Given economic and population de-growth, ERoEI* is the unique indicator of sustainability. We all know that sustainability can be contravened by war, pestilence, plague, and so-called acts of God; but, this does not invalidate the simple statement or its usefulness. We have practically agreed that the term "sustainable development" refers to incorporeal or spiritual development. Who else will agree that the simple statement about ERoEI* completes the answer to Jayanta's original question? ERoEI* is defined at https://eroei.blogspot.com/ and/or https://www.dematerialism.net/
So, you don't think GDP is useful. It may not represent Quality of Life, but I cannot get along without it. Please don't advocate something (like getting rid of GDP) that, apparently, you don't know how to use. Now, Doug, admit you did not read Wikipedia article on thought experiments. The whole point is that, given de-growth which goes without saying, ERoEI* is all you need. Everything you claim is not in it IS in it.
Now, William, you really know how to hurt a fellow's feelings. You have recommended a book to me that I am almost positive is full of ideas that won't work and besides is an insult to me. I can have it read to me at no cost except time; but, I can't believe that it won't be a waste of time. Perhaps 40 years ago I would have heard something new in a book like that. While it brushes lightly upon reducing population, I saw nothing in the table of contents that suggests de-growth or an end to capitalism, dechrematistics, markets, or private profit. And, the title is so promising. I suppose ERoEI is discussed somewhere in the book, but is almost certain to be wrong. The reason his book is available from Amazon etc. is that the powers that be don't want it to work. If you don't like what I wrote (never mind how it's written), please attack it directly so I can explain why you are wrong.
This responsibility to recycle will probably invalidate every item in Hawken's list. But it's not good enough to use the raw materials of energy technology and just hope that future generations will be able to find enough to muddle through. That's not sustainability. Terms that sound strange can be looked up in the Wikipedia , the dematerialist website, and the eroei blogspot. Would it surprise you to learn that no one goes to the website or the blog and yet I still do my best to keep them up because it is so important. Years ago when William Steig was drawing cartoons in the New Yorker, he drew a carnival scene in which every stage was surrounded by crowds except one where a solitary man was exclaiming "But I can cure you." Do human beings naturally avoid what they most need?
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