Rules for new economies: ‘Lopsided prosperity causing humans more harm than good’

Chennai

According to the World Bank, the global economy is set to shrink by 5.2% this year, rendering this the deepest recession since World War II. But even this historic contraction doesn’t go far enough for environmental economist and degrowth proponent Niko Paech. He argues that we need to transition permanently to a post-growth economy if we want to ensure our survival on this planet. Excerpts from an interview:

On the post-growth economy
Our prosperity must be compromised because it is killing us. It must be reduced, especially since there is no right to this prosperity. The same applies to other consumer democracies whose prosperity is the result of decades of blatant plundering. This means that by reducing prosperity we are not relinquishing something, but rather giving back the booty that we in our insolence have presumed to claim as ours.

On things to give up
It’s not about relinquishing. How can you relinquish something that you’ve never been entitled to in the first place? I can’t just rob a bank and say I am entitled to this booty and the two dead people lying on the floor are simply collateral damage. It’s the same with the ecologic side effects of my air travel or consumption. Or let’s say you go to the doctor tomorrow and the doctor says: “You have a huge malignant tumour on your back. I’ll have to cut it away for you to survive.” Of course I’m not going to make a fuss and say: “Oh God, how can I do without this tumour?” No! It’s a relief to get rid of it. I wouldn’t mix up relief and renunciation. That is why I don’t talk about renunciation, but prefer the more neutral terms of reduction or self-limitation.

What this self-limitation would entail
First off, the vast majority of holiday travel by plane, cruise ship or car is simply no longer tenable in the twenty-first century. Next it’s crucial to dismantle digitalisation. We will not survive in a digital world. Then of course there is consumption. We must learn to use durable goods in a way that their useful life is at least doubled, if not tripled. And we will need a major change in the agricultural sector. Meat consumption must be cut by at least two thirds. Creating more living space is also off the cards. We will need to share more at a local or regional level, for instance with neighbours sharing a lawnmower or car.

This will not only save a lot of ecological resources, but will also reduce our dependence on money and consumption. And that in turn will create greater resilience, including socio-political resilience. This means that people are no longer so dependent on their current jobs or transfer payments from the state. Instead, they become more adept at providing for themselves in networks in a more collaborative manner.

But having a big clear out also means we need to dismantle things without replacing them. This is crucial. This won’t be achieved by consensus. This can only be achieved if people rise and act together by forming alliances within social niches and by creating counter-cultures with a post-growth lifestyle that challenges society as a whole. It’s never an attack on democracy to simply say no. There will come a point when people will revolt and then they will confront those are still behaving like ecological vandals at the expense of others.

— This article has been provided by Deutsche Welle