growth inherent in our FINITE biosphere/planet. This health destroying effect of population density stress can be seen in ALL of our health metrics, for instance: 55% of adult Americans have at least on serious chronic health problem requiring ongoing medical treatment. We are in overshoot and have been since we started using non-renewable fossil fuels. Stress R Us

  • @charlieshowers7642

    @charlieshowers7642

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@StressRUs I agree with you mate, so does the videos author, he explains why our economic system is floored and indeed why there are limits to growth. Watch the actual video!

  • @PhilosophicalZombieHunter
    @PhilosophicalZombieHunter2 жыл бұрын

    Professor, $7.40 is the higher number and there are gradients to the daily dollar number as well. But to say that poverty went up between those years would be a blatant lie. The population grew from 4.8billion to 7.15 billion during that time and then to pick the higher daily dollar number that hides that growth is dishonest sleight of hand.