We built industrial civilization quick, cheap, and dirty. REBUILDING that civilization to last longer is a form of progress that the official statistics often miss.
bloomberg.com/view/articles/…
And then, having achieved temporary shelter, suppose you work on rebuilding the house piece by piece to last longer and be more robust...
But it hasn't slowed. It has continued. A more durable, sustainable house represents progress relative to a fragile, short-lived house.
Replacing coal and gas with solar and wind
Clean air/water regulations
Reducing habitat destruction
Recycling
(These things *also* tend to boost quality of life in ways that productivity numbers *also* miss.)
Others, like clean energy, have sustainability benefits that manifest over the long term.
Some regulations are bad, but some are trading short-term consumption for long-term sustainability...we shouldn't throw those out!!
The clean energy revolution is a real technological revolution with huge implications for the long-term thriving of industrial civilization.
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