Good question!

Assume we say that "it is unreasonable to believe in unlimited growth because the earth is finite"

    A typical answer would be that "new technologies will emerge to make continued growth possible ..."

Then I would use the model to show that improvements in technology at best replace depletion of one resource by depletion of another resource and/or one form of pollution for another, and in a finite planet there cannot possibly be an infinite number of replacements ...

    Then they will say that perhaps new technologies can get something out of nothing (e.g., according to
Nicholas Tesla, it may be possible to produce energy out of a vacuum ...)

     And finally they might say that growth must continue because people always want more, so they will
   buy more and borrow more to buy more, and businesses will borrow more to pay for advertising and to
     develop new technologies to produce more for people to consume more ... and if the process breaks down
     it must be fixed so as to ensure that growth can continue indefinitely ... else people will have no incentive
     to do anything and the entire system would collapse ... and we can trust in Mother Earth to be resilient
     enough to absorb all the waste and pollution ... and climate change is a myth ... etc

Then what do we say ... do we agree that the current system has to be fixed to keep growing ... or can we suggest that the current system might need to evolve to somehow allow "prosperity" without growth?

Luis T. Gutiérrez, PhD, PE
The Pelican Web of Solidarity and Sustainability
Mother Pelican: A Journal of Sustainable Human Development

On 11/14/2011 10:25 PM, Gene Shackman wrote:

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Let me ask it this way: What are the reasons some people give for believing there will be unlimited economic growth? What are their objections to believing that these are valid questions? I mean, we can say that it is unreasonable to believe in unlimited economic growth because (and give some reason), then what do they say? That model you gave in your first email? And if we show where the model might break down, what is their argument?

Gene

From: Luis Gutierrez <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: Question about infinite economic growth

Assuming there are still some people willing to face reality, what I am really looking for is how to best explain to them that this is a valid question to ask, both theoretically and empirically!!! Any suggestions?

Luis T. Gutiérrez, PhD, PE
The Pelican Web of Solidarity and Sustainability
Mother Pelican: A Journal of Sustainable Human Development