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Is exponential economic growth incompatible with environmental sustainability?

User Michael Miller
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Answer:

The global economy recycles less than 10 percent of materials; about 50 percent of processed materials are used to provide energy and are thus not available for recycling. It is simple: economic growth is not compatible with environmental sustainability.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sustainability Is Not Only Compatible With Growth, It Requires It – But Only With Targeted Innovation. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Economic growth is closely linked to increasing production, consumption and resource use, which has negative effects on nature, climate and human health. Moreover, current research suggests that it is unlikely that economic growth can be completely detached from its environmental impacts, the EEA briefing notes.

Economic growth will be undermined without adequate environmental safeguards, and environmental protection will fail without economic growth. The earth's natural resources place limits on economic growth. These limits vary with the extent of resource substitution, technical progress, and structural changes.

User Samuel James
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