The European Tribune is a forum for thoughtful dialogue of European and international issues. You are invited to post comments and your own articles.
Please REGISTER to post.
Largely, what we all want is life to get better. In human terms, in individuals terms, the word "growth" is part of that.
The question is: can we have better lives, less pointless suffering, less inequality distress, etc. and "save the planet"?
I'd say that's more possible than "save the planet and keep GDP growing."
But in ordinary discussion, better lives is what people mean around the word growth...
I think the political problem is that you can't jettison the word "growth" even though what people want from it is not what economists (and others) define it to be. Largely, what we all want is life to get better. In human terms, in individuals terms, the word "growth" is part of that.
Farewell... A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
But with respect to places where people are doing subsistence agriculture without access to labour-saving devices, "more stuff = better life" is manifestly true. And where periurban dwellers don't have access to safe water and basic sanitation, same again.
So I have a lot of sympathy for the idea that to achieve an ecological transition, a society has to be mature and ready. As with the demographic transition, Sweden is at the forefront. That means there's hope for the rest of us.
As with the demographic transition, China will probably short-circuit the process by the application of brute force. That will give an alternative model, philosophically less attractive. It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by Frank Schnittger - Feb 2
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 26 3 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 31 3 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 22 3 comments
by Cat - Jan 25 58 comments
by Oui - Jan 9 21 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 13 28 comments
by gmoke - Jan 20
by Oui - Feb 3
by Oui - Feb 217 comments
by Oui - Feb 14 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 313 comments
by gmoke - Jan 29
by Oui - Jan 2731 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 263 comments
by Cat - Jan 2558 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 223 comments
by Oui - Jan 2110 comments
by Oui - Jan 21
by Oui - Jan 20
by Oui - Jan 1841 comments
by Oui - Jan 1591 comments
by Oui - Jan 145 comments
by Frank Schnittger - Jan 1328 comments
by Oui - Jan 1221 comments
by Oui - Jan 1120 comments