Politics Archives – Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy

Introducing the Sustainable Population and Immigration Act

September 18, 2025/0 Comments/in Brian Czech, Economic Growth, Economic Policy, Governance, Immigration, Limits to Growth, Politics, Population, Steady State Economy, Steady State Economy Act, Steady State Herald /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

A steady state economy requires, by definition, a stabilized population. If population is not stabilized, it won’t matter how much we try to conserve. Our consumption as individuals—“per capita consumption”—can only go so low before we hit the lower limits of mere survival.

Mere survival isn’t comfortable, much less fun. It precludes any political viability for keeping consumption at minimal levels. So, as a society concerned about sustainability,

Attempting a “SlowDown” in Stafford County

September 11, 2025/3 Comments/in Dave Rollo, Economic Policy, Governance, KEEP Our Counties Great, Politics, Population, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Alix Underwood

by Dave Rollo

Stafford County, Virginia, is one of the oldest counties in the United States. Unsustainable development threatens its agrarian culture and residents’ quality of life. Uniquely, the local government has tools to measure the negative impacts of growth. However, they continue to incentivize big-box commercial and retail development. They are changing zoning, extending infrastructure, and failing to increase impact fees. The county’s supervisors are serving developer interests, and a developer currently serves on the planning commission.

Greenwashing in the Amazon: Debunking False Green Solutions

August 7, 2025/14 Comments/in Climate Change, Corruption, Energy, Environment, Governance, Ideology, Inequality, Politics, Steady State Herald, Sustainability /by Alix Underwood

by Mauricio López

The concept of greenwashing has gained unfortunate relevance, especially regarding the energy transition. Greenwashing occurs when companies, governments, or institutions promote products, services, or projects as ecologically responsible, while minimizing or hiding their negative impacts. The inhabitants of the Amazon, particularly Indigenous peoples, are witnessing how greenwashing is not only problematic from an environmental perspective. It is also detrimental to human rights and social justice.

Renewable energies, such as solar,

No Steady State Economy with Global South in Debt Crisis

July 3, 2025/3 Comments/in Alix Underwood, Corruption, Economic Growth, Economic Policy, Governance, Inequality, Money and Investments, Politics, Poverty, Steady State Herald /by Alix Underwood

by Alix Underwood

This week marks the fourth annual International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). Leaders of governments, international organizations, and financial institutions meet in Seville, Spain, to “reform financing at all levels.” Global South countries and advocacy groups from across the world hoped this would be the moment for a UN Framework Convention on Sovereign Debt.

According to Didier Jacobs, Oxfam International’s Debt Relief Advocacy Lead,

In the Poconos, They’re Keeping Carbon County Great

June 19, 2025/2 Comments/in Conservation, Dave Rollo, Economic Policy, Environment, Governance, KEEP Our Counties Great, Money and Investments, Politics, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Alix Underwood

By Dave Rollo

In Carbon County, Pennsylvania, the conservation ethic runs deep. It manifests in the county’s comprehensive plan, its “return on environment” analysis, and most recently, a fund to preserve open space, which voters overwhelmingly supported.

Carbon County derives its name from the abundant deposits of anthracite—the highest quality coal—that were once mined there. The county is located in the southern Pocono Mountains,

Israel: A Blind Spot for Steady Staters?

May 15, 2025/29 Comments/in Corruption, Ideology, Limits to Growth, Peace, Politics, Population, Religion, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Alix Underwood

by John Mirisch

For some reason, recognizing planetary boundaries, including support for a steady state economy, is seen by some as a “progressive” cause. And granted, some steady staters and degrowthers seem to have a checklist of “progressive” causes they identify with. Perhaps adhering to these checklists helps them avoid unwanted labels.

This is a big mistake. Support for a steady state economy is no more “woke” than the laws of thermodynamics.

Economic Incentives for Genocide: The People Profiting from U.S. Military Aid to Israel

May 8, 2025/11 Comments/in Alix Underwood, Corporate Reform, Corruption, Economic Growth, Governance, Peace, Politics, Steady State Herald /by Alix Underwood

by Alix Underwood

Six months ago, a United Nations Special Committee found that Israel’s warfare methods in Gaza were consistent with genocide. The UN defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group.” The Special Committee pointed to the fact that Israel had dropped over 25,000 tonnes of explosives—equivalent to two nuclear bombs—on Gaza in just four months.

City Limits in the Hoosier State (Keeping Monroe County Great)

May 1, 2025/2 Comments/in Dave Rollo, Economic Growth, Governance, KEEP Our Counties Great, Politics, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Wellbeing /by Alix Underwood

by Dave Rollo

Monroe County, Indiana, lies just an hour south of the state capital (Indianapolis), yet it retains a rural character. The gently rolling hills and farmland of the Mitchell Plain characterize the central and western portions of the county. Porous limestone bedrock (known as karst) imposed limits on municipal water resources until the late 20th century, when the Army Corps of Engineers created Monroe Reservoir.

Unsafe at Top Speed: “SAFE” Summit Shoots Off the Rails

April 10, 2025/1 Comment/in Brian Czech, Climate Change, Energy, Fossil Fuels, Ideology, Limits to Growth, Politics, Steady State Herald, Sustainability, Technology /by Alix Underwood

by Brian Czech

The 2025 SAFE Summit in Washington, DC, was anything but. Sure, the hallways of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center were free of hooligans, and the attentive staff kept the floors cleared of banana peels. Yet if your idea of safety is big-picture, long-term—as expected at an energy-security conference—you could have left the summit fearing for your children’s future.

The three main themes percolating on stage were “energy dominance,” “all of the above” (as in all forms of energy),

Introducing the Sustainable Taxes Act

March 20, 2025/5 Comments/in Economic Policy, Inequality, Money and Investments, Politics, Steady State Economy, Steady State Economy Act, Steady State Herald, Sustainability, Wealth /by Alix Underwood

by David Shreve

In a world where GDP exceeds our planet’s biocapacity, we badly need new economic policy. In particular, we need to halt the process of unsustainable growth and move toward a steady state economy. The critical question is how to do this while ensuring sufficient economic opportunities, employment, and income for all.

Technological changes are insufficient, despite holding some promise. Neither the agricultural “Green Revolution” nor energy use efficiencies have markedly changed the ongoing overshoot.