Comments on: This week’s essential reading December 27th through January 2nd http://www.melstarrs.com/elemental/2009/01/02/this-weeks-essential-reading-december-27th-through-january-2nd/ Communicating sustainable solutions for the built environment Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:25:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Gareth Kane http://www.melstarrs.com/elemental/2009/01/02/this-weeks-essential-reading-december-27th-through-january-2nd/comment-page-1/#comment-388 Gareth Kane Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:35:59 +0000 http://www.melstarrs.com/elemental/?p=890#comment-388 If you want to exercise your brain, try Sustainability by Design by John Ehrenfeld. It left me exhausted, but with a whole new viewpoint on sustainability. I review it here: http://www.terrainfirma.co.uk/2009/01/book-review-sustainability-by-design.html If you want to exercise your brain, try Sustainability by Design by John Ehrenfeld. It left me exhausted, but with a whole new viewpoint on sustainability. I review it here:

http://www.terrainfirma.co.uk/2009/01/book-review-sustainability-by-design.html

]]> By: mel starrs http://www.melstarrs.com/elemental/2009/01/02/this-weeks-essential-reading-december-27th-through-january-2nd/comment-page-1/#comment-386 mel starrs Sun, 04 Jan 2009 12:25:47 +0000 http://www.melstarrs.com/elemental/?p=890#comment-386 I like the idea of growth by dematerialisation a lot. It very much appeals to the <del datetime="2009-01-04T12:26:02+00:00">need</del> <em>desire</em> to reduce waste, of resources, time and effort. Thanks! I like the idea of growth by dematerialisation a lot. It very much appeals to the need desire to reduce waste, of resources, time and effort. Thanks!

]]> By: Derek Deighton http://www.melstarrs.com/elemental/2009/01/02/this-weeks-essential-reading-december-27th-through-january-2nd/comment-page-1/#comment-390 Derek Deighton Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:53:03 +0000 http://www.melstarrs.com/elemental/?p=890#comment-390 January 3, 2009 A Steady State Solution to the One Planet Equation? The reality of the ‘One Planet Equation’ is irrefutable but the possibility of a ’steady state solution’ is questionable in human terms as we have found, even in the possibility of creating ’steady state growth’ in the existing economic paradigm. Better to recognise the dynamic relationship between the variables of the ‘one planet equation’, Population, Consumption and Resource Intensity, and work towards a dynamic solution to the equation, a fundamental engineering concept that, for example, keeps the Eurofighter flying. That’s why I prefer to state the First Law of Sustainability as ‘In a resource constrained environment, goods and services can only grow at the rate at which they can be dematerialised.’ Positively and dynamically. dd Gaian Economics: Is this the year of the steady state? - Best (and most simple) definition of capitalism I’ve seen in a while: “The problem with interest and other forms of using money to make money is that it is mortgaging the future. Since money is expanding, goods will need to be increased so that they are available when the people who have that money come to demand them. And all those goods need resources and energy to make them. This is an unsustainable way of running an economy.” This is linked to the Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy http://www.steadystate.org/CASSEFeaturesSSE.html January 3, 2009

A Steady State Solution to the One Planet Equation?

The reality of the ‘One Planet Equation’ is irrefutable but the possibility of a ’steady state solution’ is questionable in human terms as we have found, even in the possibility of creating ’steady state growth’ in the existing economic paradigm.

Better to recognise the dynamic relationship between the variables of the ‘one planet equation’, Population, Consumption and Resource Intensity, and work towards a dynamic solution to the equation, a fundamental engineering concept that, for example, keeps the Eurofighter flying.

That’s why I prefer to state the First Law of Sustainability as ‘In a resource constrained environment, goods and services can only grow at the rate at which they can be dematerialised.’ Positively and dynamically.

dd

Gaian Economics: Is this the year of the steady state? – Best (and most simple) definition of capitalism I’ve seen in a while: “The problem with interest and other forms of using money to make money is that it is mortgaging the future. Since money is expanding, goods will need to be increased so that they are available when the people who have that money come to demand them. And all those goods need resources and energy to make them. This is an unsustainable way of running an economy.”

This is linked to the Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy http://www.steadystate.org/CASSEFeaturesSSE.html

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