Now ready to try to answer the question posed in this posting https://hellomaintenancegoodbyegrowth.com/2012/04/04/to-infinity-and-beyond/, “what kind of solutions should we be promoting and selling to people”. The answer is: the kind of solutions that improve the efficient use of resources GREATLY ENOUGH to more than offset the one-time and irreversible damage done by using non-renewable resources.

For example, a new building that uses up 100 units of non-renewables, should not be built UNLESS its life-cycle operating costs will be more than 100 units LOWER than in any existing alternative buildings. In addition, the savings should NOT be used to further consume non-renewables but to develop further solutions, that meet the same criteria.

So these are very tough terms under which businesses can operate at all, and it’s clear most if not all current infrastructure projects and other investments do not meet them. It’s equally clear, that the promotion and sales of most solutions and investment projects today should stop until they are re-designed to meet the tough sustainability criteria. Not to mention any overconsumption of non-critical consumer items.

As an exception to the rule, a small amount of unsustainable experimental projects and R&D should be allowed each year to keep the possibilities open for finding breakthrough technologies that, if and when implemented, would radically change the economic and ecologic boundaries within which we must live.