The Fifth Estate: End of Growth?

Congratulations to the Wheeler Centre for organizing this debate. Das is far from being along in his views. For my part I have long recognised the impossibility of never-ending growth on a finite planet. My concern is that our two main political parties know no other approach than to do their utmost to have growth. We need to start the discussion on the policy implications of the end of growth so that we know what to do once we realise that growth is over. See http://livingwellwithoutgrowthseminar.yolasite.com/ for a planned seminar on this topic.

Das didn't defend Malthus at all. Yes, Malthus was wrong, but perhaps that's because Malthus was an optimist.

Malthus didn't understand the ecological concept of 'overshoot'. Yes, we managed to increase human numbers far beyond Malthus's expectations, as we learnt to live outside of the annual energy budget of the sun by harnessing the power of fossil fuels. In the process human numbers grew well above the sustainable carrying capacity of the Earth. In the process we destroyed much of the foundation of the pre-industrial carrying capacity: our soils, groundwaters, biodiversity and stable climate. Malthus imagined a roof we couldn't break through, but we rocketed through all right, and now we're at up high, looking a long way down at the wreckage as the fuel starts to run out.

The challenge is figuring out ways to float back down, not fall.