Infodoc : Sciences, Techniques et Culture

Decades of research and discussion have shown the human population growth and increased consumption of natural resources cannot continue, there are limits to growth. This volume demonstrates how we might modify and revise our economic system using nature as a model to sustain and flourish within these limits. The book describes how nature uses three growth forms : biomass; information and networks, resulting in improved overall ecosystem functioning; and co-development. As biomass growth is limited by available resources, nature uses the two other growth forms to archieve higher resource use efficiency. Through a universal application of the three Rs, reduce, reuse, and recycle, nature shows us a way forward toward better solutions. However, our current approach, dominated by short-t[...]

Decades of research and discussion have shown the human population growth and increased consumption of natural resources cannot continue, there are limits to growth. This volume demonstrates how we might modify and revise our economic system using nature as a model to sustain and flourish within these limits. The book describes how nature uses three growth forms : biomass; information and networks, resulting in improved overall ecosystem functioning; and co-development. As biomass growth is limited by available resources, nature uses the two other growth forms to archieve higher resource use efficiency. Through a universal application of the three Rs, reduce, reuse, and recycle, nature shows us a way forward toward better solutions. However, our current approach, dominated by short-term economic thinking, inhibits full utilization of the three Rs and other successful approaches from nature. Building on ecological principles, the authors present a global model and future scenario analysis that shows that implementation of the proposed changes will lead to a win-win situation. In other words, we can learn from nature how to develop a society than can flourish within the limits to growth with better conditions for prosperity and well-being.