Economic Growth Archives – Page 8 of 37 – Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy

Housing Policy: An Agent for Growth

October 7, 2021/5 Comments/in Economic Growth, Economic Policy, Environment, Governance, Politics, Population, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Sustainability /by Brian Czech

by John Mirisch

In the ongoing and increasingly heated discussions about housing, urban planning, and zoning, I often return to Greta Thunberg’s seething indictment of our world’s decision-makers: “Here we are at the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can do is talk about money and fairytales of eternal economic growth.”

Greta may have been directing her remarks to politicians at the highest levels of government; but, neither should we forget as former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill once famously remarked,

The Parliamentary Prospects of Steady-State Politics

September 23, 2021/6 Comments/in Climate Change, Economic Growth, Environment, Governance, Politics, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Sustainability /by Brian Czech

by James Lamont

In August steady staters enjoyed a victory worthy of reflection. Following May elections, the Scottish Greens struck a power-sharing deal with the Scottish National Party (SNP), bringing the Greens into a national UK government for the first time.

Buried beneath the media chatter about what this partnership could mean for Scottish independence (both parties are in favor) is the fact that a party explicitly against infinite growth is now in power in the UK.

Next Big Thing or Next Big Mistake?

September 16, 2021/5 Comments/in Economic Growth, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Technology /by Brian Czech

by Brian Snyder

In a 2021 landmark of ludicrousness, Jeff Bezos launched himself, cowboy hat and all, into space aboard a phallus-shaped rocket. But Bezos’ fruitless attempt to fill that gaping hole in his life was only the latest stupid reason to send something to space. Spaceship stupidity goes back to the SNAPSHOT program which, in 1965, sent a working nuclear reactor into space. Not surprisingly,

Labor Day Reflections: Growth Doesn’t Solve Inequality

September 10, 2021/6 Comments/in Consumption, Economic Growth, Economic Policy, Governance, Jobs and Employment, Monetary Policy, Politics, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Brian Czech

by Taylor Lange

Labor Day, like other holidays of remembrance, is an opportunity to reflect on the past and critically consider the future. Our memory ought to include the foot soldiers of the labor movement, from the 10,000 coal miners who fought in the Battle of Blair Mountain to the steel workers who duked it out with the Pinkertons at Homestead mill. We owe our rights as workers to the bitter struggles of many who preceded us.

IPCC Report: Happily Ever After or Miserable Ever More?

August 19, 2021/2 Comments/in Climate Change, Economic Growth, Environment, Steady State Herald, Sustainability /by Brian Czech

by Brian Snyder

If you’ve been following the news, you’ve heard that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released the first section of its sixth report (hereafter, “the report”). The report focuses on the physical science of climate change, and projects the most likely ecological and economic impacts as well as possible mitigation pathways. If you’ve read it—and it is worth reading—you might find that the IPCC has managed once again to walk the line between terrifying and cautious.

The GPI Act: Genuine Indication of Progress?

August 12, 2021/6 Comments/in Economic Growth, Economic Policy, Politics, Steady State Herald /by Brian Czech

by James Lamont

On July 30 the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) Act was introduced in Congress by U.S. House Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN). The GPI would indicate the net benefit of economic activity, as an alternative to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It would be used in the economic and budgetary reporting of federal agencies and government offices.

For me, the timing was remarkable, as July 30 was the very day I signed on with CASSE.

CO2 Emissions: Accounting for Accountability

August 5, 2021/2 Comments/in Climate Change, Consumption, Economic Growth, Economic Policy, Environment, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Brian Czech

by Taylor Lange

In my very first graduate statistics course, the professor often cautioned us about data collection: “Garbage in, Garbage out.” What she said, in no uncertain terms, was that mistakes in the measurement or methodology would invalidate our statistical analyses. I’ve consistently reminded myself of this mantra. My colleagues, students, and I double check the sources and methodology behind any data we’re testing. If we aren’t entirely confident in the integrity of the data,

Reduce, Reuse, Rethink: The Problem of Recycling

July 29, 2021/3 Comments/in Biodiversity, Climate Change, Economic Growth, Environment, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Sustainability /by Brian Czech

by Ted Atwood

I was born in the year 2000. Thus, for my entire life, human-caused climate change has been an ever-present, intensifying threat. Throughout my early education, I learned that we all just needed to “do our part” to combat climate change. “Do your part” lessons always culminated in the sentiment that you too could save the cute polar bears by following the motto “reduce, reuse, recycle,” and these were words I took to heart.

Wellbeing, Happiness, and GDP Growth: Rhetoric vs. Reality

July 15, 2021/5 Comments/in Climate Change, Economic Growth, Economic Policy, Environment, Governance, Politics, Population, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Sustainability /by Brian Czech

by James MacGregor Palmer

Several movements are working in opposition to the destructive growth economy of the 21st century. The labels adopted by these movements are largely tied to the regions in which they originated and/or became popular. For example, the term “steady state” is most prevalent in the USA, while “degrowth” is often associated with continental Europe. The widespread term throughout the UK, however, is “wellbeing economy.”

Without prior knowledge of the UK term,

If It’s Profitable, Is It Really Sustainable?

May 20, 2021/3 Comments/in Banking, Corporate Reform, Economic Growth, Environment, Money and Investments, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Sustainability /by Brian Czech

by Gunnar Rundgren

That an economic activity has to be profitable is considered a truism, something taken for granted and not reflected upon. But what if the opposite is the case?

When I first took up small-scale organic farming in the 1970s, I spent a lot of energy on developing new methods and machinery to increase my productive efficiency. The early organic advocates went a long way to assure growers, farmers,