Every living organism tries to ensure survival by spending the least effort for the highest benefit. To be the most efficient. That makes sense, since resources on earth are scarce.
So spiders have developed the toughest fibre material to spin their webs because that makes little saliva to spin a big net and eat many flies.
Plants turn their leaves towards the sun to catch the most light per leave.
We try to find the fastest way to drive to the office and we weigh kilometres (liters of petrol) against time spent. We try to optimize most of our doings. Even when we do something ‘stupid’ like buying Gucci instead of Zara or helping a friend, there is a benefit in terms of status or friendship that may eventually pay off. Economical behaviour is about all resources, not only money.
All animals test potential partners for optimum fitness for procreation before they have sex. Humans do the same. It makes economic sense to be with the fittest as this increases chances for offspring to survive.
The economic principal of maximizing reward while minimizing effort is ubiquitous, in nature and in humans. The economic principal reins our entire behaviour. Growth is the imperative.
As humans, we have been incredibly successful in this optimization of our efforts and thus maximized our presence on this planet. We are more than 7500 million people and will go for between 10 or 11 billion people. Our ever-advancing technologies allow us to extract ever more energy and other materials from the planet that improve our lives and ensure our rise. It is no longer a survival story except for the most unfortunate humans on the planet. It’s a story of abundance and luxury for most of us.
Our success has its impact on the planet. Our live style has become unsustainable: we are using more resources than the planet can replace.
The climate crisis is the main topic, air/sea pollution and loss of biodiversity come second.
Kids are ranting, urging us to listen to the scientists. Hundreds of millions in far away countries are reaching middle class incomes and want cars, eat meat every day and visit Paris by plane.
We, and our politicians are aware, yet frozen. We do little or nothing. No one is prepared to scale back. We are programmed for growth. Scaling back is anathema to our nature.
Our leaders are aware but need to protect our economies in the short term and want to be re-elected. Populists deny even the problem.
And every one says: My contribution is so small, it does not count, let the others start.
Our own natural program for continuous growth is leading us to disaster.
Can our kids wake us up and force us into action?