Who's Up For A Circular Economy

In Doughnut Economics, heterodox University of Oxford economist Kate Raworth argues that the economy’s purpose is to promote human prosperity and happiness. This means 1) an economy that produces enough to provide everyone with the material resources to pursue their highest dreams, but also 2) an economy that does not deplete the vital natural resources upon which life on the planet depends. She likens the economy to a ring-shaped doughnut. The inner circle represents the zone of deprivation—an economy that does not produce enough of the necessary goods and services to meet the population’s essential needs. The outer circle represents the limits of economic growth, beyond which the economy begins to outstrip the planet’s natural resources. She writes that we must stay within these bounds.

In this guide, we have incorporated commentary and insights from other economists, political scientists, and social commentators—in some cases to lend support to Raworth’s ideas, in other cases to present opposing viewpoints and offer a more nuanced and balanced perspective.

Saving the planet won’t be as easy as replacing fossil fuels with renewables or recycling more products, as each of these solutions brings with it problems as serious as what they're intended to solve. Renewable technologies generate trash, particularly spent solar panels and discarded wind turbines. And recycling programs can sometimes use more resources than manufacturing from virgin materials.

The human race has left a mark on our planet, sometimes through carelessness and sometimes by design, but how permanent are the changes we’ve made? In The World Without Us, science journalist Alan Weisman asks what would happen if the human race vanished overnight. What effects, positive or negative, would our disappearance have on the world? Weisman’s goal is to address humanity’s environmental impact by imagining a world in which nature is allowed to flourish. In many ways, the world that follows us would be significantly different than what came before.

In this guide, we’ll examine Weisman’s portrayal of humanity’s footprint and what Weisman claims would happen if we suddenly disappeared. Also, we’ll look at other views on climate change, nature’s resilience, and the human race’s impact. We’ll list suggestions for how our species might adapt to a greener world, as well as scenarios that might cause our extinction.

Saving the planet won’t be as easy as replacing fossil fuels with renewables or recycling more products, as each of these solutions brings with it problems as serious as what they're intended to solve. Renewable technologies generate trash, particularly spent solar panels and discarded wind turbines. And recycling programs can sometimes use more resources than manufacturing from virgin materials.

In Doughnut Economics, heterodox University of Oxford economist Kate Raworth argues that the economy’s purpose is to promote human prosperity and happiness. This means 1) an economy that produces enough to provide everyone with the material resources to pursue their highest dreams, but also 2) an economy that does not deplete the vital natural resources upon which life on the planet depends. She likens the economy to a ring-shaped doughnut. The inner circle represents the zone of deprivation—an economy that does not produce enough of the necessary goods and services to meet the population’s essential needs. The outer circle represents the limits of economic growth, beyond which the economy begins to outstrip the planet’s natural resources. She writes that we must stay within these bounds.

In this guide, we have incorporated commentary and insights from other economists, political scientists, and social commentators—in some cases to lend support to Raworth’s ideas, in other cases to present opposing viewpoints and offer a more nuanced and balanced perspective.

If you’ve ever pushed a “pull” door or accidentally flipped the wrong light switch, you’ve experienced the impact of bad design. You may have blamed these mistakes on yourself, but in reality, the way we interact with the physical world is often driven by design. From smartphones to stovetops, faucets to fighter jets: Every object we encounter on a daily basis is designed. Good design streamlines our lives and makes everyday tasks easier. Bad design, on the other hand, causes frustration, errors, and even dangerous accidents.

In order to tell the difference, we need to understand how we perceive the objects all around us, and how our brains make sense of that information. Combining the principles of cognitive psychology and engineering makes all of us smarter consumers and helps designers create products that work with users, rather than against them.

In Doughnut Economics, heterodox University of Oxford economist Kate Raworth argues that the economy’s purpose is to promote human prosperity and happiness. This means 1) an economy that produces enough to provide everyone with the material resources to pursue their highest dreams, but also 2) an economy that does not deplete the vital natural resources upon which life on the planet depends. She likens the economy to a ring-shaped doughnut. The inner circle represents the zone of deprivation—an economy that does not produce enough of the necessary goods and services to meet the population’s essential needs. The outer circle represents the limits of economic growth, beyond which the economy begins to outstrip the planet’s natural resources. She writes that we must stay within these bounds.

In this guide, we have incorporated commentary and insights from other economists, political scientists, and social commentators—in some cases to lend support to Raworth’s ideas, in other cases to present opposing viewpoints and offer a more nuanced and balanced perspective.

Saving the planet won’t be as easy as replacing fossil fuels with renewables or recycling more products, as each of these solutions brings with it problems as serious as what they're intended to solve. Renewable technologies generate trash, particularly spent solar panels and discarded wind turbines. And recycling programs can sometimes use more resources than manufacturing from virgin materials.

If you’ve ever pushed a “pull” door or accidentally flipped the wrong light switch, you’ve experienced the impact of bad design. You may have blamed these mistakes on yourself, but in reality, the way we interact with the physical world is often driven by design. From smartphones to stovetops, faucets to fighter jets: Every object we encounter on a daily basis is designed. Good design streamlines our lives and makes everyday tasks easier. Bad design, on the other hand, causes frustration, errors, and even dangerous accidents.

In order to tell the difference, we need to understand how we perceive the objects all around us, and how our brains make sense of that information. Combining the principles of cognitive psychology and engineering makes all of us smarter consumers and helps designers create products that work with users, rather than against them.