http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/commentary/economic-growth-obsession-hurts-people-and-planet-alike/510529
Economic Growth Obsession Hurts People and Planet Alike Michael Renner & Laura Reynolds | April 11, 2012 One of the lesser-known catalysts of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings was a global grain crop failure in 2010, caused by drought and flooding that year from Russia to Canada. Low grain stores worldwide caused food prices to skyrocket, leaving millions in the Middle East — a net food-importing region — without the basic ability to put food on their table. It was another sign that environmental crises cannot be separated from socioeconomic ones. Humanity is now outstripping its resource base at an unprecedented scale, contributing to rapid species loss, deforestation and a decrease in the planet’s ability to absorb our waste. The problems that arise from economic inequality, like food insecurity and a lack of access to clean water, are sharpened by ecological stress and resource limits. Avoiding these problems requires a new look at wealth and prosperity. With the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development set for June, this is the year to move toward widespread and sustainable prosperity. As a result of globalization and capitalism, societies across the world are now essentially mortgaging themselves, both economically and ecologically. While workers in many countries are forced to accept lower wages to boost corporate profits, social norms pressure them to consume more. This serious contradiction has led to endless debt and increased socioeconomic instability. Environmental sustainability is impossible without social and economic equity. Employment at adequate incomes is key to making any economy work; without it, attempts to transition to a green economy have been met with disillusionment from the public and a loss of credibility for government leaders. Overdeveloped countries, including the United States, need to adopt a strategy of economic “degrowth” to limit ecological collapse and severe climate shifts. This does not mean stagnating economic development; it means cutting down on waste and overcoming the pressure to accumulate material wealth at the expense of others’ well-being. Corporations in the United States are now entitled to the same free-speech rights as individuals, while the majority of US citizens have no say in how these corporations operate. Improved economic democracy and participation are essential for a collaborative effort to slow unsustainable economic growth. Many actions that societies can take to achieve degrowth will also boost their citizens’ physical and psychological health. These include creating walkable and bikeable communities, eating less and lower on the food chain, shrinking the sizes of new homes and using less stuff. In 2010, US citizens generated about 250 million tons of trash, or about 2 kilograms of trash per person each day. This need for degrowth in overdeveloped countries comes at a time when the poorest one-third of humanity still needs to considerably increase its daily consumption to achieve a decent quality of life. Only action from both industrialized and emerging economies will bring about an equitable and sustainable global prosperity. The world’s consumer class will need to reduce its enormous claim on the Earth’s resources. And China, India, Brazil and other rapidly developing countries will need to chart a different course toward prosperity than the one taken by countries that industrialized in the 19th and 20th centuries. Japan is a world leader in pursuing prosperity that does not compromise environmental health. Drawing from its technological advances in recent decades, Japan’s Top Runner program takes the most efficient model of a given appliance and sets it as the standard every manufacturer must match. This drives constant innovation in energy efficiency, resulting in a “leapfrogging” toward sustainability. Adopting a similar program on a global scale could be an effective tool in the pursuit of more sustainable economies everywhere. And while the world’s population and economic output shift to urban areas, policy makers must focus on lifting the estimated 828 million urban poor out of slums and unsanitary living conditions. While reactive measures like food stamps and homeless shelters provide a necessary safety net for them, more proactive measures — like creating inclusive public transit systems or improving access to fresh food and clean water — would more effectively move cities toward equality. The paths to sustainable prosperity will look different in industrial and developing countries, but these paths will converge when both people and planet can thrive. Inter Press Service Michael Renner is a senior researcher at the Worldwatch Institute and co-director of State of the World 2012. Laura Reynolds is a research intern at the institute. The institute’s new report, ‘State of the World 2012: Moving Toward Sustainable Prosperity,’ will be released today. -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. We are a community of 7 million users fighting spam. SPAMfighter has removed 38 of my spam emails to date. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len The Professional version does not have this message ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! 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