Dr Matt Ridley, author and broadcaster
A contrarian view of sustainability
顿补迟别/罢颈尘别:听 8th February 2011, 17:30 - 18:30
Matt Ridley will argue that, surprisingly, the best way of shrinking the 鈥榟uman footprint鈥� on the planet鈥檚 resources is to maximise the use of synthetic fertiliser, synthetic materials and non-renewable energy.
Sustainability generally starts from the argument that human beings are `using up resources鈥�. But is this true? Does economic growth necessarily make human society less sustainable? Over the past two centuries, spectacular economic and demographic growth have coincided with an increasing abundance of resources 鈥� land, food, energy, metals, forest products etc. Only renewable resources 鈥� whales, rivers to dam 鈥� show any signs of `running out鈥�. This lecture will pose the question why should this trend reverse at all, let alone imminently, and is it possible that the most sustainable thing human society can do is to continue to grow, to innovate and to trade?
