Thread by @remblance_erin

Some of my favourite threads and articles from the last week-ish, roughly in order of (1) problem -> (2) way forward -> (3) momentum:

(1) Problem: our growth-based economies are at the heart of our ecological crises

🧵 (1/16)

"The fact is that we cannot keep growing the same cancerous way ‘except solar’. It’s like saying I’m going to switch lung cancer for eye cancer. I mean, still cancer…. we’re getting a brutal lesson this century whether we want it or not."

(2/16)

indica.medium.com/why-solar-wont…

“…we must rapidly reduce consumption/destruction of natural resources and associated fossil fuel use. This is only achievable by reversing economic ‘growth’ …. This is not unrealistic or anti-capitalist — it’s counting.”

(3/16)

medium.com/@JacksonDamian…

Green growth isn’t a solution, either:

“the idea of green growth has sustained a don’t worry, everything is going to be okay narrative, becoming a form of macroeconomic greenwashing mobilised to discredit more radical proposals.”

(4/16)

meta.eeb.org/2023/05/03/the…

(2) Way forward: we must recognise that this isn’t a simple problem we face, our opponents are big, and many:

(5/16)

“in this struggle we are contesting not only fossil capital and the governments that support it. We are fighting against all capital and, perhaps, most of the people it employs.”

(6/16)

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

If the environmental movement is to have a chance at succeeding, it must unite with the labour movement globally and foreground policies that release labour from the grip of capital:

(7/16)

https://twitter.com/jasonhickel/status/1653743870453116930?s=46&t=eoi37_UjXlyk1Cf-Oei1yQ

And ‘decommodify survival’ through provision of Universal Public Services

(8/16)

jasonhickel.org/blog/2023/3/18…

We also need to change the political framing from living in an “economy” to living in a society. Currency issuing governments are not households that have a budget to manage. Money is simply a medium of exchange, not a rare resource:

(9/16)

https://twitter.com/ragesheen/status/1654216835980566528?s=46&t=eoi37_UjXlyk1Cf-Oei1yQ

(3) Momentum: thankfully we are starting to see some growth-critical discourse by world leaders, Irish President Michael D Higgins spoke on the topic last week

(10/16)

irishtimes.com/politics/2023/…

And last week Nina L. Smolyer gave a talk that included #degrowth at the UN:

(11/16)

https://twitter.com/ninalsmolyar/status/1651699495237832709?s=46&t=eoi37_UjXlyk1Cf-Oei1yQ

There is also a 3 day ‘Beyond Growth’ conference in Brussels beginning on the 15th May. It is “an initiative of 20 MEPs from five different political groups … with the support of the President of the European Parliament”

(12/16)

beyond-growth-2023.eu

Let’s hope with all of this momentum we get to that 25% social tipping point that we need for these topics to go mainstream (this is an older article, but still good!):

“Social convention, which has for so long worked against us, can if flipped become our greatest …

(13/16)

… source of power, normalising what now seems radical and weird. If we can simultaneously trigger a cascading regime shift in both technology and politics, we might stand a chance.”

(14/16)

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Because things have changed quickly in the past, and they can do so again (another oldie but goldie):

“From 1942 until 1945, the manufacture of cars was banned. So were new household appliances and even the construction of new homes. Tyres and gasoline were strictly …

(15/16)

… rationed; meat, butter, sugar, clothes and shoes were also limited. Rationing was considered fairer than taxing scarce goods: it ensured everyone received an equal share.”

(16/16)

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…