Limits to Resources, Economic Growth and Happiness

doi:10.1007/s12204-012-1288-7

Abstract

Abstract: Terrible scenario for the future aspect of our society was issued by “The Limits to Growth”. Basic problems that we confront are the restricted natural resources and the environment. Regarding the resources, the overall average of the reserve/production ratio is predicted to fall below 10 years by 2040. Aggressive developments of mines based on the sense of urgency for metal resources cause strong confliction with the environment and the people living there. Resultantly, urban mine becomes more realistic than before. From the view point of ecological foot print, 5.3 globes are needed if all the people living in the world attain the affluent life same as USA. On the other hand, it is clear that we can get larger utility by smaller goods if our scale of satisfaction is reduced. We have to notice that happiness is our ultimate purpose, economy and industry are intermediate, and natural resources support the all from the basis.

Key words: economic growth| natural resources| happiness| environmental load assessment

摘要： Terrible scenario for the future aspect of our society was issued by “The Limits to Growth”. Basic problems that we confront are the restricted natural resources and the environment. Regarding the resources, the overall average of the reserve/production ratio is predicted to fall below 10 years by 2040. Aggressive developments of mines based on the sense of urgency for metal resources cause strong confliction with the environment and the people living there. Resultantly, urban mine becomes more realistic than before. From the view point of ecological foot print, 5.3 globes are needed if all the people living in the world attain the affluent life same as USA. On the other hand, it is clear that we can get larger utility by smaller goods if our scale of satisfaction is reduced. We have to notice that happiness is our ultimate purpose, economy and industry are intermediate, and natural resources support the all from the basis.

关键词: economic growth| natural resources| happiness| environmental load assessment

CLC Number:

X 24

TANIGUCHI Shoji. Limits to Resources, Economic Growth and Happiness[J]. Journal of shanghai Jiaotong University (Science), 2012, 17(3): 364-369.

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