Untrammeled growth as an environmental “March of Folly”

The theme we explore in this paper is that uncontrolled growth and resulting environmental damage can be considered as an Environmental March of Folly. A folly has been defined as the pursuit of policies that are contrary to the pursuers own long-term interests. For an event or series of events to be considered a folly, three criteria must be met. The policy must be perceived as counter-productive in its “own time.” A feasible alternative course of action must have been available. The policy should come from a group, not an individual leader, and should persist beyond one political lifetime. Environmental folly is uncontrolled and environmentally damaging growth that has been recognized as counter-productive; that this has been fueled by cheap fossil energies which are non-renewable; alternatives have been suggested; and the present policy based on growth of use of resources and human population has been continuous over several generations of humanity in the face of repeated warnings. We suggest ways that environmental folly can be ended.