There are three essential methods for managing an agricultural or urban economy.
Degenerative Approach:
- begins in a state of decline or deteriorates from the outset.
- Requires continuous input of energy and materials to sustain functionality.
- Consumes more resources than it generates.
- Contributes to environmental degradation on both local and global scales.
- Typically, it serves a single purpose.
Examples:
Maintaining lawns and landscapes often requires pesticides, fertilizers, and high-energy irrigation systems. Buildings that depend on mechanical heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting and conventional single-use parking lots must also be maintained.