Foundations 19 – Infrastructure Space

“In light of this, I think it’s not so much a question of debating how we might want to live as coming to terms with some ways we definitely won’t be able to live,” says Upton. This means a radical departure from certain physical claims we make. Nevertheless, many choices remain open – and here, says the former politician, politics comes into play, because: “The realm of politics is all about choices!” Governments are gradually starting to recognize that the infrastructure and the superstructure of the planet might not be too big to fail after all. This can be seen, for example, in the fact that the two-degree limit was set as a hard, physical goal in the Paris Agreement. In the future we must reconcile the mismatch between space and built infrastructure. Upton: “To do that, we have to have regard for the soft-wiring that lies behind hard infrastructure – and here I’m thinking of policies and regulations.” The problem is, howev- er, that we already have countless policies in place in countless areas. They are all based on the assumption that fossil fuels will

We need to align our demand for resources with the tolerances and margins of natural systems which deliver most of our essential services. « »

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