Ecomodernism

Within environmentalist circles, there exists something of a debate as to whether or not it's good to allow for continued economic growth and human quality of life if it will come at the cost of the environment and of course climate change. As anyone who knows a little history is aware, as we've developed technology, increased quality of life, and created a globalized, interconnected economy, this required the burning of fossil fuels (oil and coal) and boosted the human population massively, and this has led to the huge ecological problems humanity is facing right now. On the surface, it seems like doing a deal with the devil. Do we ditch the energy sources that are making us wealthy and prosperous, or do we hold on to them while we keep digging ourselves deeper?

Well, frankly, this whole discussion is based on a false dichotomy. While traditional, old school environmentalist movements often emphasized becoming more in tune with nature and slowing down, modern technology and science allows us to maintain our high quality of life, population, and economy all while minimizing our environmental footprint. This isn't speculative technology, we have these resources available to us right now, and they come in all different forms.