Subtitle: Degrowth, Austerity and Wellbeing

Editors: Ernest Garcia, Mercedes Martinez-Iglesias, Peadar Kirby

From the introduction: . . . This stark choice confronts humanity with what is perhaps the greatest dilemma it has ever faced in its history: can we try to mobilize our resources in the most unprecedented ways over a short time span of no more than half a century to avoid the worst of the devastating scenarios outlined in the IPCC report or do we continue to give priority to economic growth and its principal mechanism, the extension of a consumer society throughout the world, seeking at best to modify or “green” it? At its heart, this is a dilemma about the contradictions between what our science is telling us and what our deeply entrenched belief systems are telling us about how we organize our economy and society; indeed, its roots go deep into what we believe constitutes the good life. Our future rests on which of these we choose to follow, the evidence or our beliefs. Yet, few see the challenge in these terms. Many believe that science and technology will permit us to maintain our current consumer lifestyles while simultaneously reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95% by 2050 and replacing our dependence on fossil fuels by renewable sources of energy. . . .

Contents

Part I "Transition"

1 The Deadlock of the Thermo-Industrial Civilization: The (Impossible?) Energy Transition in the Anthropocene - Alain Gras

2 Uncertainties, Inertia and Cognitive and Psychosocial Obstacles to a Smooth Transition - Joaquim Sempere

3 Towards the Post-Carbon Society: Searching for Signs of the Transition and Identifying Obstacles - Ernest Garcia & Mercedes Martinez-Iglesias

4 The Degrowth Imperative: Reducing Energy and Resource Consumption as an Essential Component in Achieving Carbon Budget Targets - John Wiseman & Samuel Alexander

Part II "Rethinking Austerity"

5 Austerity Pasts, Austerity Futures? - Rebecca Bramall

6 Coffee, Toast and a Tip? Initial Reflections on the Transformation of the Self - Jorge Riechmann

7 Frugal Abundance in an Age of Limits: Envisioning a Degrowth Economy - Samuel Alexander

Part III "Case Studies"

8 Cloughjordan Ecovillage: Modelling the Transition to a Low-Carbon Society - Peadar Kirby

9 Challenges for Wind Turbines in the Energy Transition: The Example of an Offshore Wind Farm in France - Laurence Raineau

10 Social Partners, Environmental Issues and New Challenges in the Post-Carbon Society - Climent Sanjuán

11 Landfill Culture: Some Implications to Degrowth - Ignasi Lerma Montero

12 Social Actions Transformed in a Post-Carbon Transition: The Case of Barcelona - Jesús Vicens

Conclusion - Ernest Garcia, Mercedes Martinez-Iglesias & Peadar Kirby


ISBN: 978-1-349-95175-8 (Print) 978-1-349-95176-5 (Online)