Post-Growth

Description

From the Wikipedia:

"Post growth (also known as post-growth) is an overarching approach to global futures that looks to proactively respond to the limits-to-growth dilemma.[1] The limits-to-growth dilemma refers to the fact that, on a planet of finite resources, economies and populations cannot grow infinitely.[2][3]

The foundational points[1] that connect “post growth” perspectives are:

• Acknowledging limits to economic and population growth.

• Recognising that, due to these limits, it is necessary to embrace shifting beyond economic growth as a goal.

• Shifting focus from current metrics of success such as GDP to new ones such as GNH (Gross national happiness), the Happy Planet Index, and/or other well-being indices.

• Using wisdom gained in the growth-based economic era (and before it) in order to transcend to sustainable futures.

• Thinking and acting according to values of cooperation, sharing, social justice and ecological stewardship, on local as well as global levels.

The term “post growth” acknowledges that economic growth can generate beneficial effects up to a point but beyond that point (cited as $25,000 GDP/capita by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett in their book, The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better), it is necessary to look to other indicators and techniques to increase wellbeing.

Post-growth can be distinguished from similar movements (such as degrowth, steady state economics, post-materialism) in that it focuses on acknowledging, supporting and building on the sustainable initiatives, systems and products that are already in place.[1] Post growth advocates try to encourage, connect and further develop these existing ideas and actions. In this way, "post growth" does not specify the answer to the limits-to-growth challenge, as “steady state economics” and “degrowth” do, but rather seek to understand and address this challenge from a complex systems perspective that is constantly evolving. With this holistic complex systems approach, post growth deals with all aspects of self and society (such as psychology, human nature, human evolution, cultures, social systems and economies) and the interrelation of all of these aspects. Accordingly, the post growth concept also advocates solutions that are appropriate with regards to place, time, resource and cultural factors. Therefore, post growth initiatives take shape in very different ways under different circumstances.

Post growth can be considered an asset-based approach to community development, applied not only to community development but across a wide range of categories and in response to limits-to-growth challenges, as it seeks to build on the cultural and technological assets that already exist and are facilitating the emergence of post growth futures." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_growth)