As a manager for "Bios funeral directors", Dr. phil. Haimo Schulz Meinen, ex-journalist, teacher and writer, talks about the steps that were necessary to relieve the planet from the human objective of growth. In fact, "Bios Funeral" appears to be a very profitable start up and worthy of investment. After a short moment of surprise we finally published the interview for the Stream towards Degrowth.
First of all, their calendars were counting upward. All of them. Stupid. As if time was something that could be amounted, numbered or summarized. In the year christians called 2015 a movement starting in Germany implemented an oppositional calendar. We count from 50 downwards. Now we are in the year 35, meaning we have another 35 summers and winters to 0. The same applied to the muslim, jewish, hindu, or buddhist calendar. These imaginations of progress have been turned upside down. (490 characters)
The alliance of rich, wealthy and less wealthy but still commanding were the major problem. All of them knew that their privileged positions, access to fresh water, heat, and to artificially produced alimentation was basically depending on their corruption, their alignment to the crusade against the independently naturally grown. Although there always were some heretics calling themselves „degrowth“ activists, the vast majority was and kept aligned. (454 characters)
„Bios intelligent decline“, a branch of „Bios Bestattungen“/ „Bios funeral directors“, was the first to sell letters of indulgence. Following the example of the roman-catholic church in medieval times “Bios intelligent decline” confronted everybody with his or her personal balance of crimes against animals, nature, and the poor. Possible death penalty in view, a growing number of people decided voluntarily to buy such a letter of indulgence. With the money, ground and its defense was financed. (498 characters)
Well-being means that no species is held captive or gets tortured. No species has exclusive first-choice rights or “possesses” a certain area, ground, or region. No species is entitled to populate all five continents. Nobody should burn fossil coal, gas or oil just to make a living in cold latitudes. Dismantling the historically given masses of industry, infrastructure, and population step by step in the end will enable a well-being for few humans with no possession, scattered in warm regions. (497 characters)
The organization “Rewilding Europe” (NL) pointed to areas in Europe where the retreat already had started. The first managed areas were Western Iberia, Eastern Carpathians, Danube Delta, Southern Carpathians, Velebit (Croatia) and Central Apennines. In Argentina and Chile other areas had been secured against industrial growth and exploitation greed, similarly in other continents. For the first time in 200 years of industrialization history, some of the reaching ranges began to shrink. (490 characters)
This blog post analyzes press coverage of degrowth in Western European (English language) newspapers and magazines between January 2015 and October 2020. Using media theory concepts such as agenda setting and framing, it explores how degrowth is being considered in the press, particularly as a potential response to climate change.
Degrowth scholars and activists often turn to past cases of social or socioecological transformation for inspiration to inform transformative action in the present. Yet, there has so far been insufficient awareness of the bias that comes with using any historical analogy. The insights provided by historical analogies are limited, but can fruitfully complement analyses of the present and future-...
In November, following the publication of the warning to humanity by 15,000 scientists, a discussion between proponents of degrowth was initiated. It was then decided to launch an appeal for the convergence of ecological and social justice networks. This appeal was quickly signed by more than a hundred influential thinkers, activists, artists, and decision makers. We invite you to discover this...
