Sunday, December 14, 9:45 am   “DeGrowth”

Many people consider eternal growth on a finite planet impossible. However, the limiting factors and the possible alternatives are not widely understood. Resource exhaustion—The Malthusian Trap—has always been avoided by innovation and substitution. Circular Economies for recycling materials work on a planetary scale for hunter-gatherers with population densities below the environmental carrying capacity, but not for industrial societies. The ultimate limiting factors turn out to be pollution—think CO2 concentration and forever chemicals; and waste disposal—think radioactive waste, plastic in the oceans, and toxic residues from mining. Growth has been associated with widespread improvement in prosperity, but also the social costs of negative externalities, boom-and-bust cycles, extreme inequality, and war. Degrowth—fewer people, less resource intensity, lower Gross Domestic Product—has happened involuntarily and with increased general misery during economic downturns and civilizational collapse. Can we imagine stable economies with high quality of life, high resource efficiency, and a spirit of abundance? How might we transition toward such a future? Ron Masters will lead.

Adult Discussion Group will be meeting in person @ 9:45 AM in Thoreau’s Clark Cabin except on the third Sunday of each month when we will meet in the Sanctuary @ 11 AM.

The AC and HEPA filter will be running to keep Clark Cabin & the Sanctuary as safe as possible.

For those that prefer: We will provide ZOOM via the OWL system when we meet in the cabin & our Moderator Tamara will recognize your hand up and add you to the queue.

Thoreauvians and friends will be notified each week (tuucannounce@groups.io) of our ADG topic, time and zoom login.
Please keep an eye out for our notices.

Interested in joining this discussion? Get in Touch!