Those who care about the life of future generations recognize that today’s unbridled economic growth is unsustainable, and the world must prepare for 9 billion inhabitants by 2050, contends Chandran Nair in the second article of a two-part YaleGlobal series. Asia cannot afford to mimic the American lifestyle and would be wise to ignore western encouragement for greater consumption in pursuit of economic growth, notes Nair. India and China each have triple the US population. “Asian governments must immediately recognize that a bleak future lies ahead if Asians attempt to live out an aspiration to consume like Americans,” he writes. Instead, Asian nations could step up as global leaders by emphasizing sustainability and challenging conventional thinking in the US that disregards traditional lifestyles, prioritizes individual rights over the public good, and craves rather than penalizes excess. Resource management must be central to all policymaking, Nair writes, and requires that non-essential goods and services reflect true costs.See full Article.
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