We talk to three experts who argue we governments need to find alternatives for their dependence on economic growth. Listen to episode 39 of The Conversation Weekly.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen presents the “Green New Deal” plan to fight climate change before the European Parliament in Brussels on December 11, 2019.
Aris Oikonomou/AFP
To achieve sustainable growth under the constraint that consumption is independent from the use of natural resources, we must move along the path of qualitative growth.
Humanity is destroying Earth’s ability to support complex life. But coming to grips with the magnitude of the problem is hard, even for experts.
The costs of keeping a roof over our heads create a dependence on market growth that puts low-consumption, sustainable living out of reach for many of us.
Glenn Hunt/AAP
The cost of land and, in turn, housing forces people to buy into the rules of market capitalism, making it very hard to ‘downshift’ from consumer lifestyles. But what if we rethink public housing?
‘Greening’ our current economic system can only take us so far.
GTS/Shutterstock
Economic growth should be reimagined not only at the macro level, but also at the micro, business level. Social enterprises offer new, collaborative approaches to growth that maximize societal impact.
The average consumerist suburban lifestyle is unsustainable. But what if affluent suburbanites and battlers alike ditch the rat race and embrace economic ‘degrowth’? Here’s how it might unfold.
To fix the world’s ecological crises we’ll have to make some tough choices, particularly living with less stuff. Art can play an essential role in imagining and communicating a more sustainable future.
Every day brings new calls for sustainability, as humanity’s actual behaviour moves ever further away from it. What can we learn from an obscure Austrian philosopher?
Do you see the future the same way as Leonardo?
EPA/Christophe Archambault/pool
Leonardo DiCaprio’s new climate documentary is an urgent call for the promised green tech revolution. But it shows too much faith in politicians and corporations to change their ways.
Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University