Regarding Growth on Varok
On Varok there had never been an abundance of fossil fuels to encourage overuse and stimulate economic growth. All resources on Varok were counted, their use measured and allotted by a quota system based on free auctions. Nothing was wasted. Most manufactured goods were expected to last more than one lifetime; all were shared, continually repaired and updated within local communities. All parts and materials were recycled, and innovative uses for declared waste generously rewarded. Each locale created its own renewable energy. Every venture was measured by local capacity, so no one entity could grow too large. Even the currency was local. Banks held 100% collateral, serving only to enable interest-free borrowing and lending. Growth, whether driven by economic or population pressure, was seen on Varok as a virulence, a cancer.
—Tandra Grey's diary, 4229 ir