Policy

Environmentalism, Innovation & Economics: Author Ramez Naam

The Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet

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"Innovation is the key to success," says Ramez Naam, author of the new book Infinite Resource: the Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet. "We have serious problems, but we are capable of fixing them." Naam believes that many environmental issues facing humanity can be overcome by focusing on innovation, technology, and the economy. 

According to Naam, many of the major environmental problems stem from issues relating to defective property rights. No one owns these natural resources and therefore abuse and overuse is more likely to occur, says Naam, and technical innovation is the key to generating more resources. 

Naam is an award-winning author whose books include the transhumanist novel More Than Human:  Embracing the Promise of Biological Enhancement and Nexus, a science fiction thriller. He is also a computer scientist and has contributed to the development of widely used software such as Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook. 

About 11 minutes.

Interview by Ron Bailey. Shot by Joshua Swain and Amanda Winkler. Edited by Winkler.

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