Nepal, April 17 -- The global economy runs on a singular, unrelenting mantra: grow or die. This doctrine, enshrined in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), measures success by how much we produce, consume, and discard-not by how well we live, how sustainably we steward resources, or how equitably we distribute prosperity. Nowhere is this paradox more glaring than in the story of Apple Inc., a $3 trillion behemoth trapped in a cycle of its own making.

In its fiscal Q1 of 2023, Apple reported $117.2 billion in revenue, driven by iPhone sales of $65.7 billion-a 1.5% year-over-year increase. Yet, within days of this "record-breaking" performance, analysts pivoted to fretting over the next quarter: What's next? How will Apple top this? For Apple, re...