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‘Prosperity doesn’t mean consuming more’
Spanish ecological economist Joan Martinez-Alier opens up on why we shouldn’t confuse prosperity with wealth and consumption
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
You advocate ‘prosperity without growth’ – what does it mean?
Tim Jackson, the British ecological economist, said that the word prosperity doesn’t mean being richer. If you go to the etymology of the word, it is to be more or less happy. If you are rich by 10,000 dollars, you can be happy. But if you earn 20,000 dollars, it doesn’t mean that you will be twice as happy. Now, becoming richer means consuming more — cars, bigger houses and more travel — which adds to the ecological footprint.
Do you think there is a need for more public discussion on environmental conflicts?
The concentration of coal power stations in Ennore should be in public discussion. Internal conflicts about urban planning, the condition of the lakes and displacement of poor after floods need to be talked about.
Does the answer to environmental balance lie in indigenous practices?
We have to use our indigenous knowledge to introduce newer, cleaner technologies. Solar energy is not traditional but it is a good idea. The architecture of traditional India was better than newer buildings.
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