Envisioning the Good Life
The Good Life in a Steady State Economy
Building relationships and value through less consumptive activities. Image credit: Frerieke
In the face of mounting evidence that the global human economy is too large, continued economic growth is at best irresponsible, and at worst risks ecological collapse and resource deprivation for future generations. The logical way forward for nations of the world (especially high-consuming ones) is to take a different path to achieve sustainable, healthy, and equitable lifestyles for citizens. The alternative to continued economic growth is a non-growing or steady state economy. Modern societies have not undertaken efforts to establish steady state economies – the goal has consistently been growth, especially since the dawn of the industrial revolution.
Fear and doubt often swirl around the concept of a steady state economy. Mere mention of an end to growth prompts anxious discussions about unemployment, stagnation, and lack of progress. These are not features of a functional and dynamic steady state economy, but most citizens do not have a sense of what life would be like in an intentionally non-growing economy. One way to envision this life more clearly is to examine various activities and institutions as they would exist in a steady state economy and compare them to how they exist in an economy that pursues continuous growth. Click on the following items to see how they behave in a steady state economy versus an economy aiming for evermore growth.
