Sustainable Degrowth

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= a growing community of scientists and social activists, sharing the basic insight that a reduction of energy and material use implies a reduction of gross domestic product (GDP), is gathering under the heading of sustainable degrowth [1]

Examples

"Two outstanding examples are the solidarity economy in Brazil and the global information commons."

See:

Discussion

These are from the reading notes of Michel Bauwens, but the source is unknown:

Sustainable Degrowth is a contradiction: we have to maintain Natural Capital intact, and we have about 50 years to do this. This is the only possible definition of a sane economy.

N. Georgescu-Roegen distinguishes:

  • high entropy = energy not accessible to humanity
  • low entropy = accessible energy

Stabilizing our economic world still means using up natural capital, so the 'only option is degrowth'.

For rich countries, a negative annual growth of 4% for 30 years, would be necessary, argues Edward Goldsmith.

Since no political power could realistically impose this, it can only be a bottom up process. Economic crises, chaotic politics and then calls for a strong leader are not advisable. This is why the process has to be sustainable, so as not to engender a crisis of democracy.

Fossil fuels are non-renewable in human time frames and must be abandoned. A consequence of this is the abandonment of air travel, no refrigerators, no supermarkets, but more physical work and a return to the local.


The author Serge Latouche sees a 3-level economy:

1) small-scale economy geared against concentration

2) mixed private-public investment level

3) public services (water, energy, education)


These will be great steps for Westerners, but one should look to the planet as a whole, where

  • 80% of the world population has no car, no fridge, no phones
  • 94% never took a plane.

Nicholas Goergescu-Roegen stresses that sustainable development is a most nefarious concept. Herman Daly's attempt to define a development compatible with zero growth, are also seen as irrealistic. Zero growth in current conditions is still toxic, degrowth remains a necessity.



More Information

  • Martínez-Alier, J, Pascual, U, Vivien, F-D & Zaccai, E. Sustainable de-growth: Mapping the context, criticisms and future prospects of an emergent paradigm. Ecological Economics 69, 1741–1747 (2010).