Who Killed Economic Growth?

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Excerpted from: http://www.endofgrowth.com
Richard Heinberg propose a startling diagnosis: humanity has reached a fundamental turning point in its economic history. The expansionary trajectory of industrial civilization is colliding with non-negotiable natural limits.

** Please understand that we fit all we could into a five minute video. Yes, there are many issues and nuances left out. You'll find most addressed in the book from which this material was excerpted: http://www.endofgrowth.com***

"Why have mainstream economists ignored environmental limits for so long? If Heinberg is right, they will have much explaining to do." -- LESTER BROWN, Founder Earth Policy Institute

"Heinberg shows how peak oil, peak water, peak food, etc. lead not only to the end of growth, but to the beginning of a new era of progress without growth." -- HERMAN E. DALY, Professor Emeritus, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland

"By the time you finish Heinberg's book, you will have 2 conclusions: This is the end of economic growth and it is our problem, not our childrens'. It's time to get ready. This book is the place to start." --PAUL GILDING -- Former head of Greenpeace International

"Richard has rung the bell on the limits to growth. Our shift from quantity of consumption to quality of life is the great challenge of our generation. Frightening...but ultimately freeing." --JOHN FULLERTON - President and Founder, Capital Institute

DONATIONS:
We're a small nonprofit who stretch our budget to achieve great things. We need your help! http://www.postcarbon.org/donate

ANIMATION:
(The Amazing) MONSTRO DESIGN: http://www.monstrodesign.com

MUSIC:
Madvillain - All Caps Instrumental

TRANSLATIONS:

KOREAN: http://socoop.net/endofgrowth/whokill...

TURKISH: http://dotsub.com/view/7cc25150-ac01-... (select from menu)

SPANISH: http://dotsub.com/view/7cc25150-ac01-... (select from menu)

ITALIAN: http://dotsub.com/view/7cc25150-ac01-... (select from menu) - thanks to Cristiano Bottone

FRENCH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSwT4f...

RUSSIAN: http://bit.ly/yoo4oB

POLISH: http://www.universalsubtitles.org/en/...

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[Bryan Fraser]

Whats the name of the opening song??

[postcarboninstitute]

Hey Bryan - It's Madvillain - All Caps (Instrumental). That was supposed to be listed in the description. It is now.

[elatus]

I never said it was infinite, the sun will engulf the earth one day, nothing is infinite.

We do better than nature all the time. We eat gmo foods, we get vaccinated, we have medicines available to us, we wear artificial polymers, we add vitamins to our food artificially, etc. A "natural" human lifespan is 30 years and the "natural" carrying capacity of the earth was 500 million people.

Also, solar panels in space are unbelievable? We have been putting solar panels in space since the 60's...

[Alfred Mayer]

So 1000 years are infinite to you? And where would you dispose the waste? how would you hanlde the loss of soil and oceanic ressources due to accidents (accidents happen with 100% probability as you know)? Solar panels in space? Dream on. This planet is already a excellent smart recycling machine. So why would you try to "better" than nature? You simply cant. Mankind is proving this fact constantly.

[Alfred Mayer]

The Universe is not infinite. Your life isn't infinite. Growth is nothing but cancer. You must understand, that star trek is a movie. This planet is the only spaceship we have. No technology will ever change that we are creatures of earth. Why are you unable to enjoy your life without this delusion of infinite growth? We dont need growth. We need to be happy with what we have. Whats wrong with that?

[Alfred Mayer]

Well. That took quite a long time to become evident, isnt it? 10 years ago when I said that competition and growth is destroying everything, they called me a communist. Not in my small irrelevant country, because we knew that all of the time.People are not global. They've never been global. Only the Corporation-Octopus is global. But corporations are not human beings. They are dictatorship systems embedded in nations that call themselves "democracies". Lol.

[indiefilms111]

awesome!

[Willemijn Rijkhold Meesters]

Seriously? You think we can go on and when all is destroyed on earth on an other planet? Are you crazy, watching to much scifi movies? WTF how many lightyears does it take to find an other planet that we are able live on. Do you plan to be an Avatar?! With the current state of our planet, the pollution, the extinction of most animals, shortage of water etc. our children's children will not have a planet to live on because you think we live in a freaking movie.

[OriginalIntentDoc]

Heinberg says we live on a finite planet a number of times throughout the video. So why don't we get off the planet, explore and colonize the Solar System? He doesn't mention this, so he's an idiot. Just another typical mud person.

James

[limitlessreborn]

Do you not take into account perhaps another industrial revolution except this time from asteroid mining/mining of bodies within our solar system?

I agree with most of the things you say in this video but you assume that technology stands still, the whole point of growth is to expand limitlessly, and this IS possible, the universe is infinite, so why isnt growth?

[elatus]

Scientific american put out an article that said our nuclear fuel could last 1000 years if we construct breeder reactors. Also, Lockheed Martins deuterium-tritium (fusion) reactor is going to be up and running in 4 years. Fusion would give us all the power we'll ever need and there are at-least 3 separate very high level projects that are all almost at net energy gain.

There are also ideas like launching solar panels into orbit and beaming the energy back down to the earth (microwaves).

[Cashstock Moneybags]

Replacing hydrocarbons with rare-earth metals is the wrong path. They're both fossil fuels and if we tried replacing all power plants on earth with nuclear energy, we would be out of uranium in 25 years. Geothermal is better. It uses tidal friction, which is an infinite source of energy (unless gravity somehow ceases to exist) and once it's developed it only needs to be maintained. Geothermal is the only alternative energy that should be taken seriously.