Comments on: Breathing Room Economics http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/ News of the Steady State Economy Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:22:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: 12 Steps To Treat Our Growth Addiction - Post Growth http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-275 12 Steps To Treat Our Growth Addiction - Post Growth Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:03:49 +0000 http://steadystate.org/?p=1387#comment-275 [...] to the belief that a we hold the power within ourselves to restore our [...] [...] to the belief that a we hold the power within ourselves to restore our [...]

]]> By: James Dette http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-265 James Dette Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:07:08 +0000 http://steadystate.org/?p=1387#comment-265 Today's mainstream economists practice a pseudo-science devoted to eventually proving that two and two make five, the equivalent, in physics, of the perpetual motion machine. Until the day they prove it, they have developed a plan that depends upon increased productivity and reduced labor costs to maintain profits, expects growth to correct poverty and unemployment, and technology to cure environmental degradation. This plan is intellectually and morally bankrupt. Our modern science and technology are no more up to the task of furthering our civilization than were the technologies that built the pyramids and the cities of Athens and Rome. Those societies did not die from fundamentalist opposition or barbarian invasion but from their own inadequacy and inability to transcend. Today’s mainstream economists practice a pseudo-science devoted to eventually proving that two and two make five, the equivalent, in physics, of the perpetual motion machine.
Until the day they prove it, they have developed a plan that depends upon increased productivity and reduced labor costs to maintain profits, expects growth to correct poverty and unemployment, and technology to cure environmental degradation. This plan is intellectually and morally bankrupt. Our modern science and technology are no more up to the task of furthering our civilization than were the technologies that built the pyramids and the cities of Athens and Rome. Those societies did not die from fundamentalist opposition or barbarian invasion but from their own inadequacy and inability to transcend.

]]> By: Rob Dietz http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-240 Rob Dietz Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:07:51 +0000 http://steadystate.org/?p=1387#comment-240 Yes, I think Bhutan is on the right track. The difficulty lies in figuring out how to maximize quality of life or gross domestic happiness. At this late day, the flaws of GDP and hyperactive pursuit of GDP growth are well documented. At a minimum, we ought to be using the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), but there's still much work to be done on overhauling national accounting frameworks and economic indicators. Yes, I think Bhutan is on the right track. The difficulty lies in figuring out how to maximize quality of life or gross domestic happiness. At this late day, the flaws of GDP and hyperactive pursuit of GDP growth are well documented. At a minimum, we ought to be using the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), but there’s still much work to be done on overhauling national accounting frameworks and economic indicators.

]]> By: RK Bangert http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-239 RK Bangert Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:58:52 +0000 http://steadystate.org/?p=1387#comment-239 Is Bhutan on the right track with their fundamental difference in approach with Gross Domestic Happiness, rather than GDP? Is Bhutan on the right track with their fundamental difference in approach with Gross Domestic Happiness, rather than GDP?

]]> By: Dr. Devashis Bose http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-230 Dr. Devashis Bose Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:36:17 +0000 http://steadystate.org/?p=1387#comment-230 Dear Dr. Rob, Having spend almost all my 41 years in a small tea town in the ecologically serene north east of In- dia, and as a teacher trying to re-teach environmental economics for the last 7 yeras, I can place my self in a juxtapositioned way with you. We, practically have access to what you call organic food or at least have the capacity to live on organic food, and that is cheap. Because, the rural folks selling the stuff are from the poorer/poorest side of the growth economy (some 9 percent pa). Yet, its the profiteering (abnormally) non-organic food suppliers who are the well off sections of the society. The breathing room for the rural small marginal growers is very small. And the new growth economy is receptive to the polluting rent seeking class. Hats off to Dr. Manmohan Singh for making breathing space an extincting species. Devashis Dear Dr. Rob,
Having spend almost all my 41 years in a small tea town in the ecologically serene north east of In-
dia, and as a teacher trying to re-teach environmental economics for the last 7 yeras, I can place my
self in a juxtapositioned way with you. We, practically have access to what you call organic food or at least have the capacity to live on organic food, and that is cheap. Because, the rural folks selling the
stuff are from the poorer/poorest side of the growth economy (some 9 percent pa). Yet, its the profiteering (abnormally) non-organic food suppliers who are the well off sections of the society. The breathing room for the rural small marginal growers is very small. And the new growth economy is receptive to the polluting rent seeking class. Hats off to Dr. Manmohan Singh for making breathing space an extincting species.
Devashis

]]> By: Newsweek: The No-Growth Fantasy http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-186 Newsweek: The No-Growth Fantasy Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:44:34 +0000 http://steadystate.org/?p=1387#comment-186 [...] growth is harmful to our wellbeing and happiness. Forgive me if this sounds too optimistic, but I think I prefer my wellbeing and happiness over growing our economy. The two are undeniably separate [...] [...] growth is harmful to our wellbeing and happiness. Forgive me if this sounds too optimistic, but I think I prefer my wellbeing and happiness over growing our economy. The two are undeniably separate [...]

]]> By: Rob Dietz http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Rob Dietz Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:41:54 +0000 http://steadystate.org/?p=1387#comment-183 @Nick Thanks for the encouraging comment. Yes, please feel free to quote me on your blog. @Nick Thanks for the encouraging comment. Yes, please feel free to quote me on your blog.

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-176 uberVU - social comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 20:52:50 +0000 http://steadystate.org/?p=1387#comment-176 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by OsbertL: We all - individuals, communities, planet - need breathing room http://is.gd/aSEat... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by OsbertL: We all – individuals, communities, planet – need breathing room http://is.gd/aSEat...

]]> By: Nick Palmer http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-175 Nick Palmer Tue, 23 Mar 2010 11:58:19 +0000 http://steadystate.org/?p=1387#comment-175 I think your exposition of the increasingly fast treadmill the world is on, in points 1-4, is amongst the clearest I have ever seen. NO - why prevaricate?! It is definitely the clearest I have ever seen. Can I quote you (with attribution etc) on my blog <a href="http://nickpalmer.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">"Sustainability and Stuff According to Nick Palmer"</a>? I think your exposition of the increasingly fast treadmill the world is on, in points 1-4, is amongst the clearest I have ever seen. NO – why prevaricate?! It is definitely the clearest I have ever seen. Can I quote you (with attribution etc) on my blog “Sustainability and Stuff According to Nick Palmer”?

]]> By: Breathing Room « The Responsible Survivialist http://steadystate.org/breathing-room-economics/comment-page-1/#comment-172 Breathing Room « The Responsible Survivialist Mon, 22 Mar 2010 23:34:45 +0000 http://steadystate.org/?p=1387#comment-172 [...] Dietz over at Steady State has some additional thoughts on this, well worth the read. Leave a Comment No Comments Yet so [...] [...] Dietz over at Steady State has some additional thoughts on this, well worth the read. Leave a Comment No Comments Yet so [...]

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