Global Economy an “Impossible Hamster”

Taking on the 9 billion ton hamster

Global Economy an “Impossible Hamster”
In its recent report, Growth Isn’t Possible, UK-based nef (the new economics foundation) concludes that it is impossible to avoid the dangers of climate change as long as economic growth continues in high-income countries.
And what better way to illustrate this finding than with a nine billion ton hamster?
Together with its partners One Hundred Months and Wake Up, Freak Out, nef uses a seemingly harmless hamster in ananimated clip to highlight the dangers of endless growth on a finite planet. “A young hamster doubles its weight each week between birth and puberty,” an ominous voice on the clip warns. “But if it grew at the same rate until its first birthday, we’d be looking at a nine billion ton hamster.”

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