Will underdeveloped countries reach green soon enough?

[Fredodoow]

So I was thinking about global warming and all that situation, and then, was thinking about it from a stage green dynamic perspective.

How amazing would it be if in 25, 50 or a century, basically every country had the standard of living that developed coutries have today? Think about having a world where there is no wide-scalde poverty anymore, where the concept of a poor country wasn't even that relevant anymore? I think that if global warming, and the general destruction of the environment wasn''t a factor, it wouldn't be idealistic to imagine that happening in less than a century. EVEN taking into acount greed, human self destruction instinct, wars, lobbies, etc... The progress is small, but real and undeniable. Unfortunately, there is this ecological problem creeping on us, looking like the one biggest menace the humanity has ever faced. Now I was thinking about what leo said about spiral dynamics applied to countries, and economics. The poorest countries, who are at stage red for example, must first developped a strong economy, a strong industry (stage orange) before than can even worry about the trees, the ice and the ocean. My question is, do we simply have enough time? How quick can a counrty, an economy move to a stage, implement it, digest it, and move on? Some countries are in such a diare situation, it would be so beautiful to see them blossom, one by one, and then move on to environmental issues... But it looks like the clock is ticking. What are your thoughts?

Edited January 29, 2021 by Fredodoow

[Lyubov]

most developed countries are barely in green. it's going to be a few centuries if not longer until every country is minimum majority green. there are countries on the african continent that are barely blue. 

[Fredodoow]

@Lyubov So how does that translate in anything but a very sad scenario for the global warming...?

[aurum]

1 hour ago, Fredodoow said:

The poorest countries, who are at stage red for example, must first developped a strong economy, a strong industry (stage orange) before than can even worry about the trees, the ice and the ocean. My question is, do we simply have enough time? How quick can a counrty, an economy move to a stage, implement it, digest it, and move on?

I think you've got it completely backwards.

If anything, "undeveloped countries" are the reason the planet hasn't gone under yet.

Economic growth does not create all the amazing things you think it does. The vast majority of the material wealth is captured at the top, it does not increase happiness and it cannot be decoupled from environmental pressures.

If anything, economic growth is the cause of our social problems.

If everyone lived like we do in the developed world, the whole planet is screwed.

Of course, it's not even possible for the undeveloped world to "catch up" because them being undeveloped is how developed countries come into existence.

You have to exploit someone in order to become a developed country. It's a duality that demands someone is rich and someone is poor.

So no, I don't buy into the development / growth narrative. It's also extremely arrogant to assume that we are ahead of undeveloped countries and they must "become like us". That's the colonizer narrative.

If anything, the focus should be on degrowing western economies, not dragging undeveloped countries into our mistakes.

[Fredodoow]

@aurum @LyubovI think you might have misanderstood what I was saying... I'm well aware of the problems that economic growth creates. To rephrase it for you : what's the path forward for the underevelopped countries then, how will they get the infrastructure that they need whithout adding to the dire situation?

[aurum]

21 minutes ago, Fredodoow said:

@aurum @LyubovI think you might have misanderstood what I was saying... I'm well aware of the problems that economic growth creates. To rephrase it for you : what's the path forward for the underevelopped countries then, how will they get the infrastructure that they need whithout adding to the dire situation?

The path forward for undeveloped countries is for developed countries to stop trying to “develop” them.