Nicely explained, thanks Daniel. It is fascinating to see how the research on boundaries has not percolated into economics or into government. The researchers still talk about how “we must do this … and we must do that….”
I would argue that the boundaries researchers are not seeing the wood for the trees. Reducing the amount of fossil fuel burnt and restricting the emission of P and N into natural waters pretty much covers over half of the problems.
The technology and practices are there to create a society that functions in this way. What is NOT in place is economic incentives to “do the right thing” and these approaches are rather under-developed. If the economy was rigged not to give rich people more money but rigged to make everyone richer the better society lived within boundaries the creativity we all know is there would be unleashed overnight.
That is IMHO
