The climate crisis is a consequence of our economic system. Economic solutions, like carbon trading were supposed to be a problem solver. Despite such efforts, CO2 levels kept rising. Should we consider changing our economic system instead? And which role do environmental NGOs play in the battle for climate justice?
Joanna Cabello, activist and researcher on environmental justice and part of the Carbon Trade Watch collective, speaks about false solutions and grassroots activism. Joanna´s blog article "Where to begin with climate justice" is available here.
The left's strange bedfellows Over a year ago I lived in Barcelona, where I was lucky enough to witness a social movement—in large part fuelled by cooperatives, squats, and other autonomous spaces—win the mayoral elections. I had spent the year being involved with a group that studies and advocates ‘degrowth’—the idea that we must downscale production and consumption to have a more equitable s...
Von Felix Holtermann 1972 erschien „Grenzen des Wachstums“, der erste Bericht an den Club of Rome. 45 Jahre später ist seine Wachstumskritik aktueller denn je. Während die Industriestaaten immer langsamer wachsen, erlebt die Wachstumsskepsis eine beispiellose Renaissance – in der Forschung, in den Medien, im gesellschaftlichen Diskurs. Eine Sphäre aber bleibt außen vor: die Politik. Wachstumsk...
By Ashish Kothari, Federico Demaria and Alberto Acosta André Reichel’s very thoughtful piece ‘Retaking sustainable development for degrowth’ raises several very important issues. We start by acknowledging that we and Reichel are clearly on the same page in criticizing current models of ‘growth’ including in its ‘green’ and ‘eco-modernist’ forms. We concur also on the need for the world to move...