How Resource-Cheaply Could We Live Well
- Article: How Resource-Cheaply could we Live Well? Ted Trainer
URL = http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue99/Trainer99.pdf [1]
Abstract
"There is now a very strong case that global sustainability cannot be achieved unless there is large scale degrowth in rich-world economies, but there is little understanding of the magnitude of the reductions required. Reasons are given supporting the claim that rich world per capita resource consumption levels would need to be cut to a small fraction of present levels. This can only be done by transition to far simpler lifestyles and systems, and therefore to radically different economies. The general alternative social forms required are sketched. The main purpose of the article is to show that quite large reductions in per capita consumption are feasible without jeopardizing the quality of life. This is done by detailing aspects of the way of life on a selected homestead site proceeding according to Simpler Way principles. It is explained that a general transition to these kinds of lifestyles and systems would not jeopardise the maintenance of socially-useful modern technology. The conclusion is that the large scale degrowth required for sustainable, just and satisfactory lifestyles and systems is achievable but only if there is transition to some kind of Simpler Way."
Excerpts
What social form might enable such large per capita reductions?
Ted Trainer:
"The Simpler Way perspective (TSW, 2017) is that the foregoing context determines that a sustainable and just world cannot be achieved unless the basic form of social organization has the following characteristics:
- Most people live in small, highly self-sufficient and self-governing local communities in control of their zero growth local economies.
- Strong cooperative and collectivist values and arrangements (e.g., commons, committees and working bees), ensuring for example that there is no unemployment and all have a valued livelihood.
- A minimal role for market forces. A needs-driven economy rather than a profit-driven economy; i.e., basic production, distribution and development decisions made by town assemblies focused on maximizing the welfare of all.
- Community self-government via thoroughly participatory processes such as town meetings and referenda. Above all, a culture of willing sufficiency, collectivism and especially frugality, in which life satisfactions derived from non-material pursuits.
These ways do not imply that there could be no cities, professional services and training, universities, high tech research or modern health care, or mass production of basic necessities etc. The dramatic reduction in resource and other costs is enabled by the smallness of scale, the integration and proximity within small settlements and the spontaneous action of familiar citizens. These effects are illustrated by a study of egg supply discussed below. (Trainer, Malik and Lenzen, 2019.) This and the Remaking Settlements study (Trainer 2019) show how the agribusiness system for providing food can be replaced . (Smaje explains how Britain could feed 80 million with 15% of the workforce on small farms)."