Tag: economic growth

It’s time to give up on growth – is degrowth the key?

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After a year or so watching YouTube and reading books like How Everything Can Collapse, I realised in January 2022 there was one more possibility. So with two others I started a new nonprofit called Degrowth Aotearoa New Zealand.

It wasn’t long before we had a keen group talking to each other. In mid 2022 our energetic secretary started a Facebook group. That now has over 1400 members, many from other countries. We have a rapidly growing and highly motivated tribe.

Continue reading “It’s time to give up on growth – is degrowth the key?”

Degrowth – the word to hate and then accept

FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailYes, degrowth is an awful word but we won’t try and change it because there are already over 500 academic articles on degrowth. The movement is strong in Europe. Continue reading “Degrowth – the word to hate and then accept”

A Successful New Zealand’s Zero Carbon Act will mean declining economic growth

FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailIf you google search the term “embodied energy” will find references to the embodied energy of buildings.

Yes, eco-architects are on to it. Buildings have life cycles and the energy involved in the extraction, transport, manufacture, assembly and end-of-life phases adds up. All this energy becomes “embodied” in a product.

So when we engage in discussions of our renewable energy future we can say much more about it than what energy source we will use. Mostly the discussion is about moving to renewable energy sources from fossil fuels. Continue reading “A Successful New Zealand’s Zero Carbon Act will mean declining economic growth”

Our Climate Shituation – crises for your doomscrolling

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Despite the alarming global environmental emergency, I am so looking forward to pohutukawas in full bloom in New Zealand

Continue reading “Our Climate Shituation – crises for your doomscrolling”

Sustainability and Money

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Sustainability and money Deirdre Kent Nov 2020

A few months ago I gave this presentation to a climate change group. Hope you enjoy it. Well it’s not actually enjoyable to know that energy use and economic growth are so closely linked. As Naomi Klein said, “The economy is at war with the climate”. We are going to need all our collective intelligence to downshift without chaos. Can we manage an energy descent without it being haphazard and dangerous socially? Continue reading “Sustainability and Money”

Economic reality strikes – growth is ending

FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailOf late the Opposition has been pointing out that business confidence is declining. NZIER had released a survey saying business confidence is at a seven year low.

The Government has been quick to dismiss it as a political bias by business – as something they always opine when a Labour Government comes in. And the Asian stockmarkets are currently looking wobbly.

RNZ’s long term economic commentator Patrick O’Meara talked of softer demands, slower growth, lower investment intentions. He talked of the looming US-China trade war has attributed that to the fact that on Saturday Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods begin. It may also affect markets in Europe, Canada and Mexico. Continue reading “Economic reality strikes – growth is ending”

Which do you fancy – Economic Growth or Financial Collapse?

FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailI have now watched a TED talk on this topic twice and can’t help but respond. Ecological economist Marjan Van Den Belt is right when she says “we are mindlessly addicted to economic growth, we are growth junkies.” She advocates reciprocity in economies and says that is the key to a circular, sharing, regenerative economy. So far so good. Continue reading “Which do you fancy – Economic Growth or Financial Collapse?”