--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s time to put aside the search for…" description: "\"“It’s time to put aside the search for economic laws demonstrating that growing national output will eventually deliver ecological health. Economics, i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/kate-raworth-54838_economics_it-s-time-to-put-aside-the-search-for-ec_1764204.jpg" --- # It’s time to put aside the search for economic laws… ![“It’s time to put aside the search for economic laws demonstrating that growing national output will eventually deliver ecological health. Economics, it turns out, is not a matter of discovering laws: it is essentially a question of design. And the reason why even the world’s richest countries are…” quote by Kate Raworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/kate-raworth-54838_economics_it-s-time-to-put-aside-the-search-for-ec_1764204.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/kate-raworth-54838_economics_it-s-time-to-put-aside-the-search-for-ec_1764204.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3d/kate-raworth-54838_economics_it-s-time-to-put-aside-the-search-for-ec_1764204.jpg) > ““It’s time to put aside the search for economic laws demonstrating that growing national output will eventually deliver ecological health. Economics, it turns out, is not a matter of discovering laws: it is essentially a question of design. And the reason why even the world’s richest countries are still making us all feel the burn is because the last two hundred years of industrial activity have been based upon a linear industrial system whose design is inherently degenerative. The essence of that industrial system is the cradle-to-grave manufacturing supply chain of take, make, use, lose: extract Earth’s minerals, metals, biomass and fossil fuels; manufacture them into products; sell those on to consumers who – probably sooner rather than later – will throw them ‘away’. When drawn in its simplest form, it looks something like an industrial caterpillar, ingesting food at one end, chewing it through, and excreting the waste out of the other end. This”” [Kate Raworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-raworth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Economic growth alone cannot guarantee ecological health; the current linear production model is inherently harmful and must be redesigned for sustainability. **In simple terms:** Growth isn’t enough; design matters. Key Takeaway Redesign systems for circularity. Themes economics environment design systems sustainability Mood concerned hopeful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - corporate strategy - product development - urban planning Key Concepts circular economy degenerative systems industrial design Questions to Reflect On - How can we shift from linear to circular models? - What incentives drive sustainable design? A Different Perspective Linear models ignore waste and resource limits, making transition challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Degenerative Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degenerative-essence-1721446/) [Deliver Ecological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deliver-ecological-1721445/) [Design Inherently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-inherently-1721447/) [Ecological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecological/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Fossil fuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fossil-fuel/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Industrial design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industrial-design/) [Productivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productivity/) [Supply chain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supply-chain/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Design is inherently optimistic. That is its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcdonough/design-is-inherently-optimistic-that-is-its-power/) [William McDonough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcdonough/) > [There are professions more harmful than industrial design but only a few of them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-papanek/there-are-professions-more-harmful-than-industrial-design-but-only-a-2/) [Victor Papanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-papanek/) > [I do very little industrial design. 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