Degrowth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Degrowth - Essay Example They believe that human dependence on non renewable sources is way too high right now which will eventually lead humanity to a dead end. They promote sustainable development, use of renewable source of energy and reduce our ecological imprint on Mother Nature. They are also against neocolonialism which leads to exploitation of third world countries by developed countries. Why degrowth? Whats wrong in growth? The meaning of growth in today’s capitalist world mean grow more, produce more, sell more and use more, all in order to make more money which is termed as growth. Countries also do bother about human development index (HDI) but are almost always sidelined when it comes to the focus on GDP and growth. This growth is only increasing the pace of life, and as the Indian revolutionary M K Gandhi said ‘there is more to life than just increasing its speed’ is so relevant now. It seems a simple idea of people working hard, earning money and spending on a good life sty le. Companies keep on developing new products for those people to better their life style. People work to earn to buy products which are developed by companies where people work. It’s a catch 22 position and an endless cycle. ... This growth if continued at current rate will exhaust the fossil fuels on the basis of which is thriving so fast. You thought Economic growth is solutions of problems? Is it the problem? Any sane person shall say that solutions to issues like starvation, housing, education, poverty, disease, health care and employment is economic growth. Countries who have achieved economic growth are called developed country and live a comfortable life, those who are struggling are called developing countries. Economic growth in western countries had lead to larger spending powers and hence larger consumption of products. Larger demand for these products leads to mass production of them in third world countries as labor and capital is cheap there. This leads to exploitation of developing countries and creates a divide between rich and poor in the society. Rich becomes richer, poor becomes poorer. Fossil fuels are fast depleting, there are wars between countries for crude oil and nuclear power. Hence fast economic growth in past few decades have increased the speed of the world so much, that growth itself has become the problem and rest of the real issues of education, poverty and food are side tracked. â€Å"Questioning growth is deemed to be the act of lunatics, idealists and revolutionaries. But question it we must. The myth of growth has failed us. It has failed the two billion people who still live on less than $2 a day. It has failed the fragile ecological systems on which we depend for survival. It has failed, spectacularly, in its own terms, to provide economic stability and secure people’s livelihoods.† as correctly said by Tim Jackson, Economies commissioner of the sustainable development commission, an independent advisory body to the