Degrowth is not the destination
It's the transition to getting back into balance with the living world
Here it is again for the back rows:
“Degrowth is the planned reduction of energy and resource use designed to bring the economy back into balance with the living world in a way that reduces inequality and improves human wellbeing.”
Someone on LinkedIn got me thinking:
“…talk about the acceleration of joy, the strengthening of social ties, a new awareness of life, the happiness found in no longer being instruments of the immense cash machine, peace returned from finally being aware of reality, the jubilation of seeing economists confused... brief... tell something other than your Degrowth"
Keeping Degrowth in the academic arena will not get the idea out that we don’t need more stuff to find joy.
I’m guessing, at the same time people can not imagine what it would be like without economic growth, most might think the system is not supposed to be not growing.
So there are some thought provoking topics like:
Reducing of consumption, extraction and emissions
Increasing of community and wellbeing
(and yes, politics is part of Community so the top-down can also happen - eventually).
Each of these areas have sub-areas. A loose frame applied to those areas is looking at what you are already doing, and going for “Less” “More” “Stop” and then the shiny new “Start”. And then looking at these sub-areas for your workplace, your neighbourhood, your town/city/region/country.
Celebrate now because you are Starting Something New, degrowing old thought patterns and creating room for more, just by reading this. How about a walk outside, breathing fresh air, feeling the sun/rain/wind on your skin, seeing the natural world with all it’s beauty. Tell me where in the world you are and what you noticed on your walk that made you smile.
Let’s start.
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