Library

Report • 2017

Moving Away From the Pro-Growth Economy

Introduction: The current economic system being utilized and internalized relies on perpetual growth. It has long operated counter to the reality that we are confined to a finite planet with finite resources. Yet, this system continues to be practiced and promoted globally. As the environmental and social repercussions of disbelief in limits become increasingly clear, so does our need for a new...

Report • 2017

Making power asymmetries visible

By: Leonie Sontheimer, Karoline Pöggel, Camila Nobrega

"This blog entry is based on the assignment given to use during the Summer School on Degrowth and Environmental Justice from June 25th – July 7th 2017. Instead of looking outside for an issue to target for the assignment, we decided to use this task to look inside the Summer School and to make power asymmetries in this space visible. We came up with this topic while having coffee and cake on...

Misc • 2017

The illusion of “degrowth” in a poor and unequal world

By: Branko Milanovic

Introduction to the article by the author: I have recently had Twitter and email discussions with a couple of people who are strong proponents of “degrowth”. From these exchanges I got the impression that there were unaware of just how unequal and poor (yes, poor) the world is today and what would be the trade-offs if we really were to decide to fix the volume of goods and services produced...

Interview • 2017

Entwicklung ist eine Fata Morgana

By: Matthias Schmelzer, Alberto Acosta

Interview mit Alberto Acosta, geführt von Matthias Schmelzer Spätestens seit Geflüchtete im Sommer 2015 das europäische Grenzregime vorübergehend aus den Angeln gehoben haben, ist die Beschäftigung mit Fluchtursachen zu einem politischen Dauerbrenner avanciert. Dabei wird die Diskussion vor allem von Seiten der Regierungen und der Rechten geführt, mit dem Ziel, Migration von vornherein zu...

Misc • 2017

Our addiction to growth is harming the climate

By: Jennifer Collins

Keywords: Global Ideas, Global Solutions, Environment, Climate Change, Economy, Degrowth, Sustainability, Green Economy, COP23, NDCs

Interview • 2017

Could a Marshall Plan for the Planet Tackle the Climate Crisis?

By: Kate Aronoff, Kevin Anderson

"Bonn — This week, world leaders are convening along a sleepy stretch of Germany’s Rhine River for COP23, the first UN climate talks to be held since Trump announced he will withdraw United States from the Paris Agreement, the landmark climate deal arrived at in 2015. Yet while the administration’s fossil-fuel boosterism has grabbed headlines about COP23 stateside, the UNFCCC process has more...

Report • 2017

Degrowth: the history of an idea

By: Timothée Duverger

Abstract: Degrowth is a concept-platform with multiple meanings, and is shaped by five sources of thought: ecological, bioeconomical, anthropological, democratic, and spiritual. The word appeared in the 1970s, and imposed itself beginning in 2002 owing to the convergence between the criticism of development and the anti-advertising movement, initially in France but later across the European...

Misc • 2017

Art Against Empire: Toward an Aesthetics of Degrowth

By: Samuel Alexander

Abstract: What role might art need to play in the transition beyond consumer capitalism? Can ‘culture jamming’ contribute to the necessary revolution in consciousness? And might art be able to provoke social change in ways that rational argument and scientific evidence cannot? In this new book I explore these questions, both in theory and practice. I begin with a theoretical defence of art and...

Art contribution • 2017

Imagining a Better World: The Art of Degrowth

By: Samuel Alexander

Introduction: We are living in an age of gross ecological overshoot - our demands on the planet far exceed what is sustainable. Wealth is extremely concentrated while billions go hungry. And with the world’s population heading toward 11 billion by the end of the century, something has to give. One response to these overlapping crises is degrowth. This movement argues that the developed regions...

Scientific paper • 2017

Degrowth as an ‘Aesthetics of Existence’

By: Samuel Alexander

"In recent decades the ‘limits to growth’ position has received a great deal of attention, mostly from economic and ecological perspectives (Meadows et al 2004, Daly 1996, Jackson 2009, Turner 2012). More recently, the degrowth movement has begun contributing an important range of new political and sociological analyses (see generally, D’Alisa, Demaria, and Kallis 2015), offering deeper insight...

Misc • 2017

What happened when Degrowth was discussed in the Catalan Parliament?

By: Antonio Turiel

Introduction: We recently carried a translation of an interview with Sergi Saladié who introduced a debate on degrowth into the Catalan parliament. Catalonia is very much in the news at the moment with the referendum held by the governing coalition and the violent repression by the Spanish State. We do not have a view on this matter, noting that independence has not had a majority following...

Misc • 2017

Why Branko Milanovic is wrong about de-growth

By: Jason Hickel

Introduction: Branko Milanovic has written a blog post titled “The illusion of degrowth in a poor and unequal world". He penned it, he says, following a conversation he had with a proponent of degrowth. As it turns out, that proponent was me. First, let me say that I have a lot of respect for Milanovic's work on inequality. I cite him all the time. But unfortunately he doesn't have a...

Misc • 2017

The illusion of degrowth: Part II

By: Branko Milanovic

A blog post by Branko Milanovic which is the third part of a discussion between him and Jason Hickel. Chronology of the discussion Original blog post by Branko Milanovic "The illusion of “degrowth” in a poor and unequal world" First reply by Jason Hickel "Why Branko Milanovic is wrong about de-growth" Reply by Branko Milanovic "The illusion of degrowth: Part II" Second Reply by Jason Hickel...

Misc • 2017

De-growth is feasible: people want a new economy

By: Jason Hickel

A blog post by Jason Hickel which is the fourth part of a discussion between him and Branko Milanovic. Chronology of the discussion Original blog post by Branko Milanovic "The illusion of “degrowth” in a poor and unequal world" First reply by Jason Hickel "Why Branko Milanovic is wrong about de-growth" Reply by Branko Milanovic "The illusion of degrowth: Part II" Second Reply by Jason Hickel...

Interview • 2017

Our addiction to economic growth is killing us

By: Jason Hickel

Description by BBC Newsnight: In this Viewsnight, anthropologist Jason Hickel asks if economic growth really makes our lives better. He is the author of The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions.

Misc • 2017

UBI could increase human well-being and help save the planet

By: Joseph Cederwall

Introduction: Anthropologist Jason Hickel believes basic income could be part of the solution to this problem of the pervasiveness of the growth mentality. He presents UBI as forming part of a strategy of “planned de-growth,” which he believes will “increase human well-being and happiness while reducing our economic footprint.”

Interview • 2017

Water Injustice / EnvJustice Vocabulary - Rutgerd Boelens

By: Rutgerd Boelens

Rutgerd Boelens, Wageningen University, explains four layers of water injustices and how to fight against them from the political ecology perspective with a focus on water and water-related conflicts. Youtube-channel EnvJustice Vocabulary

Interview • 2017

Environmental Ethics / EnvJustice Vocabulary - Catherine Larrère

By: Catherine Larrère

Catherine Larrère, Université de Paris I-Panthéon-Sorbonne, explains the term "Environmental Ethics" and why it ought to be instrumental to the environmental justice movement. Youtube-channel EnvJustice Vocabulary

Interview • 2017

Environmental justice / EnvJustice Vocabulary - Paul Mohai

By: Paul Mohai

Paul Mohai, University of Michigan, explains the origins of "Environmental Justice", in particular, how it emerged in the United States including his personal experience. Youtube-channel EnvJustice Vocabulary

Misc • 2017

Faires Geld - Ein natürliches Geldsystem

By: Tim Eismon-Key

Der Verlag: Kein Kind würde auf die Idee des heutigen Geldsystems kommen. Es bedarf einer langen Hinführung und Einweisung, bis ein Mensch so konditioniert ist, dass er das heutige Geldsystem zumindest aus Anwendersicht versteht, akzeptiert und eventuell sogar noch als alternativlos verteidigt. Gemessen daran ist faires Geld kinderleicht. Die meisten Publikationen und Diskussionen zum Thema...