Overcoming the Inequalities of Green Transition
The International Summer School of Political Ecology 2023 will explore growing inequalities and address the question why concepts such as environmental justice or just transition are increasingly important in discussions on how to tackle the environmental crisis without deepening inequalities.
The consequences of climate change, mass extinction of species, loss of habitats and pollution lead to general environmental and ecological issues that are appearing more than ever on the political agenda, as they affect and influence us all, albeit in a very unequal way. They have distinctly negative impacts on different regions in the world, societies, classes, groups of people and other living beings. The most vulnerable are the least responsible for the environmental crisis, but are usually the most affected.
Policy measures for protecting environment and climate that have been or are yet to be adopted are likely to lead to more inequalities and other undesirable social consequences: undermining social cohesion and reducing social welfare, as well as preventing just solutions to environmental issues.
The focus of the Summer School will be on the growing inequalities within and between countries, and how our societies and economy can be organised in ways that do not exacerbate these inequalities, but also do not further harm our planet.
For more information, see here.
Degrowth imagines a radically different future, which is why so many have connected to its message. But it is a future which seems very distant from today’s political, economic and social system. So what does it mean, in practical terms, to organize towards a degrowth future in a highly commodified and competitive present? Fundraising for degrowth I have been coordinating the fundraising ...
Saturday 1st June 2019 marked a significant occasion for the degrowth movement: the inaugural ‘Global Degrowth Day’. Groups of people gathered together in places all around the world to engage with ideas of degrowth and alternatives to our growth-based society, guided by the event’s theme of ‘a good life for all’. The Global Degrowth Day was coordinated by the Activists and Practitioners int...
We all use models in daily life to explain our environment. An example: I assume that a tree will grow provided it has sufficient water, nutrients and sun. I am using a simple model here, without understanding the nitty-gritty – what exactly happens in the roots, stem, leaves and cells. Thinking in models is not only useful to understand our world, but also to solve problems. Let’s assum...
