Australia has strong ties with the global economy.  At the moment neither Australia nor the global economy are ecologically sustainable.  Global warming is a key indicator; there are others.

To a significant extent economic increase drives environmental deterioration - at least in the affluent parts of the world.  This is because economic increase is based on increasing the production and consumption of material goods, which currently involves increasing CO2 emissions and industrial toxins.

Thus it would appear that in our present industrial civilisation economic increase and environmental sustainability are incompatible.  This might be called The Great Contradiction.

Below I will show some graphs from Prof Will Steffen (ANU) showing the correlation between economic increase, population growth and increase in global economic activity...

My question for this forum is: is it true that achieving environmental sustainability and pursuing global economic growth are incompatible?

Our answer to this will shape many other considerations.

Andrew Gaines, Alliance for Sustainable Wellbeing; Member of the Society for Sustainable Business 

Andrew Gaines has thirty years experience improving human performance as a Feldenkrais practitioner, creativity trainer and psychotherapist. His book "Evolving a World That Works" explores the connections between the environment, our industrial system, economics and psychology, and highlights constructive points of change that can make Australia a world leader in ecological sustainability and social wellbeing. 

The Society For Sustainable Business is a vehicle for multi-disciplinary professionals and their organisations to network, exchange ideas, support one another, build partnerships, and to dialogue on the technical, social and practical aspects of achieving sustainability. Major goals include the creation of a network of qualified change agents who will give presentations, forums and workshops to senior business leaders, as well as provide presentations, education and workshops to business professionals at all levels.

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Graph 1

 Graph 2

Steffen, W., Sanderson, A., Tyson, P.D., Jäger, J., Matson, P., Moore III, B., Oldfield, F., Richardson, K., Schellnhuber, H.-J., Turner II, B.L. and Wasson, R.J. (2004). Global Change and the Earth System: A Planet Under Pressure. The IGBP Book Series, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 336 pp.

 

The references to the data for each individual panel are given in the book.