The World is in Crisis - by Rachel Donald
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However, all living beings eventually reach stasis. Nothing grows forever. Why? Because to do so would have a terrible impact on a local ecosystem which is finite. CO2 in the atmosphere may be the symptom, and burning fossil fuels the reason, but growing a global human economy with a vast energy surplus by transforming every material in sight on a finite planet is the cause of the crisis.
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Wealth results from using energy to transform natural abundance into personal resources. Every unit of currency represents a material transformation and an expenditure of energy. This is why even if we did facilitate an incredible, global rollout of renewable energy whilst somehow protecting the remaining endangered ecosystems, it would not guarantee a stable planet. Humans use available energy to transform materials to produce wealth. Until we take wealth generation out of the equation, and re-engineer our economies to facilitate human and planet wellbeing, our energy supply will be used for material transformation.