Transcript Economic growth - Nanjing

Economic growth
Economic growth is usually measured in
GDP

GDP:
refers to the market value of all final goods
and services produced within a country in
a given period
GDP: (can be thought of as)
how much stuff is made
So if we say that a country's GDP is
growing at
7%,
What does that mean?how long
until the GDP doubles?
70 / 7 = 10
in about 10 years the economy will be making
twice as much “stuff”.
In about 20 years it will be making about 4 times
as much “stuff”
Let's take a look at the world's gdp growth rate

http://www.indexmundi.com/world/gdp_real_gro
wth_rate.html
So the world's gdp is growing at around (on
average) 4.9%
what does that mean?
70 / 4.9 =
in about _14__ years the world will be making
twice as much “stuff”.
In about ___28_ years the world will be making
about 4 times as much “stuff”
This economic activity (making stuff), what does it
require?
What resources are used in economic activity
(making stuff)?
Energy (oil coal)

Raw materials

People

Land

water
Some of these are finite (not and
endless amount) and non
renewable.
If we are constantly doubling our
usage (every _14__ years or so)
of non renewable, finite resources,
what eventually will happen?
Economic activity (making stuff)
also causes a lot of something no
one wants.
What is a main negative side effect
of economic activity?
Economic activity (making stuff)
also causes a lot of something no
one wants.
What is a main negative side effect
of economic activity?

pollution
If we are doubling our pollution output
every ___ years or so, what are some
problems?
Increases in:

Greenhouse (CO2)
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Global Warming
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Radiation (Nuclear)
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Plastic contamination of ecosystems

Air quality

Desertification

Water pollution

Soil degradation

so...
What are the projections for business as usual?
(no change)

Limits to Growth
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What is a sustainable GDP growth rate?

What is a sustainable GDP growth rate?
If growth is linked to using new resources and
causing pollution. There is a point where the
footprint of the economic activity = the worlds
biocapacity.

What is a sustainable GDP growth rate?
If growth is linked to using new resources and
causing pollution. There is a point where the
footprint of the economic activity = the worlds
biocapacity.
After this point there can be no sustainable
economic growth.

solutions:

Stabilize population growth.
0% population growth rate

Health care for children

Empowerment for women

No war
Everywhere!
We have already studied this so no need to repeat what we have done already.

Solutions:
- separate economic growth with resource
depletion and pollution.
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Solutions:
- separate economic growth with resource
depletion and pollution.
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Renewable energy.

Sustainable energy
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Reuse all materials again and again so they
don't run out.
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Biomimicry.

Biomimicry.
Remember....
mimicry.
What was mimicry?

Biomimicry.
Remember....
mimicry.
What was mimicry?
Mimicry
(looking or sounding like another living organism)

Bio-mimicry

Bio-mimicry

Life be just like.

Bio-mimicry

Life be just like.
The concept of bio-mimicry involves building a
society that functions the same as life in a
healthy ecosystem.
Healthy ecosystem
Matter cycles
Everything gets reused
nothing gets wasted
Healthy ecosystem
Matter cycles
Everything gets reused
nothing gets wasted
Energy Flows
source of all energy?
Healthy ecosystem
Matter cycles
Everything gets reused
nothing gets wasted
Energy Flows
source of all energy? Sun (sustainable, nonpolluting)
Healthy ecosystems

Healthy ecosystems have worked this way for
the last 600 million years.
Healthy ecosystems

Healthy ecosystems have worked this way for
the last 600 million years.
WE KNOW THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT WILL
SUPPORT HEALTHY LIFE
How to apply this to society:

Here is cradle to grave
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Here is a cradle to grave production model.

Cradle to grave works if there is an endless
supply of resources and if the Earth can absorb
and endless amount of wastes.
Problem.....
The world does not have an endless supply of
resources

The world cannot absorb and endless amount
of waste.

Cradle to grave works if there is an endless
supply of resources and if the Earth can absorb
and endless amount of wastes.
Problem.....
The world does not have an endless supply of
resources


The world cannot absorb and endless amount
of waste.
We need to do something different

This would be replaced with a Cradle to Cradle
model.

It is a closed cycle.
When something goes to disposal it either
biodegrades into nutrients for the environment,
or gets recycled into something just a useful.

Cradle to Cradle
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William McDonough

Michael Braungart