November 26, 2017

Endless growth on a finite planet?

Two articles on income, consumption and why "It is the system itself that needs to change."

Every Friday Is Black Friday: Why Our Addiction to Consumption and Growth Is Killing Us

Published on November 23, 2017 by Monbiot.com, posted on commondreams.org

"Our behavior within the system cannot change the outcomes of the system. It is the system itself that needs to change."
By George Monbiot

Excerpt:
“…environmental awareness tends to be higher among wealthy people. It is not attitudes that govern our impact on the planet but income. The richer we are, the bigger our footprint, regardless of our good intentions. Those who see themselves as green consumers, the research found, mainly focused on behaviours that had “relatively small benefits”.

I know people who recycle meticulously, save their plastic bags, carefully measure the water in their kettles, then take their holidays in the Caribbean, cancelling any environmental savings a hundredfold. I’ve come to believe that the recycling licences their long-haul flights. It persuades people they’ve gone green, enabling them to overlook their greater impacts.

None of this means that we should not try to reduce our footprint, but we should be aware of the limits of the exercise. Our behaviour within the system cannot change the outcomes of the system. It is the system itself that needs to change.”

and...

Capitalism Is Not Our Only Choice
We have opportunities every day to build economies that lift each other up and spread joy.
By Penn Loh          YES! Magazine   November 20, 2017, Posted on Alterne

Excerpt:
“…are we trapped in capitalism? While many of us may want a new economy where people and planet are prioritized over profit, we remain skeptical that another world is really possible. We make some progress locally but then feel powerless to affect national and global forces. Too often “the economy” is equated with markets where corporations compete to make profits for the wealthiest 1 percent and the rest work for a wage or salary (or don’t make money at all). Work itself is seen as legitimate only if it legally generates income. Value is measured only in money terms, based on what people are willing to pay in the market. The capitalist mindset also separates economy from society and nature, as if it exists apart from people, communities, government, and our planet. Economy is its own machine, fueled by profit and competition.

When everything that we label “economic” is assumed to be capitalist—transactional and market-driven—then it is no wonder that we run short on imagination.

Redefining economy beyond capitalism

To escape this “capitalocentrism,” we need to broaden the definition of economy beyond capitalism…”

Read full article