Steady State Economy

The dominant model of modern economics and politics relies on continuous economic growth, regardless of the consequences for the environment. Many economists and politicians argue that economic growth is good and necessary for the environment, as we need to grow to a certain level to be able to afford to clean up the costs of pollution. This permanent growth in number and types of goods and services is countered by the steady state economy concept, which focuses on the relative stabilization of population and consumption over time. The steady state economy is a central element of ecological economics, though it was first developed by conventional economists to refer to a condition in which output and capital per worker are balanced over time.

Many economists and other ...