Steady State Herald – Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy

A Primer on Economic Growth and Biodiversity Conservation for COP15

December 1, 2022/2 Comments/in Animal Welfare, Biodiversity, Brian Czech, Economic Growth, Endangered Species, Environment, Governance, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Sustainability /by Lydia Schubarth

by Brian Czech

With COP15 coming up, it’s time to don the old conservation biologist hat and proffer a primer on the relationship between economic growth and biodiversity conservation. The last thing we want is a COP15 devoid of discussion about the fundamental conflict between growing the economy and conserving biodiversity. In fact, the 800-pound gorilla—GDP growth—ought to be front and center.

For the uninitiated, COP15 is the UN Biodiversity Conference,

In Commemoration: A Sampling of Herman Daly

November 17, 2022/7 Comments/in Brian Czech, Herman Daly, Peace, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Lydia Schubarth

by Herman Daly (posthumously) — Introduction by Brian Czech

Given the recent, tragic passing of Herman Daly, we allocate this week’s Steady State Herald to the wise words of Daly himself. From 2010-2018, Herman was a regular contributor to The Daly News, CASSE’s blog before the Herald was launched. (Herman’s modesty almost prevented us from naming the blog after him, but he was outnumbered by CASSE staff and board,

Slow is Beautiful: The Need to Decelerate

November 10, 2022/8 Comments/in Brian Czech, Degrowth, Jobs and Employment, Postgrowth, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Sustainability, Technology /by Lydia Schubarth

by Greg Mikkelson

Brian Czech once likened modern economic growth to a runaway train. This metaphor drives home the point that to save nature and humanity from an ecological train wreck, the most important thing is to decelerate the global economy. Unfortunately, much writing on environmental protection neglects this imperative and fixates instead on what we must accelerate.

For example, the must-read Living Planet Report,

Herman Daly (1938-2022): Up to the Steady State Economy

November 3, 2022/25 Comments/in Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Lydia Schubarth

by Brian Czech

Herman Daly, the champion of steady-state economics, passed away in the presence of beloved family members on October 28, 2022. In the process, a world in dire need of Herman’s wisdom became a lesser place. Yet we can be grateful for the 84 years he graced the earth and for the legacy he’s left us.

An excellent festschrift edited by Joshua Farley, a sweeping biography by Peter Victor,

Three Senate Races for Steady Staters to Monitor

October 27, 2022/0 Comments/in Economic Policy, Politics, Steady State Herald /by Lydia Schubarth

by Brian Czech

Election Day is almost upon us. Along with the 435 House seats are thirty-five seats for grabs in the Senate. Our focus here is on the Senate races, given their high-profile candidates, substantial policy stakes, and excellent examples of growthmanship gone amuck (literally, in some agricultural cases).

Candidates fall along a spectrum—theoretically at least—from a degrowth to a pro-growth stance. It’s a “theoretical” spectrum because, at this point in the history of the USA,

Hurricane Ian: A Profoundly Polluting Event

September 29, 2022/6 Comments/in Climate Change, Economic Policy, Environment, Food and Agriculture, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Lydia Schubarth

by Brian Czech

If you’re a steady stater, I know what you’re thinking about Hurricane Ian. For starters, of course, you’re deeply concerned about any family or friends you may have in Florida, along with folks in general along Ian’s path. But you’re also wondering, “What about the pollution?”

The marine pollution that accompanies coastal flooding, most notably from violent hurricanes, is probably ignored by the majority of folks,

Conservatives and the Steady State Economy: A Natural Fit

September 22, 2022/19 Comments/in Economic Growth, Economic Policy, Politics, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Lydia Schubarth

by Brian Czech

If you call yourself a “conservative” these days, what does that tell us? Or, what is it supposed to tell us? Does it mean you’re a Republican, a Tory, or a member of the largest party in the democratic world, the Bharatiya Janata Party? Must you be a particular brand of partisan—maybe a MAGA Republican or a Modi भक्त—to wear the conservative hat?

What about your faith?

Emerging Signs of Grassroots Resistance to Growth

September 15, 2022/9 Comments/in Degrowth, Environment, Politics, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Lydia Schubarth

by Christy Shaw

There seem to be encouraging signs that more and more average Americans are speaking out and taking action to oppose uncontrolled growth. Concerned citizens are sounding the alarm that too much growth is doing far more harm than good in their towns, cities and communities.

While there does not yet appear to be a coordinated nationwide coalition of activism, there are definitely increasing signs of grassroots efforts to push back against the all-too common,

A Steady-State Approach to Immigration

September 8, 2022/20 Comments/in Politics, Population, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Lydia Schubarth

by Brian Czech

Steady staters live with the reality that economic growth is unsustainable. It can continue for only so long before Nature will no longer support it. Therefore, we call for stabilization—the steady state economy—rather than growth. In particular, population and per capita consumption must be stabilized. Of the two, population is the most fundamental aspect of stabilizing the economy and its ecological footprint.

The population of a country is determined by births,

Prospects for 负增长 Toward a Steady State Economy in China

September 1, 2022/8 Comments/in Climate Change, Degrowth, Economic Growth, Economic Policy, Environment, Governance, Politics, Poverty, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald, Sustainability /by Brian Czech

by Yiran Cheng

China, as the world’s second-largest economy and a rising superpower, is an integral part of the discussion if a steady state economy is ever to be achieved at a global scale. China’s environmental impact grows by the day, yet serious consideration about intentionally slowing economic growth has seldom occurred, let alone the possibility of a sustained 负增长, the Mandarin translation of “degrowth”.

This is not to say China is oblivious to its environmental toll.