Degrowth

“How is all of this going to be paid for?” This difficult question has struck campaigns for the advancement of welfare since the 1970s, ever more frequently and intensely since the financial crisis of 2008 and resulting austerity measures that were put in place in our European liberal societies.

In a time of ecological uncertainty in a swiftly changing society, it is important that as Greens, we lend an ear to the public mood. However, change cannot be brought about if we ourselves also do not change – from a negative tone, to a positive one…

Every opportunity that comes up is used by mega-project promoters and their allies to stigmatise resistance movements.

Guerrilla gardening and local consumer-producer networks are redefining life in today’s Greek cities. While the crisis has shifted politicians’ attention away from the climate, “transition and recovery movements” work hard to keep the environment on the agenda.

Capitalism gives rise to an attitude that dehumanises us, because it turns us into competitive animals. We fail to realise that capitalism is an inherently exploitative system, where most of the power will always reside in the hands of the rich. But there is a way around this…

By what laws of criminal justice does the Maldivian peasant claim redress for a home washed away into the Indian Ocean? To whom does the Brazilian smallholder farmer appeal when her crops fail to grow? A Review of Peter Christoff and Robyn Eckersley’s Globalization and the Environment.

The ecological challenge should no longer be addressed solely as an environmental issue. Rather, it should be considered a social one. A riveting French report makes the relationship between the environment and 21st century lifestyles amazingly concrete.

Before investing excessive hope in radical participatory solutions we need to re-examine established beliefs about democracy and sustainability and their mutual relationship.

Discussions among proponents of green growth and those of degrowth often fall within the category of debates that are not fruitful. But it is possible to give structure to it and to try to develop a better understanding of the link between growth, globalisation, new technologies and well-being.

The 21st century presents a fascinating paradox: never before in its history has humanity reached such an advanced and refined level of technological development, but never has it come so close to the ecological precipice and global collapse. If this contradiction is to be overcome, political ecology must focus on two priorities: the relocalisation of the economy and the democracy of self-limitation.