The End of Growth

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

“We do not have enough growth in the economy. That's why people are not well of”, said in November 2014 a representative of an industry body in the UK.

For that statement, I suggest, we read: “We must have more growth so that capital can make more profits and screw the Planet and its inhabitants.” His concerns are hardly genuine for the people who are not well of, and his words are actually an insult to all of us.

This is not to say that state capitalism that used to masquerade as “socialism” is any less harsh on the Planet. It is but another side of the same capitalist coin.

Perpetual growth, as is being advocated by our governments and the business lobby, however, is not, never was, and never will be, something that can ever work on a finite Planet such as is the Earth, and it is not, never was, and never can be, sustainable.

All the governments keep telling us everyone that the economy must grow and grow more and then still more but when the ceiling is reached by this plant what do we do then? Knock a hole into the ceiling? No, we must prune it back like we would do with a plant that is getting too big.

The way we are going about it, however, would mean that this plant would have to grow through a hole in the ceiling into the apartment or whatever above and then when it reaches the ceiling there another hole must be knocked, probably through the roof, ad infinitum.

We have reached the ceiling already and by our consumption have already knocked a hole into it and the plant has grown through it. We are, basically, using up the resources of more than one Earth. However, last time I checked there is but one and thus we are already in serious trouble. This growth must be stopped or this plant will devour us all.

Despite this, however, the powers-that-be, industry and its lobby groups keep harping on about that we need to buy more in order to grow the economy. Hello!?! Anyone out there? It cannot be done or we have no Planet left. Wake up time, everyone!

© 2014

The myths of sustainable consumption and sustainable growth

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Across the globe the concept of sustainable consumption is being touted as the way of the future, a change in lifestyle and values that promises “green growth”– economic growth that doesn’t hurt the environment.

The term itself is, however, an oxymoron for it also keeps relying on the other oxymoron, that of sustainable growth.

Permanent consumerism and consumption is not sustainable and there simply is no such thing as sustainable growth. With a finite Planet there cannot be growth, sustainable or otherwise. We have to begin living within the parameters of the Planet and that means the use of renewable resources and their careful management.

Though not without obstacles and controversy, the concept of sustainable consumption has been embraced by policymakers, consumers, and industry alike.

The idea is that, by providing consumers with a choice of products reflecting their new environmental values, the market will self-regulate its way towards a more sustainable future, one in which supermarket shelves are lined with ecologically friendly products, and workers in developing countries are receiving fair wages for their labor. Eco-labeling, taxes on water and energy consumption, recycling incentives, education and communication campaigns, and advertising are examples of methods to promote sustainable consumption, all of which are endorsed by the OECD.

However, sustainable consumption fails to address the root problem: that unfettered economic growth – no matter how ecologically-minded – is still unsustainable, as I have already indicated. On a planet with limited finite non-renewable resources, that we consume at a rate of knots, ever increasing consumption, however sustainable it is claimed, cannot be sustained and thus it is not sustainable. If we believe otherwise we just kid ourselves.

The focus on sustainable consumption distracts us from identifying and demanding change from the real drivers of environmental decline.

Consumption for the sake of it, and we are seeing that coming into the “green” sector as well, is not sustainable however sweet it is being coated in words and terms. By now we have arrived at “greensumption” and the recyclability of products also is beginning to lead to further over-consumption as people believe that just because the product can be recycled it is fine to toss, say the old smartphone after six months or so and replace it with a new one.

We need a new system, a resource based economy, as other systems will not work with finite resources, bar the few renewable ones that we have, and this new economic system would also, by virtue of necessity, bring back repairability of goods.

While the actions of each and every one of us make a difference we need more than just voting with our wallet and choosing green alternatives and hoping that industry catches up with our demand and thus things will change. It just does not and will not work that way alone.

We, plain and simple, need a new system that takes account of the very fact that our non-renewable resources, be this oil, gas, coal, minerals, etc., are finite and many of them are running out or have, basically, run out already.

Growth is not sustainable and neither is an economic model based on continuous growth and there is no such thing as sustainable consumption either, at least not in the unfettered way that consumption and consumerism has been going.

We need a new system, economic and political...

© 2013