Oscillating Economic Sphere: Sustainable Limits of the Biosphere in the Face of Climate Change

Abstract

This paper proposes a new geometric model to facilitate the understanding of the complex interaction between the economic system and the limits of the biosphere. The concept of the oscillating economic sphere is based on a central parameter of the economy, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the model a hypothetical sphere was built, in which its radius (r_e) corresponds to the world GDP (economic sphere), and another hypothetical sphere with radius (r_b) is also introduced to represent the size of the biosphere (sphere of life), on this geometric construction, these spheres are concentric (r_b > r_e). Therefore, an expansion of the economic sphere will occupy the biosphere, since the fundamentals of economy predict unlimited growth of GDP. Thus we will have a limit to be reached because the biophysical forces oppose this expansion, creating harmful environmental effects such as climate change.