Discussion
This would be so much better if Simon Stiell had left out “economic growth”.
“To be soft on climate action is to be soft on inflation, and the cost of living, soft on sovereignty and security, and soft on economic growth and jobs”.
But it’s in the nature of rupture that we have to talk to people who think the institutional thinking we have can still work
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/10/august-joint-hottest-month-recorded-globally
…Thing is, economic growth is founded on extractivism, but when a culture pulls 90+ billion tonnes of resources out of the Earth each year and fashions most of it into things that can only be made/used once, and does that for year on year on year…
@urlyman
I wonder if what it takes is reframing "growth" - if the bankers and economists are so set on growth all the time then putting more resources into recycling and recycling/repurposing can also be "growth"; as long as it involves economic activity?
@DigitalTaoist there is for sure a lot that people with a high profile can do to mentally prepare for the shift needed. The media are especially guilty in that regard.
But the system protects itself right up to the point where it can’t
…A lot of muddling through ahead…
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A rejection of GDP based economic growth is still political taboo?
Before de-growth is firmly on the table citizens in all industrialised countries would need to be educated via the usual media channels, TV, film etc.
At the moment it’s all about growth? getting rich, driving cars, dog eat dog.
It can be done, maybe just not in the current climate.