7. Isn’t the quest for infinite growth ultimately self-defeating?
Answer
Not at all. Economic growth refers generally to lifts in income. Income generation is not necessarily synonymous with resource depletion. The challenge we face is one of rebalancing away from income generation from ecological resource depleting activities to those that are either neutral or environmentally enhancing. For instance tourism that funds investment in our natural capital could actually be resource-enhancing; renewable energy usage is resource-neutral. TOP’s approach is about smart growth, not no growth.