Science & Technology

Will the End of Economic Growth Come by Design — or Disaster? | Gaya Herrington | TED

What if solving poverty, caring for nature and fostering well-being were the ultimate goals of the economy, instead of growth for its own sake? Environmentalist and economist Gaya Herrington proposes a shift in thinking from “never enough” to “enough for each,” asking us to contemplate whether the end of exponential growth on a finite planet…

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What if solving poverty, caring for nature and fostering well-being were the ultimate goals of the economy, instead of growth for its own sake? Environmentalist and economist Gaya Herrington proposes a shift in thinking from “never enough” to “enough for each,” asking us to contemplate whether the end of exponential growth on a finite planet will come by design — or disaster. (Recorded at TEDCountdown@BloombergGreenFestival on July 12, 2024)

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56 Comments

  1. @syahrumsaimin811

    October 23, 2024 at 11:48 am

    What she’s saying in this video is something a lot of people already know. The problem is that humanity’s leaders are too busy caring about themselves. Politics and greed sit at the top of the human chain.

    • @Rnankn

      October 23, 2024 at 1:50 pm

      Well people have to understand the need, and want the necessary changes. Until then, electoral cycles require politicians to be responsive to voters, and markets require corporations to compete for growing revenue.

  2. @orien2v2

    October 23, 2024 at 11:52 am

    That’s overly optimistic. Needs will never be met for everyone as there will never be “enough”. Unless a matter replicator is invented, I don’t see how humans can “live” with another mindset as this is the world we’ve evolved to live in. It will take a truly world-shattering change to change how we live. It’s either some techonological marvel or a world-ending event. Not “hey let’s try this” mindset unfortunately.

  3. @bhavtosh5328

    October 23, 2024 at 12:03 pm

    A true AGI can liberate the
    humanity from sufferings.

    • @avirichar4981

      October 23, 2024 at 12:48 pm

      so can a true HGI, ie a human general intelligence, which actually already exists, and just needs to be applied toward that end, to actual potentials

      (rather than hoping for some pipe dream of something that not only doesn’t exist nor ever has, but also per all experts in the field that studies it, pretty much near 100% likelihood, never will exist)

  4. @stevesmith4901

    October 23, 2024 at 12:12 pm

    Did this woman just pitch socialism to us like it was some novel idea she thought up?

  5. @rxx5499

    October 23, 2024 at 12:30 pm

    Here’s the real threat to DeMocracy. 😢

  6. @nosferadu

    October 23, 2024 at 12:31 pm

    She’s right, but unfortunately nobody has ever taken hippies seriously.

  7. @Azel247

    October 23, 2024 at 1:17 pm

    People at the bottom want change until they get to the top, then they want to stop things from changing.

  8. @mrtienphysics666

    October 23, 2024 at 2:16 pm

    more talks

  9. @sipzc-dj

    October 23, 2024 at 2:50 pm

    *THE QUESTION IS*
    *WHAT WOULD GOD THINK*
    *WHAT WOULD HE DO*
    *WHAT DOES GOD WANT*
    THINK THAT TO EVERYTHING & THE WORLD WILL GET BETTER… WE CURRENTLY HAVE A SICKNESS TO GET BETTER FROM 🫴🏼🌎
    GOOD LUCK EVERYONE 🫴🏼🌎

  10. @Soocom1

    October 23, 2024 at 2:55 pm

    You have WWWIII that will probably moot this.

  11. @riffking2651

    October 23, 2024 at 3:15 pm

    I’m with ya, but man this is a tricky thing to actually do. We’ll need fairness to be very well though out and enforced everywhere

  12. @hb3074

    October 23, 2024 at 3:23 pm

    islamic finance is the answer!!!

  13. @GOD999MODE

    October 23, 2024 at 3:29 pm

    This illusion of endless growth has got to eventually come to an end. The problem is it has made a lot of people rich and now the next generations are getting left behind with high inflation and limited high salary job opportunities. The skills and knowledge breadth that companies are looking for are simply unattainable by a college degree alone, which costs more than ever with the smallest ROI. There is still no better option.

    If everyone starts to do STEM and IT, there’s still a lack of experienced, skilled technology professionals and an overabundance of entry level trainees.

    Those at the top of Finance and Banking are basically just hanging onto their status. They will be irrelevant in the next 20 years. The Medical professions will always be around, but healthcare is already exorbitant and can’t sustain the absurd costs.

    I think society is going to collapse if I’m being honest. The tail end of Millennials, gen Z, and Alpha are fkd.

  14. @syrup868

    October 23, 2024 at 3:46 pm

    I like the positivity here. We could use a bit more optimism for the future.

  15. @marilotta2008

    October 23, 2024 at 4:11 pm

    It‘s about everybody’s everyday’s little choices. Not all at a time but step by step. The question: do I need a coffee right know or can I wait until the office. There I could drink from a real mug instead of a paper garbage can? Maybe you could just start making this choice once a week, knowing that you are not alone and this will course an impact. The little things matter.

  16. @mel_arquiza

    October 23, 2024 at 5:14 pm

    ” Are we all overwhelmed by all the information that we absord everyday with all kinds of different ideas? as we deep think what causes all our downfall.”

    “All of us needs a proper rest to make our minds and spirits clear.”

    “Motivation in life requires us to think deeply about the consequences of our actions, the effects of our choices, and the impact of the plans we create. We need to realize that we have become something else and acknowledge that we hold in our hands an instrument that separates each one of us from our true human emotions and feelings. We need to learn to go back and re-examine all our habitual habits and interact again with our human emotions with one another wisely, realizing that we can still live without ‘the thing’ and take a real break from it all.”

    • Learn in Hitting the Break

    “Ask ourselves what speech of information that truly give us the peace of mind that never think of worries and anxieties? that make someone mind reminding the uncontrollable ideas that leads all of us to no where and searching for the right answers.”

    “It seems even we are all connected now and can voice out what we want something along the way gaps are getting more wider and it feels something are not truly right and clear and lots of adjustments has to be made.”

    “Let the true leaders that serve do there proper jobs with a clear minds and spirits and we pray that our leaders leads us all to a much better future and not the opposite.”

    “A successful formula relies on a balanced equation, much like a delicate act of equilibrium. Neglecting one side can result in collapse, emphasizing the importance of maintaining balance and not removing vital elements (cause and effect) from the equation. Just as in the middle working class, where every component plays a role in sustaining the whole, it’s crucial to uphold stability for the formula to function correctly and effectively.”

    • The Equation Analyst

    😑😑😑🙏🙏🙏

  17. @FilipeBrasAlmeida

    October 23, 2024 at 6:27 pm

    I understand the meaning and objectives here, but it is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of what is meant by growth, typically measured via GDP. GDP is an attempt to measure generated value, and value happens to be assigned, even if imperfectly, to what we believe improves our well-being. Are there improvements to be made to how we map value into our effective well-being and sustainability? Absolutely. But it doesn’t entail the adoption of a wholesale alternative to desiring growth. IMHO.

  18. @ALIENTUBEUNCENSORED

    October 23, 2024 at 6:36 pm

    ♥ 🌎

  19. @alex6563

    October 23, 2024 at 7:18 pm

    We don’t know what we want.

  20. @fredschoemaker7042

    October 23, 2024 at 7:27 pm

    DR K F SOCCER S-P-C KNOWS THAT IF YOU KNOW TRUMP SUPPORTERS PASS THIS IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE TOP THEY WILL KNOW
    = ” JUST DON’T VOTE ” =
    2024 THE NEW AMERICAN WAY

  21. @joelpichette

    October 23, 2024 at 7:47 pm

    Will the End of Economic Growth Come by Design —

    no, they must make all of it automated and robotized, making humans depend on a rich landlord and the government for substenance. people will be poorer in the future.

  22. @DANIMALVISION

    October 23, 2024 at 8:32 pm

    Sadly the human condition won’t allow this common sense to actualize. There’s always hope, but realistically, our self serving desires won’t retreat until its too late and the suffering has consumed us.

  23. @dagansmith5354

    October 23, 2024 at 8:44 pm

    can some one just make tools that will last. I want a set of tools that I will buy once. don’t really care if it costs 5 times as much.

  24. @danielbushman

    October 23, 2024 at 8:58 pm

    Government should be modeled based on this. .

  25. @greatgod1977

    October 23, 2024 at 9:53 pm

    👍

  26. @michaelnelson7240

    October 23, 2024 at 11:19 pm

    Shareholders are greedy amen

  27. @TheChiefonator

    October 23, 2024 at 11:33 pm

    Both

  28. @dempseyrollo7535

    October 24, 2024 at 12:58 am

    I have some reservations regarding your approach. I believe that relying on force or legislation may not be the most effective way to guide this change. If it is meant to occur naturally, as you suggested, then I think we should allow it to unfold in its own time. Even if the outcome doesn’t align with your controlled plan, it may lead to an acceptance of the process that we can all live with.

  29. @jespergbh

    October 24, 2024 at 1:21 am

    Why are TED talk always the most obvious cliche points 5 years after the debates has been running for years and without any answers or solutions.

    • @DutchDansing

      October 25, 2024 at 2:08 pm

      because it’s an easy thing for milquetoast LinkedIn users to repost and look good in front of their peers.

  30. @frank93907

    October 24, 2024 at 1:32 am

    Engineering/Design/Psychology

  31. @SD-jd6ix

    October 24, 2024 at 1:50 am

    Government all over the globe are addicted to growth silly system

  32. @DataDost

    October 24, 2024 at 3:00 am

    Gaya Herrington

  33. @aistuff8127

    October 24, 2024 at 3:33 am

    You gotta solve problem from start where it started , by asking transparency from your bookkeeper (politician) and keep there status as employee!

  34. @jonathanglock1574

    October 24, 2024 at 4:44 am

    Can’t stop human greed

  35. @alejandropatagnan5628

    October 24, 2024 at 5:42 am

    The concept growth has a limit which is maturity or even death. What we need is sustenance and maintenance economy.

  36. @Ren-1979

    October 24, 2024 at 6:20 am

    ENOUGH! I love this idea and it should be our goal as a species.
    Sadly and according to my own statistics and intuition it will come in the form of disaster…..

  37. @HakuCell

    October 24, 2024 at 8:37 am

    it took her 15 minutes to basically present no practical, realistic, or impactful proposals. in reality, growth is gonna keep happening, we will solve climate change but still have about 2°C of global warming (which will be bad), and then ai and robotics will take over (hopefully serving us and solving poverty, rather than killing us, haha).

  38. @romanodiotti4350

    October 24, 2024 at 12:05 pm

    In italian we would say “grazie al cazzo”

  39. @darinherrick9224

    October 24, 2024 at 6:04 pm

    This is wonderful. Sutainable and carefully thought-out degrowth would be wonderful. And efficiency gains resulting in working less would be the very best.

  40. @avivolah9401

    October 24, 2024 at 7:23 pm

    Until we wont remove the profit parameter/mechanism, nothing will really change.

  41. @circuloviciosamente

    October 24, 2024 at 10:10 pm

    The issues with these ideas is that we need to determine what should be the goal life of people. I don’t think that will be feasible before the disaster.

  42. @andrewstromotich-g8d

    October 25, 2024 at 12:54 am

    The real problem is All our economic systems run on growth, GDP and population growth year over a year, And all our economies run on tomorrow’s money we borrow today based on tomorrow’s growth we can’t borrow more money if we don’t make more money and if we make less money, our credit ratings will be affected, and it will cost more to borrow money. Our economic systems are inherently flawed and incapable of living sustainably. There is no alchemy that will allow us to continue growing while consuming less, not less energy, not less products and not less of our lives. We have to rethink the entire thing we have to downsize our desires and expectations for after all, it’s the meek that shall inherit the Earth, and those meek will either be new, humble, humans, or Back we go to prokaryotes to hopefully start all over again(And even that is not guaranteed). I believe it started with go forth and prosper taking over and destroying the do no harm that pre-dated it, GDP is only the latest manifestation of this exploitative POV

  43. @faceless3433

    October 25, 2024 at 1:30 am

    ‘Limits to Growth’ is a very old study based on bad models. Her empty speech all sounds nice but it’s global tyranny and the enslavement of humanity. ‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution’. Do your research.

  44. @darkedge4011

    October 25, 2024 at 2:17 am

    Unfortunately whilst we still have far right billionaires dictating key things like the american election our planet is doomed

  45. @alexanderzhukov6903

    October 25, 2024 at 11:32 am

    Foundation-ish

  46. @alexandrugheorghe5610

    October 25, 2024 at 1:00 pm

    Lots of talking, zero concrete solutions to do it.

  47. @SuperRicky1974

    October 25, 2024 at 4:02 pm

    Wow I’m absolutely amazed. This sounds like economics through the lens of NVC.

  48. @zaazee5584

    October 26, 2024 at 12:03 pm

    The primary goal of our economy is not growth but profit, they do correlate though. Reduce the profits for the use of fossil energy to zero (tax 100%) and it will diminish.The big problem are our political leaders and systems, which are not able/competent/willing to make changes for the better.

  49. @gabrielbevan-rt5yl

    October 27, 2024 at 11:25 am

    I’m guessing that it might come about by both disaster and design. The disaster being the disastrous monetary consequences suffered by ordinary people around the world. At the same time this situation will be caused by the design of economic systems and by greed. Many people spend less because they have less to spend, then a greater divide of wealth is created (more people with more money, or the same amount of people with more money), this ensures money is still spent, this is the situation that we have today and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better. For all I know, economic systems are just an illusion and they aren’t actually needed and they aren’t doing what the general public are led to believe they’re doing.

  50. @jonathangrant9767

    October 27, 2024 at 11:05 pm

    The greatest tyrannies are always perpetuated in the name of the noblest causes. Individuality is based on the recognition of inalienable rights, including the right to one’s own life, liberty, and property. These rights are derived from the nature of man as a rational being. Individuality is rooted in self-interest. It is the pursuit of one’s own happiness and fulfillment. Self-interest is not selfish or destructive, but rather the driving force behind human achievement and progress. Individuality is closely tied to rationality. History has proven that humans are capable of independent thought and decision-making and that this rational faculty is the source of human creativity, innovation, and progress. I abhor dystopian collectivist ideologies, such as socialism, communism, and altruism, as they threaten individuality and promote the sacrifice of individual rights and interests to the collective. I advocate for a system of laissez-faire capitalism, which respects individual rights and allows for the free exercise of individual initiative and creativity. The needs of one will not satisfy the abilities of others.

  51. @bros2go521

    October 28, 2024 at 1:54 am

    To complement Gaya’s proposal based on the 1972 book “Limits to Growth”, the book “Catastrophe or New Society?” (1976) must be put on the other side of the scale. That book was the response from the South to the mathematical model from the North (MIT). It was another mathematical model with other variables, mainly based on human development and international solidarity. Today 2024 that union would be ‘Limits to Growth: Catastrophe or New Society’. If you want to know more about the history of the Southern Model (Latin American World Model) just google “Science with conscience: 50 years of the foundations of a wellbeing and sustainable society”

  52. @aymanjaber2585

    October 28, 2024 at 4:53 am

    Not one coherent thought. “Ummmm……. we should do communism, but make it not bad”. How do you implement that? Who gets to decide what to increase what of and by how much?

  53. @洲冗奇

    October 29, 2024 at 8:05 am

    It sounds like communism

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