Hi Bazz,

He's got a page on Wikipedia, which explains his ideas almost clearly enough for even me to follow.

He does note that "innovation that increases productivity is – in the long run – the only way out of the dilemma of declining marginal returns on added investments in complexity."

I suppose the converse is especially true: that ignoring or turning one's back on current realities, and what to do about them, is a sure-fire way to go up the creek.

Lo and behold, his book is available here in Adelaide. I'll have to save up my pennies :)

Joe

I's almost impossible to fail with energy investments. Particularly carbon free or carbon neutral alternatives that are demonstrably cheaper than coal and retained as publicly owned and operated income earning cash cow investments.

We Australians have a super fund now around two trillion and given a guaranteed low or no tax investment vehicle was in the offing as policy? Many income earning long life infrastructure projects could be started, as largely staged partial roll outs. That then start to generate significant income well ahead of the final completion date!?

And as such could leverage another two trillion of lazy capital currently held in corporate coffers!

And able to be attracted by big idea projects! Self evidently that's what's AWOL in the current debate or in the parties contesting for government who only have eyes for the electoral prize?
Alan B.

I have a question for all the rusted on liberals and also for the liberal candidates in the 2016 election/auction.
Your slogan is "jobs and growth".
This means I assume perpetual jobs and growth. You would not want to stop jobs and growth after the election or in three years, fifteen years and so on.
Now the Earth is a finite world with finite resources. What do you propose to do after the resources are gone?

IMO,

Technology trumps resources, eg., tungsten is in short supply so we shift from incandescent to LED light globes. Mining methods improve while we've barely scratched the surface in proving up reserves. Invention is continuous.

Unlimited, cheap, clean energy will allow us to solve a great deal, including environmental degradation, water supply and quality. New industries will include environmental restoration, advanced waste treatment and recycling to conserve resources, synthesizing transport fuels, protein and energy food, and new efficiency solutions.

Of course, this is all predicated on making the right energy choice to allow us to afford the above, which Mr Tainter suggests.

How long before population strains against the limitations of all the above is a long way off. The earth is a big place. At least we can buy time to reach other planets to exploit, or to reach population control measures other than war, disease and involuntary euthanasia.

Hello Joe,
Here is a talk on the collapse syndrome by Joseph Tainter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0R09YzyuC

It goes for an hour and 33 minutes.
It was interesting in view of all the talk on innovation that we hear lately.
Looked at from the point of the longer view it is perhaps not without
big problems as diminishing returns are well underway on innovation.
He certainly throws doubt on sustainability to be the solution many think it is.
I really need to watch it a couple of more times.

Robert, surely you don't believe we can actually produce jobs and growth?

These fools are kidding themselves.