Economic Growth vs. Environmental Limits

Geoengineering and Sustainable Growth: Technological Pathways to Climate Restoration. Gaia Vince discusses technological methods for restoring the planet, including ocean fertilization, which involves artificially adding iron to boost algae growth that would suck out carbon dioxide. Another technique is enhanced weathering, sprinkling rocks like olivines onto agricultural fields or beaches; these rocks naturally bind with atmospheric carbon dioxide, locking the carbon away. Further options include exciting geoengineering ideas like placing reflective bubbles on the ocean surface to increase the planet's albedo. Regarding economic strategy, Vince argues against "negative growth" and instead emphasizes the need to decouple economic growth from environmental destruction, noting that some economies are already beginning to successfully disassociate growth from environmental pollution and carbon emissions.