Degrowth

Just learned about an interesting new initiative coming out of Europe. It's called Degrowth. It advocates something I've long dreamed of: a movement away from economic growth as the means of judging our success on this planet. And since ultimately the end result of endless growth is death (see cancer), we really should jump on the degrowth train.

Mostly I'm happy that someone, somewhere is willing to have a frank and realistic discussion about these issues. Of course they also include voluntary population reduction as an important cornerstone of their movement. To not include it would be insane.

Here is the declaration from their last conference held in Barcelona:

In the midst of an international crisis more than four hundred researchers, practitioners and civil society members from forty countries gathered in Barcelona in March 2010 for the Second International Conference on Degrowth. The Declaration of the First International Conference in Paris in 2008 noted the looming multidimensional crisis, which was not just financial, but also economic, social, cultural, energetic, political and ecological. The crisis is a result of the failure of an economic model based on growth.

An international elite and a “global middle class” are causing havoc to the environment through conspicuous consumption and the excessive appropriation of human and natural resources. Their consumption patterns lead to further environmental and social damage when imitated by the rest of society in a vicious circle of status-seeking through the accumulation of material possessions. While irresponsible financial institutions, multi-national corporations and governments are rightly at the forefront of public criticism, this crisis has deeper structural causes.

So-called anti-crisis measures that seek to boost economic growth will worsen inequalities and environmental conditions in the long-run. The illusion of a "debt-fuelled growth", i.e. Forcing the economy to grow in order to pay debt, will end in social disaster, passing on economic and ecological debts to future generations and to the poor. A process of degrowth of the world economy is inevitable and will ultimately benefit the environment, but the challenge is how to manage the process so that it is socially equitable at national and global scales. This is the challenge of the Degrowth movement, originating in rich countries in Europe and elsewhere, where the change must start from.

Academics, activists and practitioners met in Barcelona to structure proposals toward an alternative, ecologically sustainable and socially equitable degrowth society. The conference was conducted in an inclusive and participatory way. In addition to standard scientific presentations, some 29 working groups discussed hands-on policies for degrowth and defined research questions, bringing together economic,social and environmental concerns. New ideas and issues absent from mainstream dialogue on sustainable development were put on the table: currencies and financial institutions, social security and working hours, population and resource consumption, restrictions to advertising, moratoria on infrastructure and resource sanctuaries, and many others. A wealth of new proposals evolved, including: facilitation of local currencies; gradual elimination of fiat money and reforms of interest; promotion of small scale, self-managed not-for-profit companies; defense and expansion of local commons and establishment of new jurisdictions for global commons; establishment of integrated policies of reduced working hours (work-sharing) and introduction of a basic income; institutionalization of an income ceiling based on maximum-minimum ratios; discouragement of overconsumption of non-durable goods and under-use of durables by regulation, taxation or bottom-up approaches; abandonment of large-scale infrastructure such as nuclear plants, dams, incinerators, high-speed transportation; conversion of car-based infrastructure to walking, biking and open common spaces; taxation of excessive advertising and its prohibition from public spaces; support for environmental justice movements of the South that struggle against resource extraction; introduction of global extractive moratoria in areas with high biodiversity and cultural value, and compensation for leaving resources in the ground; denouncement of top-down population control measures and support of women’s reproductive rights, conscious procreation and the right to free migration while welcoming a decrease in world birth rates; and de-commercialization of politics and enhancement of direct participation in decision-making.

We assert that these proposals are not utopian: new redistributive taxes will address income inequality and finance social investments and discourage consumption and environmental damage, while reduced working hours with a reinforced social security system will manage unemployment.

As the economy of wealthy parts of the world quietly contracts and our damage to the environment through new infrastructures and extraction activities is constrained, well-being will increase through public investments in low-cost social and relational goods.

Every new proposal generates several new objections and questions. We do not claim to have a recipe for the future, but we can no longer pretend that we can keep growing as if nothing has happened. The folly of growth has come to an end. The challenge now is how to transform, and the debate has just begun.

Prophet?

There is a lot to learn about introspection, critical thinking and being conscious in this interview with Gideon Levy, an Israeli journalist. In general, he says all the things I think about the Israel-Palestine conflict. It's worth a read though he (much like myself) laments the disappearance of the truth when the whole world is full of sheep.

* I realize that this isn't quite a Museum Fremen entry but truth must be part of any future so we'll allow it.

Frack This

Across North America, nationalism, peak oil, climate change and the fearful mood in the air are combining to build a new insta-industry. This industry drills for oil and gas in an unconventional way called hydraulic fracturing. It's also known more colloquially as fracking.

I read about this a few years ago when I read an article about western governors visiting the tar sands in order to learn lessons about their own hard to reach energy resource: shale oil. At the time, I just laughed off their plans since it seemed to involve destroying the Rocky Mountains to get at oil and gas trapped in the rock below. Surely this was unthinkable even in the United States and Canada?

It turns out I was wrong and that the plan is indeed moving ahead. But they won't be destroying the Rockies in the end. Though they will be drilling into the earth and pumping in fresh water, sand and a cocktail of carcinogenic chemicals. Under intense pressure these chemicals crack the shale rock below and the gas or oil bubble up to the surface where it is captured and burned for fuel. Unfortunately many wells pollute groundwater and wells and much of this fracking fluid is left underground.

And it's not limited to the west. A big seam of shale gas sits under New York and Pennsylvania. Others are in Quebec. There's probably one under your feet right now. I know there is under mine.

That's right: Cape Breton is open for business. And it's breaking my heart.

I guess that humans aren't going to be forced to stop after all, whether by choice or by natural limits. We are going to do anything to keep this dysfunction going. There are no alternatives as much as I would love to offer one. This has to proceed to the end I guess. It means wells everywhere, seeking out every last drop and square metre of gas.

Seeking refuge in the sports pages, I came across the new name of the Pittsburgh Penguins' arena: the Consol Energy Centre. The instant I read it I knew that this was a fracking company. I decided to visit their website. I was met with a slowly flapping American flag looking like it was carved out of coal. Welcome to "America's On Switch". Rugged miners held up an American flag urged me to consider a career with Consol.

This propaganda image was very impressive. Good ol' photoshop.


Here are a couple of quotes from the main and careers page (I couldn't view the flash at my speed):

"If everyone up there (presumably on the surface of the earth) is willing to learn how to read in the dark, then maybe this profession will become obsolete. Fact is, everything we do requires energy. And that fact is a growing one. Just take a look at what your home entertainment system is made of now versus 10 years ago."

"When America runs out of oil, it won’t run out of energy thanks to our vast reserves of coal and natural gas."

But I don't want this insanity. Do you?

Harvest Updates

Some pictures to share. Frances took some lovely shots this past download. Thought I should share them with you. I can't write much as we are taking Nikita and Joe to the Brook Village Dance, the last one of the year.


The summer squash and cucumbers have been very prolific this year. Perhaps I'm leaning a thing or two about growing them.


So much so that Joe and I made dill pickles in a brine so they are naturally fermented. They taste pretty amazing. I made up another 4 gallon crock about a week ago and I guess I can do another pretty soon.

We've also been dehydrating a lot of zucchini and summer squash for the long winter to come.

The strawberries that we planted last year have been giving en mass. Each week we sell out at the markets. They are not everbearing as much as I remember (hard to keep track of everything). But they had one big production in July and now are giving again. Must have been a pretty great summer for strawbs.


Sarah came out to visit from Hamilton and was a great help with her cycling partner Patrick. They biked all over Nova Scotia, ultimately ending up at Wild Roots with us.


So naturally we've been eating pretty well with lots of fresh veggies and fruit. This must be the best I've eaten my whole life.

MIA

I feel like I've been neglecting this blog. It's been a terribly long time since I've written anything.

I live in a bubble here. When I leave I am bombarded by the subtle messages of our culture and the sights and sounds of my fellow inmates. It seems that as time passes the stronger my reactions to the prison become. And more and more my desire to retreat to Wild Roots becomes.

I left this place in August for 10 days in Newfoundland. It was a great trip spent in great company seeing a part of the country that I pledged to visit. We drove up the west coast of the rugged province camping and snacking and reading, learning and hiking and it was lovely. However we both experienced very strong reactions to the people and behaviours we encountered along the way. More and more it seems we have less and less in common with people tapping away at their cell phones or purchasing hollowed out buns injected with factory farmed mystery meat. So I just want to get away, get back to sanctuary. But maybe I have more in common with them than I think. Maybe by being here I don't have to face that I'm no different, no matter how I try to stand aside. I know there is no escape and that I am as much a prisoner as anyone else on this earth.

On the trip there were moments of temptation when I almost ate the seared muscles of tortured animals in bright, happy, plastic restaurants. But I passed the test and remained me. "Just fries please." The temptation was so strong. Why not, just this once? What's the harm?

One thing that Dan left me with was a loathing of people. And there is no doubt that he has good cause to feel that way. Just look around at all the obese, inane, abusive people. People make bad choices, we all do. The only thing we can do is remain aware and conscious and we'll see those bad choices decline. How do you support people to embrace this view? How do you help them to open their eyes?

I'm so happy to be home. I feel safe here: books, quiet, gardens, healthy food.

A friend recently wrote and told me off for running away from Hamilton. But this is where I am. I can't face the world anymore. But please don't think I've given up. Ask all the people who have passed my door this summer. I think they would say that they learned a few things from Wild Roots. Most of all they have been happy. My approach is changing. Just live the right way and people will find their way to you and go back again. Perhaps.

There's this line echoing in my head from Thee Silver Mount Zion Tralalala Band or whatever they are calling themselves these days. It's from a song called There's a River in the Valley of Melting Snow. Maybe this will make sense:

"I have grown tired of the struggle
And I've grown tired of making plans
I think I'll quit to the valley
Regain my strength
And start again
Where once we were some clumsy army
Now we are just lazy hens
I think I'll quit to the valley
Until the light moves me again..."