There is a great sustaining myth about economic growth. We human beings all hold a faith that the economy can grow forever and that there are no limits to the wealth we can create from the earth’s natural resources. But is it an eternal truth that growth equals prosperity and progress? My answer is no, economic growth is perdition with three major arguments.

    First of all, for most of human history, economic growth was a mere blip and only the last eight generations of humans have experienced consistent growth. Nowadays, we go on churning out mountains of consumer goods in order to stimulate growth. As long as the economy keeps growing, there will be more job opportunities, more investments and an endless cycle of production as well as consumption. However, as a result, the world already produces far too much stuff, a lot of it unnecessary and much of it useless.

    In addition, when we are in a process of growing economic expansion, we are fouling the planet with our waste and threatening the natural systems on which humanity and all other species depend. Human beings always take it for granted that the physical resources of the biosphere are infinite but unfortunately, the truth is the opposite. By 2006, we were using 44 percent more than is available and ecologists say we will need the equivalent of two earths by the late 2030s to keep up with our demands. With our immoderate demands on natural resources, the environment is between the beetle and the block and the stock of resources are depleted.

    In the end, it is said that beyond a certain point higher levels of material consumption do not lead to increased well-being or happiness. Growth is an excuse for continued inequality. We place growth above equality and pay a price that’s called “the hidden injuries of class.” As a result, shorter, unhealthier, unhappier lives addicted to mindless consumerism deplete the planet’s resources.

    To sum up, the obsession with GDP will lead to perdition to Darwin’s theory of evolution in order to point out that the dream of perpetual economic growth is just a myth. The earth is our only home and its resources are infinite. However, we have been living beyond our ecological means for decades, consuming too much and producing more waste than the environment can absorb while inequality grows. Thus, we are expected to realize that high GDP does not always equal progress, sustainability and happiness.