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Page added on June 21, 2013
The Story of More: Richard Heinberg
What if we aren’t about to return to economic growth? What if the economic growth era is actually behind us? Richard Heinberg’s latest landmark work, The End of Growth, goes to the heart of the ongoing financial crisis, explaining how and why it occurred, and what we must do to avert the worst potential outcomes. He describes what policymakers, communities, and families can do to build a new economy that operates within Earth’s budget of energy and resources. We can thrive during the transition if we set goals that promote human and environmental well-being, rather than continuing to pursue the now-unattainable prize of ever-expanding GDP.
9 Comments on "The Story of More: Richard Heinberg"
Newfie on Fri, 21st Jun 2013 1:48 pm
Never ending growth is the biggest fairy tale ever invented by the human race.
GregT on Fri, 21st Jun 2013 2:29 pm
“We can thrive during the transition if we set goals that promote human and environmental well-being, rather than continuing to pursue the now-unattainable prize of ever-expanding GDP.”
There hasn’t been a single day go by since 2008 that I have not seen or heard the words ‘economy’ or ‘growth’ a multitude of times. We are stuck in a paradigm that we cannot get ourselves out of. We will not “thrive during the transition”, because we are not in transition.
Human and environmental well-being do not add to corporate profits, they are a hinderance, and will be avoided at all costs. The ‘system’ needs to be rebuilt from the bottom up, and that will not happen until the current system fails. A system that is being run from the top down will always be riddled with greed, corruption, and injustice.
Mike on Fri, 21st Jun 2013 3:03 pm
GregT you are completely right, but try telling that to the 99% of people out there who think you’re a bunny hugging tree humping hippy (even though you aren’t) I have been labelled a new age hippy many times simply because I see the logic in growing all my fruit and veg amongst nettles on my allotment.
Using this system I
1) Don’t need to use any pesticides or herbicides
2) Don’t need to use any chemical fertilisers
3) Don’t need to dig the soil
4) Don’t need to compost
5) Have huge amounts of wildlife on site playing out a huge and exciting battle in the name of my food
6) Spend about 30 minutes a week “working” down there, which pretty much equates to cutting the nettles back a little each week so they don’t shade out the other crops
Result?
I am completely despised by other allotments holders, called a hippy and lazy.
Humans my friend are fuckwits.
poaecdotcom on Fri, 21st Jun 2013 3:14 pm
Well said GregT.
Although, I would add that one can separate from the collective “we” in “we are not in a transition” and roll up ones sleeves.
Like you, I cannot see how society as a whole changes other than through collapse. Sad.
dave thompson on Fri, 21st Jun 2013 3:56 pm
Richard Heinberg Is always a good listen.
Arthur on Fri, 21st Jun 2013 4:43 pm
Now that in the not too distant future the religion of growth will be over for everybody to see, sooner or later a new religion will fill the gap.
Horror vacui.
Jezus? Allah? Treehugging? Something nordic, like Wotan? Oriental, like Budism? New Age?
socrates1fan on Fri, 21st Jun 2013 5:01 pm
Mike,
I know how you feel. When I first started gardening in my small yard people thought I was crazy for not using pesticides and herbicides when I had issue. I planted marigolds which repelled a great deal of pests, as well as a generous amount of chives about my garden patches. This reduced my number of pests a great deal. Planting things and creating environments favorable to beneficial insects only improved my garden.
You wouldn’t believe the emotional resistance from family and neighbors when I dug up a portion of the front yard for the cultivation of vegetables and herbs (I even planned it to be aesthetically pleasing for their sake). It was traumatic for many that a front yard would be anything other than a useless patch of grass. I allowed certain beneficial “weeds” to grow along the sides of the beds or even in them and I would even allow some of my vegetables to bloom (people thought them quite beautiful until they discovered that they were vegetables).
When I put a composter in (not a pile, a bin that was easy on the eyes) there was a hell storm of resistance. People insisted it would stink and cause the neighborhood to decay. I explained that I am not composting animal products but they wouldn’t listen. Regardless, I’ve kept my composter.
The funny thing is, once it is up and going people suddenly feel better about it.
This is now, not 1965. What scares me is the opposition to NECESSITY even in the face of one of our biggest challenges. There seems to be two types of people now. Those who are jumping right in and preparing and adapting to the future, and those who desperately clutch onto the “American Dream”.
This is now.
Plantagenet on Fri, 21st Jun 2013 6:12 pm
Obama says the USA has a 100 supply of natural gas and that thats to fracking the USA will soon be energy independent.
Who are you going to believe….Richard Heinberg and his data or Obama and his nice sounding promises?
rollin on Fri, 21st Jun 2013 10:37 pm
He does keep trying, but only about one percent are really listening. Going to be a lot “the sky is falling!” soon from most people.