Library

Abstract: The first contribution to the special session on the legacy of Richard Douthwaite is an attempt to carve out his most important heoretical findings to show to what extent the work of Richard Douthwaite can be seen as a convincing foundation to a degrowth strategy, and how this foundation can be used to develop practical suggestions towards its political realization. The contribution...

Scientific paper • 2014

Richard Douthwaite's contribution towards a Material De-Growth Society in Ireland

By: Hans Diefenbacher, Willi Kiefel

Abstract: The contribution will focus on Richard Douthwaite's work in Ireland towards a material degrowth society, especially his work within FEASTA, the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability and his activities in “seed projects “ coming from civic society or grass roots level that were needed as there was no use waiting for governments or policy makers to get to grips with problems:...

Scientific paper • 2014

Saving Money – Breaking Profit? Ride-Sharing Practices in Inter-City Transport

By: Alexa Faerber

Abstract: This contribution examines how the infrastrucutre and ticketing of inter-city railway transport leads to entrepreneurial practices of ride-sharing and asks if this twofold practice (it allows saving money and gaining money) also contains the potential of articulating economic visions of degrowth. The background for these new forms of transportation-entrepreneurialism is the ongoing...

Scientific paper • 2014

How does the monetary system work, does it require economic growth, and are there monetary policy options allowing degrowth?

By: Christoph Freydorf

Abstract: Degrowth strategies are not only depending on political decisions, but also on concepts of economic orders which permit the expectation to be stable and prosperous without the necessity of nominal or real (throughput of natural resources) growth rates. One important aspect is the monetary policy, which is widely suspected to play a crucial role for both, the necessity to growth as...

Scientific paper • 2014

Money, debt, and the end of the growth imperative

By: Thomas H. Greco

Abstract: The global, interest-based, debt-money system is the primary driver of unsustainable growth, economic inequity, and environmental destruction. Almost all of the money in existence in the world today is created by banks when they make loans. The accrual of interest on these loans over time, causes the amount of debt to always exceed the means for its payment, so new loans must...

Scientific paper • 2014

Crowdfunding: Democratising finance for the green economy

By: Nina Horstmann

Scientific paper • 2014

SOCIAL CURRENCY AS AN INSTITUTION NEEDED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SOCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY

By: Ricardo Orzi

Abstract: The present work tries to recognize the importance of social-complementary currency systems for the sustainability of a social and ecological economy. The official currency and the current monetary systems promote an approach of perpetual growth, the predominance of the relation of competition in opposition to cooperation, and a mechanistic paradigm of society like a sum of...

Scientific paper • 2014

The present day monetary and financial systems: What´s wrong and what must be changed for a post-growth economy

By: Helge Peukert

Abstract: A basic question will be which elements and factors of the present-day financial and monetary sectors are drivers for economic growth and in how far they must and could be changed in favor of a degrowth economy and which elements of the present system might be preserved. I will present basic facts, structural relationships, institutional details and recent developments and formulate...

Scientific paper • 2014

The Advantages of a Community Currency – An OCA Perspective

By: Carolin Rauch

Abstract: There is an ongoing debate about the advantages and disadvantages of community currencies in the literature. Proponents of a local currency outline the economic, social and ecological benefits. However, empirical studies find mainly social networking effects and almost no economic influence. It seems that the economic advantage of community currencies does not prevail (at least at...

Scientific paper • 2014

Theoretical considerations on growth imperatives in a monetary economy

By: Oliver Richters, Ferdin, Wenzlaff, Christian Kimmich

Abstract: If an ongoing growth is considered impossible or undesirable, the growth dependence of man-made structures such as social security systems have to be carefully revised. In the post-growth debate, the monetary system based on credit money combined with positive interest rates is often criticized and accused of causing a growth imperative. The contribution refutes this oversimplified...

Scientific paper • 2014

Alternative currencies and de-growth: average value of labour time as basis for enhancement of interest-free credit systems

By: Maurizio Ruzzene

Abstract: This presentation considers problems and benefits that can follow from linking time currencies to an average social value of labour time. The link to an average social value of labour time (i.e. applying an average hourly wage to a standard time unit) can greatly ex-tend the application of time-based currencies. It can significantly enhance their interest-free long-term credit...

Scientific paper • 2014

The Potential of Complementary Currencies: Boon or Bane for Degrowth?

By: Rolf F.H. Schroeder

complementary currencies; alternative economy; boundaries; monetarism; payment technologies

Scientific paper • 2014

100% Money and Vollgeld, no Solution for a Stationary Economy

By: Benedikt Weihmayr

Abstract: In the post-growth debate a rising number of authors advocate for monetary reforms, which intention is to prevent banks from deposit creation and establishes the central bank as the sole issuer of money. This paper examines the expected macroeconomic consequences and reviews the proclaimed benefits. In the analysis, I consider especially the assertions of authors, who argue that such...

Art contribution • 2014

Der kluge Fischer

By: Emile Bravo, Heinrich Böll

Der Verlag: In einem kleinen Hafen macht ein Fischer morgens seine Siesta. Ein Tourist weckt ihn durch das Klicken seines Fotoapparats und fragt, warum er nicht aufs Meer fahre. Der Fischer antwortet, er sei schon draußen gewesen. Warum er nicht noch einmal hinausfahre, fragt der Tourist. Mit der größeren Ausbeute könne er Schiffe und eine Fischfabrik kaufen. Am Ende wäre er so reich, dass er...

Position paper • 2014

Basic Income and a Degrowth Project?

By: Vincent Liegey

This media entry is a stirring paper of the Group Assembly Process (GAP) at the Degrowth Conference in Leipzig in 2014. This paper belongs the group Basic income.