Two Non-Green Energy Systems: Repeatability Across Generations – A Physically Grounded Framework for Long-Term Viability

This document presents Repeatability Across Generations as a physically grounded framework for assessing whether energy systems, infrastructures, mining projects, data centres, industrial development pathways and business models can be maintained and repeated over 100–500 years within ecological, material and energy-related limits. The starting point is that today’s societies are, in practice, operating two non-green energy systems in parallel: an established, relatively low-material-intensity system whose main waste stream is released into the atmosphere, and a rapidly expanding mineral-based system with geological waste streams in the form of tailings, waste rock, chemical residual flows and long-lived pollution. The document addresses, among other things, biodiversity, freshwater, declining ore grades, critical and strategic minerals, the CRMA and other EU-related policy instruments, AI data centres, the consequences of the emerging high-technology society, corporate responsibility and the need to reform company law. All of this leads to the question of sufficiency and Repeatability Across Generations. The document does not take a position for one technology or against another. It asks the same question of all technologies, projects and systems: can they be carried, maintained and repeated across generations without depleting resources, damaging freshwater, undermining biodiversity or leaving behind long-lived waste streams? The text may be particularly relevant for municipalities, local communities, local movements, researchers, analysts, environmental organisations and other actors working with or affected by mining, wind-power industrialisation, energy systems, biodiversity, water, local democracy and long-term spatial and societal planning. This is the latest English version of the document.