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Doubling Energy and Material Usage: Unsustainable Growth Expectations
Governments and institutions expect constant economic growth of 2.5-3% annually, based on the link between atoms (materials) and GDP growth being nearly one-to-one. With a current energy-GDP ratio of 0.99-1 globally and a materials-GDP ratio of close to one, the growth in material footprint has been 2.8% annually since 1900. If growth continues at 3% annually, global energy and material usage will double in the next 25-30 years and then double again after that. This unsustainable trend poses a serious problem that requires cultural response and deeper consideration.