The problem is exponential growth (economy) in a finite environment (Earth).

https://futureearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/great_acc...

We've already crossed safe earth boundaries:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_overshoot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_boundaries#/media/Fi...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrying_capacity#Recent_Warni...

How the financial system drives unsustainable, exponential growth:

- Profit Imperative: Prioritizing shareholder profits often overshadows environmental and social considerations

- Debt-Based Economy: The need to repay loans with interest fuels constant economic growth

- Short-Term Focus: Financial markets can prioritize immediate gains over long-term sustainability.

- Externalized Costs: Businesses can offload certain environmental or social costs, profiting without bearing these expenses.

- Speculative Investments: Instruments like derivatives can lead to rapid, unsustainable wealth bubbles.

- Growth Metrics: Overreliance on metrics like GDP that don't distinguish between positive and negative growth.

- Financialization of Nature: Turning nature into commodities can lead to exploitation.

- Misaligned Incentives: Financial rewards can drive growth-focused decisions over sustainable ones.

- Consumer Debt: Encouraging consumption through easy access to credit.

- Globalization: Capital seeking high returns can exploit regions with lax regulations.

- Lack of Sustainable Investment: Historically limited focus on investing in sustainable sectors.

- Overemphasis on Efficiency - financially efficient practices might not account for environmental costs

Other drivers of exponential growth:

- Consumerism: The cultural emphasis on consumption as a marker of success or happiness encourages overconsumption and waste.

- Technological Advancements: While technology can aid sustainability, it can also drive faster resource extraction and consumption, especially if not directed towards sustainable outcomes.

- Population Growth: A growing global population increases demand for resources, energy, food, and housing.

- Policy and Regulation: Inadequate environmental regulations or policies that favor unsustainable industries can exacerbate resource depletion and environmental degradation.

- Economic Paradigms: Traditional economic models that prioritize GDP growth often overlook ecological and social boundaries.

- Information Asymmetry: Lack of knowledge or awareness about sustainable practices among consumers and producers can perpetuate unsustainable behaviors.

- Infrastructure: Built environments and transportation networks that favor car use over walking, cycling, or public transportation can drive up carbon emissions.

- Limited Resource Pricing: Not accounting for the true environmental costs of resources (like water or clean air) can lead to overconsumption.

- Short-Term Political Cycles: Politicians might prioritize immediate economic gains over long-term sustainability due to the short duration of their terms.

- Global Supply Chains: Long, opaque supply chains can hide unsustainable practices and make accountability challenging.

- Cultural Values and Norms: Societal values that prioritize individual wealth accumulation over communal well-being or stewardship of nature.

- External Pressures: International trade, competition, and geopolitics can pressure nations to prioritize growth over sustainability.

- Lack of Education: Inadequate emphasis on environmental education leaves many without the knowledge to make sustainable choices.

- Resource Ownership: Common resources like oceans or forests might suffer from the "tragedy of the commons," where individual users act in their interest contrary to the common good.

All these areas (and more) need to be addressed. It's obvious that this cannot be condensed into just a few social media comments :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degrowth

Degrowth

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/what-is-degrowth-econ...

Degrowth – what's behind the economic theory and why does it matter right now?

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-04412-x

Degrowth can work — here’s how science can help

https://www.resilience.org/stories/2023-06-07/the-future-is-...

‘The Future is Degrowth’ and ‘Degrowth & Strategy’: a Review in Dialogue

https://mayflybooks.org/degrowth-strategy/

Degrowth & Strategy: how to bring about social-ecological transformation