Steady State Herald (CASSE Blog) – Page 3 of 51 – Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy

The Imperative—and Peril—of Density

November 9, 2023/5 Comments/in Biodiversity, Dave Rollo, Environment, Governance, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Gary Gardner

By Dave Rollo

The transition to a steady state economy—in which humans, their operations, and their artifacts are nested harmoniously within the economy of nature—is fundamentally about reconciling human needs with the needs of nature. Leaving space for habitat and the functioning of natural systems is critical to our survival and the survival of myriad other organisms.

Natural and traditional agricultural ecosystems are autotrophic (‘self-feeding’), meaning they are capable of regenerating resources and assimilating wastes.

Preface to Gag-Ordered No More (by Brian Czech)

November 2, 2023/9 Comments/in Brian Czech, Governance, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Brian Czech

[Editor’s Note: The Steady State Press has a new title. Gag-Ordered No More: The 800-Pound Gorilla in the U.S. Government (by Brian Czech) has gone to print. If the preface isn’t enough to whet your literary appetite, see the blurbs on the back cover (embedded below). And, be one of the first to order the book.]

Preface: They Wanted Me Out; Now I’m Out

They say the ironies never cease.

Herman Daly Has the Floor

October 26, 2023/2 Comments/in Degrowth, Herman Daly, Postgrowth, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Gary Gardner

Editor’s Note: Saturday, October 28 marks the first anniversary of Herman Daly’s passing. The father of steady-state economics, Daly was CASSE’s economist emeritus and a long-time board member. We celebrate his clear and stimulating thought with three classic essays from Best of The Daly News.

Wealth, Illth, and Net Welfare

Well-being should be counted in net terms, that is to say we should consider not only the accumulated stock of wealth but also that of “illth;” and not only the annual flow of goods but also that of “bads.” The fact that we have to stretch English usage to find words like illth and bads to name the negative consequences of production that should be subtracted from the positive consequences is indicative of our having ignored the realities for which these words are the necessary names.

The Crisis in the Middle East is a Crisis of Growth

October 19, 2023/11 Comments/in Daniel Wortel-London, Economic Growth, Energy, Peace, Steady State Herald, Water /by Gary Gardner

by Daniel Wortel-London

The catastrophe unfolding in Israel and the Gaza Strip is the product of many factors, including colonialism and religious fanaticism. But another impulse driving this disaster deserves discussion: competition over growth and the natural capital—particularly energy, water, and land—that ensures it. These resources provide the basis for economic and population expansion in the Middle East and elsewhere. As nations continue to recklessly pursue this expansion in a finite world we will see more and more struggles over fewer and fewer resources.

A New Papal Statement Hits—and Misses—the Mark

October 12, 2023/10 Comments/in Climate Change, Economic Growth, Gary Gardner, Religion, Steady State Herald /by Gary Gardner

by Gary Gardner

Religious groups have long been players in movements to create a better world, from the anti-apartheid and civil rights movements to initiatives on arms reduction, debt forgiveness, and divestment from fossil fuels. It makes sense that they are involved in the sustainability movement as well. Sustainability, including the effort to create a steady state economy, requires a shift in one’s worldview and values,

What Makes a County Great?

October 5, 2023/13 Comments/in Dave Rollo, Economic Growth, Environment, Governance, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Gary Gardner

by Dave Rollo

Think about the county where you live. Picture your favorite streets, event spaces, scenery, or terrain. If you’ve lived there awhile, chances are you know what makes it great: the natural, cultural, and commercial places whose characteristics make your community special to you and your neighbors.

Your connection to them becomes part of your sense of place. You delight in taking visiting family and friends to these special sites and you lament changes that threaten or despoil them.

Three Telling Takeaways from Climate Week in New York City

September 28, 2023/5 Comments/in Climate Change, Daniel Wortel-London, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Gary Gardner

by Daniel Wortel-London

New York City was busier than usual last week.

The occasion was Climate Week, a host of events devoted to charting and increasing environmental progress. Hundreds of sold-out summits, covering everything from biodiversity to energy, could be found across the metropolis. And within those halls, would-be thought leaders discussed the challenges of sustainability with both earnestness and self-congratulation.

There was a tension,

How to Take out a Pipeline

September 21, 2023/2 Comments/in Economic Growth, Energy, Environment, Governance, Greg Mikkelson, Politics, Pollution, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Gary Gardner

Gregory M. Mikkelson

The speed of economic growth hinges to a large extent on the supply of fossil fuel, especially of oil and gas, which depends in turn on pipeline capacity. Thus, if we are to turn the tide against economic growth, pipelines are a good strategic place to start. In what follows I focus on the fight against one pipeline in particular.

Spiderwebs of pipelines hold six continents in thrall to climate-wrecking,

Reflections on Thirty Years of Worldwatching

September 14, 2023/11 Comments/in Gary Gardner, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Gary Gardner

Gary Gardner

It’s been a fascinating experience watching the human family’s response to the emerging sustainability challenges of the past 30 years. Over a career writing on the topic, largely at the Worldwatch Institute, I marveled at the ingenuity displayed by many changemakers. I also bemoaned the blindness and stubborn resistance to change apparent in many sluggards. Here I reflect on sustainability’s ups and downs over three decades.

My perspective is captured well in the thoughts of 45 climate scientists interviewed recently by The Guardian.

Defining “Economic Development” in Statutory Law: Content and Strategy

September 7, 2023/14 Comments/in Degrowth, Economic Policy, Steady State Economy, Steady State Herald /by Gary Gardner

by Brian Czech

The only way to arrive at a safe, sustainable, steady state economy is with substantial behavioral and political reform. Those two categories of reform correspond roughly with the demand side and supply side of the economy, respectively. In the simplest of terms, people must conscientiously demand less—wealthy people in particular—and policymakers must help ensure that the supply of goods and services is not in a state of overshoot.

My focus here is on the supply side.