Balancing Growth and Green

Manhattan Insights

The trade-off between the economy and the environment is considered by many to be the defining issue of our time. Activists on the left now champion regulations to reduce carbon emissions at the expense of future economic growth. Other, self-described "degrowth" advocates take a more radical stance, calling for policies to lower incomes and shrink the global population. Alex Trembath is a deputy director at the Breakthrough Institute. He's deeply contemplated these trade-offs and believes firmly that technological advancement, economic growth, and a thriving ecological planet can coexist. He joins our host, Reihan Salam, to explore these issues in depth. Related reading:

Deregulating Clean Energy Is More Important Than Regulating Carbon Emissions, Breakthrough Institute https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/energy/deregulating-clean-energy-is-more-important-than-regulating-carbon-emissions Cost-Disease Environmentalism, City Journal online https://www.city-journal.org/article/cost-disease-environmentalism