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Nate Hagens: "Episode 100 - The Great Simplification” (Interviewed by Kate Raworth)

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens

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The Concept of the Mordor Economy and its Environmental Impact

The Mordor economy refers to an economic system that prioritizes growth over ecology, heavily reliant on increasing fossil energy and materials to boost productivity. This results in a significant environmental impact, with the energy and materials required to sustain economic growth consuming a larger portion of the overall energy resources. The shift towards a Mordor economy is marked by a decline in energy efficiency, with over 10% of energy being used to generate and deliver energy to society. As the percentage climbs towards 15% or 20%, the economy becomes more akin to a mining economy, leading to pollution, biodiversity loss, reduced sperm count, insect decline, and deforestation. This trajectory forces higher energy and material consumption for remediation, ultimately shaping the entire system into one characterized by mining and consumption.

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