A future beyond growth : towards a steady state economy / edited by Haydn Washington and Paul Twomey.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Twomey, Paul.

Washington, Haydn, 1955-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Stagnation (Economics).

Economic development--Environmental aspects.

Economic development.

Sustainable development.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (281 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

There is a fundamental denial at the centre of why we have an environmental crisis - a denial that ignores that endless physical growth on a finite planet is impossible. Nature provides the ecosystem services that support our civilisation, thus making humanity unavoidably dependent upon it. However, society continues to ignore and deny this dependence. A Future Beyond Growth explores the reason why the endless growth economy is fundamentally un sustainable and considers ways in which society can move beyond this to a steady state economy. The book brings together some of the deepest thinkers from around the world to consider how to advance beyond growth . The main themes consider the deep problems of the current system and key aspects of a steady state economy, such as population; throughput and consumerism; ethics and equity; and policy for change. The policy section and conclusion bring together these various themes and indicates how we can move past the growth economy to a truly sustainable future. This volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of economics, sustainability and environmental studies in general.

Contents:

Cover; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Table of Contents; List of illustrations; List of contributors; Acknowlegements; Foreword: Setting things straight for the steady state; Introduction: Why the growth economy is broken; SECTION 1 Population: the heresy of numbers; 1 A population perspective on the steady state economy; 2 Population: better not bigger; 3 Nine population strategies to stop short of 9 billion; 4 Choosing a planet of life; SECTION 2 Throughput and consumerism: a key elephant in the room; 5 Re-engineering cultures to create a sustainable civilization

6 Sustainable business: what should it be? Circular economy and the 'business of subversion'7 Peak mining: stepping down from high resource use; SECTION 3 Key aspects of a steady state economy; 8 What is the steady state economy?; 9 The physical pathway to a steady state economy; 10 Relating the steady state economy to the green, circular and blue economies; 11 Sustainable, equitable, secure: getting there?; 12 The Genuine Progress Indicator: an indicator to guide the transition to a steady state economy; 13 Capitalism and the steady state: uneasy bedfellows

SECTION 4 Ethics and a message from the future14 Sustainable development vs. sustainable biosphere; 15 A message from the future about the steady state economy; SECTION 5 Policy for change; 16 Degrowth as a transition strategy; 17 Strategies for transition to a future beyond growth; Conclusion: The endless growth myth: simplicity and complexity; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references at the end of the chapters and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-315-66751-7

1-317-35834-1

1-317-35833-3

9781315667515

OCLC:

946887472