The Global Contradiction of the 21rst Century

Abstract

As global temperatures keep increasing and the amount of Co2 equivalent stuff in the atmosphere is at record level, the key links between GDP growth, energy consumption expansion and greenhouse gases emission increases must be more researched, although economic growth and ecological capital has been much debated: Can they today be combined to give both prosperity and environmental sustainability? On the micro level, many projects show that this is indeed possible. But on the macro level, global emissions of greenhouse gases follow the advancement of country affluence closely. The link is the constantly increasing need for more energy, provided by fossil fuels. The G20 policies are probably forthcoming too late to avoid disasters.