[Sys1]

What we've got here with peak oil and global warming are just symptoms of an economic paradigm adopted many decades ago, and now close to its limits. I asked myself why did we choose something so self destructive as growth. If it's so dangerous for our cicilization, could we just get rid of it... while preserving our standarts of living?

Alas, it would have been impossible to reach the level of complexity we've got today without growth. Finally, growth allows people to invest, meaning creating something that could not exist without a lot of help -money-. Then, of course, people must give the money back -and more- to allow the bank to lend it to someone else who will also invest, creating something great like computers, cell phones, or air travel (Sure it could sounds ironic to some peak oilers )
Anyway, i've the feeling that growth's roots are coming from the willing to build an organization bigger than tributes, this organization leading to the huge thing we name civilization.
My point is i think impossible for a civilization to exist without growth, meaning that we are doomed to fail, stucked between lack of ressources and necessity to grow. Like one of those families deep in debts while owning plasma tv, suburbia house and a SUV, we are living in a utopia.

[The_Virginian]

Hey your right, and not many would argue the point.

Let's say a 7th century Arab buys 10 female goats and one male goat...

He was INVESTING in the GROWTH of the herd...

Nothing has changed, only the vehicle for growth...this modern method of Concrete, steel, Asphalt, and Silicon is ENERGY INTENSIVE.

thus if you wish to GROW, look for non-energy intensive means...and just try and hold on to them.

[aldente]

One of the speakers on this audio actually exactely touches on that point when focussing how growth driven the last 200 years were and how 'growth' became a quintessential economic paradigm.