Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ucbvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ucbvax!faustus From: faustus@ucbvax.UUCP (Wayne Christopher) Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics Subject: Re: Fallacies of Zero-growth Economies Message-ID: <1690@ucbvax.UUCP> Date: Wed, 22-Aug-84 12:48:30 EDT Article-I.D.: ucbvax.1690 Posted: Wed Aug 22 12:48:30 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 23-Aug-84 07:32:49 EDT References: <464@rdin.UUCP> Organization: U.C. Berkeley Lines: 36 > Fallacy 1: A growing GNP means a growing consumption of energy > and raw materials. This seems quite reasonable to me. More technology does mean more efficient use of energy, but I doubt that this can keep up with the rate of expansion of a reasonably healthy economy (say an increase of 5% / year). The example with the 7090 and the PC's cannot be applied to the economy as a whole -- certainly the computer industry is not representative of the rest. Of course, a growing GNP probably means that better ways of getting these raw materials and power are being developed, so we don't have to worry about huge coal-burning plants and strip mines being the result of economic growth. > Fallacy 3: Isn't there some inherent limit as to how large the > economy can grow? This is also reasonable, and I think that the limit must be tied to the amount of space that we have to expand into. However, if there is such a limit, we're certainly nowhere near it. The thing to worry about is that the closer we get, the worse the "quality of life" will become -- the world will take on the appearance of one huge factory, and its inhabitants, although quite wealthy by our standards, will live their lives sealed in huge living complexes. Now, this is a worst-case situation, but somthing is clear -- if we want the economy to continue to expand, we have to look for alternatives such as space-based industry. Although there seem to be no built-in limits to economic expansion, the environment and our own mental well-being will inevitably suffer unless we try to direct economic growth towards space. Wayne