Economic growth cannot go on forever, although politicians and most economist
seem to think so. The activity involved in economic growth necessarily generates entropy (disorder and environmental degradation). Entorpy in turn generates powerful negative feedback loops which will, as
a response from nature, ensure that economic activity will eventually grind to
a complete halt. In these circumstances organised
society cannot persist and will collapse. The negative
feedback loops shown in this graph have already started to operate. The longer economic growth continues unabated, the more powerful these negative feedback loops will become. How long
can economic growth continue before it is overwhelmed? It may not be very far in the future.