economy

The Limits of Efficiency

by Joshua on April 21, 2010 · 7 comments

A few months ago I wrote about the myth of decoupling – how you cannot separate economic growth from environmental impact. I touched on a topic in that post that is critical to the argument against continued economic growth: the limits of efficiency and the physical constraints of thermodynamics on the economy. That post received [...]

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Obama Announces Degrowth, Wins Republican Support

by Joshua on April 1, 2010 · 2 comments

In a surprising turn of events, President Barack Obama announced in a press conference today that economic growth could no longer continue as we know it. As a prominent New York magazine quoted, “the press room went silent and after a tension-filled moment, erupted in applause!” As numerous environmental groups, ecological economists, and people with [...]

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Capitalism, Socialism and Communism

by Joshua on March 31, 2010 · 0 comments

Okay, I am tired of these terms being used improperly. The last two are thrown around by politicos like they’re handing out free candy. Usually socialism is used by someone (we all know who) to label something they want to attack without using an actual argument or facts to support their opinion (also called bullshit). Let’s [...]

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Newsweek: The No-Growth Fantasy

by Joshua on March 24, 2010 · 2 comments

Newsweek recently published an article titled, “The No-Growth Fantasy: Europe’s Attack on Capitalism.” Calling a no-growth economy a fantasy is a bit delusional, I think continued economic growth is the real fantasy here. I just commented on that article, my response is below – expanded past their comment section’s character limit. “A large part of what was taken as [...]

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Decoupling Demystified

by Joshua on February 3, 2010 · 11 comments

Next time you run into a classically trained economist (happens all the time, right?) start talking with him/her about ecological limits. They might squirm a little, but probably respond as trained: with some zombie-like responses about “decoupling.” What is decoupling? Basically, it’s a concept of being able to continue growing economic output without a corresponding [...]

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Growing the Growth Debate

by Joshua on January 17, 2010 · 0 comments

In an certain ironic sense the “growth” of the growth debate is a bit of an oxymoron, but then again so is “jumbo shrimp.” I am a believer in humanity’s common sense and ability to make progress, even in the face of our own evils and stupidity. It sure seems to me that one could [...]

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Growthbusters: Hooked on Growth

by Joshua on January 9, 2010 · 2 comments

Dave Gardner, film producer/director/writer, is in the process of completing would could be a monumentally important film in exposing the fallacy of “growth everlasting.” Armed with a camera and donations from regular folks, Dave has traveled the world questioning our growth addiction. He started in his home town of Colorado Springs and has now taken [...]

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Citizen or Consumer? A Year in Reflection

by Joshua on November 28, 2009 · 1 comment

One year ago I started writing out of passion (and some anger). My how things have evolved! This blog has seen 75 posts in the last year, some of them great, some of them alright, some perhaps less so. I have tried my best to write about the issues important to me: a sustainable society, [...]

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