Monday, February 05, 2007

Thoughts on Economic Growth

I'm not an economist nor do I play one on TV but if I were or did this is what I would say.

The problem we face in trying to do anything whatever about anthropogenic global warming is that the dominant economic model of our times has only one way to reflect economic activity that is not straightforward growth as measured by increasing GNP.

That which is not growth is deemed to be a slowdown or a shrinkage. The model doesn't allow us to accommodate a pause to think or plan. Growth must happen.

And as currently measured real GNP growth is almost uniformly dependent on fossil fuel use.

So it appears to me that curtailing fossil fuel use will undeniably retard GNP growth which will lead to market retreats or even crashes.

I think we may be fucked unless somehow another economic model can be adopted planet wide within the next five years.

Of course we may be fucked simply because of our inability to escape the monkeysphere.

Please discuss.

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