Unplugging Our Economic Ponzi Scheme

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In recent decades, the status quo has relied on cheap fossil fuels, exhausting resources we cannot replace. 
In recent decades, the status quo has relied on cheap fossil fuels, exhausting resources we cannot replace. 
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Humanity’s dilemma: The Earth won’t allow for a continually growing population, but our current economic system depends on exponential human population growth. 
Humanity’s dilemma: The Earth won’t allow for a continually growing population, but our current economic system depends on exponential human population growth. 
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While we work together to develop a sustainable society, we should keep right on tending our gardens. 
While we work together to develop a sustainable society, we should keep right on tending our gardens. 

 “Change before you have to.” 
 — Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO, General Electric Co.

In 1977, the editors of MOTHER EARTH NEWS published a sprawl­ing Economic Outlook that pre­sented a number of bold, disturbing as­sertions that emphasized our need for a new economic model:

• Capitalism, as we know it, is designed to exploit newly discovered resources and will flounder when we run out of new frontiers to conquer.
• The human population continues to grow rapidly.
• We can recognize and pre­dict coming shortages of oil, irrigation water and arable land.
• The health of our current world economy is con­tingent upon continued population growth and the discovery of new natu­ral resources.
• We need new economic systems to support a “steady state” econo­my — an economy of stable size with only mild fluctuations in population and consumption of en­ergy and materials.

  • Published on Oct 19, 2011
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