In fact I would argue that we are already in a zero net growth economy.

We are in a boom bust cycle and if you look at a graph economic activity over a long period you will probably find it oscillates around a fixed level. E.G. Housing boom followed by housing bust in the US and Ireland. Especially in the last few decades given that we are at or close to peak everything.

But perhaps GDP is an inadequate measure of economic activity as it is apparently very selective of what it actually captures. For example it does not take account of economic loss due to natural disasters, but only measures the increased economic activity associated with re-building.

And in such a boom bust steady state economy we are not doing that bad really. Its just that the level of economic activity around which we oscillate to be substantially reduced, along with populations.

The really big lie espoused here by Ted Trainer and Dick Smith is that Australia is over populated.Without immigration our pop would be falling.They want immigration to drive down wages and subjugate the masses.The elites like Dick Smith won't reduce their consumption of energy because they want more power.

You don't have to destroy the living standards of 95% of the planet to improve the environment.What their real objective is to bring a world totalitarian Govt in,paid for by carbon taxes and their debt money system which in fact owns our increases in GDP anyway.

The rush bring in this world Govt is spurred on by rising awareness and they fact that science in on the verge of find cheap alternate enegy sources that will make individuals freer.We also have new concepts like Bitcoin evolving which allows for the exchange of money directly between computers negating the greedy banks.

We can reduce pop by a system of rewards and punishments.With 2 children per family,pop falls due to death rates and infertility.We don't need wars of imperialism and abject poverty for all to achie pop control.There is always a better way.

This New World Order is not about freedom and democracy.It will be our worst nightmare.

Oh gawd!

Another conspiracy theorist.

What a load of crap arjay.

Why do we rely on Money as a stimulus for development and advancement surely there is other ways.
Population concerns are already showing, how many countries are revloting because the cost of living is out of control.
Will we see an escalation of this.
Is this because they dont have the resources or poor government or both.
I am a firm believer that something must be done either control population or do our best to remove ourselves from the bonds of this planet.
I dont know when it will happen but something bad will, all for the sake of the dollar,yen or mark.
I'm no expert but im worried
I hope I dont sound like a loony!

Mr Windy. Julia Gillard has signed an agreement with the UN that 10% of our carbon taxes goese them.This is not in the realm of conspiracy.Just Google New World Order and see who espouses it.

This is the thin end of the wedge and Carbon taxes are not about saving the environment.

arjay, come back when you find your brain.

David