Degrowth

I came across this term whilst reading a book on critical realism, a form of philosophy of social and natural science. The writers suggested that one of the causes of climate change was our obsession with growth, GDP etc and that we need to challenge capitalism with its focus on competition, scarcity and expansion. Economics is in crisis as much as the climate, and the two are closely linked.

This depressed me somewhat. I could see some hopeful signs of de-carbonisation brought about by technology – such as electric cars and renewable energy – but the thought of changing our lifestyles fundamentally to engineer degrowth and to change our expectations of prosperity seems necessary but impossible. How many people would step away from the riches brought by capitalism to choose a simpler, poorer life? I am guessing not many.

In the opening up of the Covid lockdown, I see the eagerness to consume, to visit fast food joints, to buy disposable clothes and to travel to sunny destinations on the continent. No politician is pointing to these pleasures and saying we will need to give these things up if we and our children are to avoid being engulfed in floods or burnt to a cinder.

Instead, politicians big up ideas about green growth, new kinds of jobs and the benefits of technology. However, too often these initiatives are about enabling capitalism to continue and reassuring us that we will not suffer inconveniences.

During Covid we did give some of these things up – foreign travel for instance – I must say it is so much nicer walking in Kew without the constant sound of airplanes overhead. Asthma sufferers reported breathing more freely. I liked the film of wild goats roaming silent streets eating flowers in gardens, early on in the first lockdown – indeed the emergence of animals onto our empty streets was instructive as well as entertaining.

There seem to be more people on bikes round here although the traffic has quickly gone up to pre-pandemic levels. The complaints directed at councils for closing off roads to cars is perhaps indicative of the enormous task facing our leaders to persuade us that unlimited freedom to consume threatens our future as a species, never mind that of many other animals, teetering on the brink of extinction.

What would an economy committed to degrowth look like? Can the pandemic teach us something? Families spent more time together – some really liked it, but others, particularly women, found it limiting. I hope we begin to appreciate our teachers and nursery staff more.

Working from home may have encouraged greater attention to localities, back gardens, local shops. Did we work less but more productively ?- some did but others missed their friends at work and stimulating conversations. Do we need to work such long hours? Keynes suggested that 15 hours max a week should be sufficient in a technologically advanced nation – think of the energy saving of that. We could get rid of bullshit jobs – hedge fund managers? – and pay those who really contribute to society more money. Capitalism does not value those who contribute to society but rather those who create wealth. Can we do without the wealth creators to pay the salaries of the doctors, nurses and teachers?

Does capitalism use boredom as an itch to scratch? Media commentators often expressed their boredom during lockdown. Is the endless supply of diversion a problem?