By Peter David Pedersen
A new economy is on the doorstep. It's not the economy we used to know as "the new economy." It's not the information-technology-driven growth of the last few decades, although that makes up part of the new economy. A new economy is rapidly emerging, one which will transform the ways that people live and do business.
The name of the new new economy is the "ecological growth economy." This is neither a bad joke nor an anachronism. It is the emerging new reality. It is also the precondition for the continuation of human progress and the survival of millions of other species on Earth. We have an obvious choice: We can speed up the realization of the ecological growth economy now, or our children and theirs will suffer for centuries.
It appears to be an easy choice, doesn't it? We can choose human progress over suffering. And yet, we are not making this choice at sufficient speed or scale today. Ignorance, institutional inertia, vested interests, and greed are the main reasons for our far-too-slow action. However, as sentient creatures (Homo sapiens), humans are equipped with knowledge, good will, and a degree of wisdom.
A majority of people around the Earth today are realizing that we cannot survive without embracing the ecological growth economy. Most people are willing to join forces and are willing to make certain sacrifices in lifestyle to achieve an economy that will allow the continuation of human progress into future generations. Fortunately, an increasing number of people are making great efforts to bring about this new economy.
Is Growth Evil?
The ecological growth economy will not mean sacrifice, and will not cause a return to low growth or no growth. It will not mean a less attractive lifestyle, but will, in fact, create a more attractive one. It will drive the continued growth of the global economy into the second half of the twenty-first century. It will enable the greatest consumption boom in history and will create more new business opportunities than ever before.
Does this sound unlikely or undesirable? I argue that it is inevitable. Why? Because it is the only way we can choose life over death, continued human progress over prolonged suffering.
A new economy is on the doorstep. It's not the economy we used to know as "the new economy." It's not the information-technology-driven growth of the last few decades, although that makes up part of the new economy. A new economy is rapidly emerging, one which will transform the ways that people live and do business.
The name of the new new economy is the "ecological growth economy." This is neither a bad joke nor an anachronism. It is the emerging new reality. It is also the precondition for the continuation of human progress and the survival of millions of other species on Earth. We have an obvious choice: We can speed up the realization of the ecological growth economy now, or our children and theirs will suffer for centuries.
It appears to be an easy choice, doesn't it? We can choose human progress over suffering. And yet, we are not making this choice at sufficient speed or scale today. Ignorance, institutional inertia, vested interests, and greed are the main reasons for our far-too-slow action. However, as sentient creatures (Homo sapiens), humans are equipped with knowledge, good will, and a degree of wisdom.
A majority of people around the Earth today are realizing that we cannot survive without embracing the ecological growth economy. Most people are willing to join forces and are willing to make certain sacrifices in lifestyle to achieve an economy that will allow the continuation of human progress into future generations. Fortunately, an increasing number of people are making great efforts to bring about this new economy.
Is Growth Evil?
The ecological growth economy will not mean sacrifice, and will not cause a return to low growth or no growth. It will not mean a less attractive lifestyle, but will, in fact, create a more attractive one. It will drive the continued growth of the global economy into the second half of the twenty-first century. It will enable the greatest consumption boom in history and will create more new business opportunities than ever before.
Does this sound unlikely or undesirable? I argue that it is inevitable. Why? Because it is the only way we can choose life over death, continued human progress over prolonged suffering.
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4 comments:
Era tão bom, não era?
Acho que necessitamos espalhar estas ideias.
Aprecio estes posts!
Mais: é reconfortante saber que existe um meu conterrâneo interessado (e preocupado, nota-se ...) por estes temas da política e da economia internacional.
"um meu conterrâneo interessado..."
Pois seja bem vindo VJ, e volte sempre.
"Acho que necessitamos espalhar estas ideias."
Faça cada um o melhor que puder, e o mundo será melhor.
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