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:
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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.

[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.

[elatus]

I'm not talking about wind and solar. I'm talking about fusion and fission. Both uranium and deuterium-tritium have literally thousands of times the energy density of fossil fuels. Lockheed martins experimental fusion reactor could power 150,000 homes off a trailer. But even if that doesn't come to pass (though it looks like it will), fission is still a very real option. Obviously that comes with its own issues, but they are not insurmountable.

[greevar]

Economic growth is the way to create scarcity and capitalists need scarcity to make their businesses profitable. If resources were abundant (i.e. vast in supply and reusable), there would be no need for capitalists because everyone would have enough as long as they lived sustainably. We would have no need for business and trade if we had ubiquitous production and recycling. Your requirements for resources would be much smaller if you could just convert your old stuff in to new stuff as needed.

[theartfulbadger2]

I LOVE MADLIB!!!!!

[Cashstock Moneybags]

Too giant. It will never be practical to cross mind-boggling cosmic distances to recover resources. That's a never-ever, no-matter-what style never. Learn about EROEI, inertia, thrust, and escape velocity and you'll understand. Having to wait months or years for a supply restock is a whole different "No way."