Finite World Quotes

Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist.

If to enjoy even an enjoyable present we must have the assurance of a happy future, we are “crying for the moon.” We have no such assurance. The best predictions are still matters of probability rather than certainty, and to the best of our knowledge every one of us is going to suffer and die. If, then, we cannot live happily without an assured future, we are certainly not adapted to living in a finite world where, despite the best plans, accidents will happen, and where death comes at the end.

I thought to live on an island was like living on a boat. Islands intrigue me. You can see the perimeters of your world. It's a microcosm.

In a finite world this means that the per capita share of the world's goods must steadily decrease.

We need visions of a future in which we have applied our infinite creativity to the task of living on a finite world, where we have embraced our role, become comfortable and proficient as planet-shapers, and learned to use our technological skills to enhance the survival prospects not just of humanity but of all life on Earth.

How is it possible to find meaning in a finite world, given my waist and shirt size?

We need an economics fit for purpose in a finite and entropic world.

Somewhere out there the world must have an end.

And that, quite simply, is the issue. We live in a finite world with finite resources. Although it may sometimes seem quite big, earth is really very small - a tiny blue and green oasis of life in a cold universe.

Not all possibilities are open to us. The world is finite; our hopes spill over its rim.