A Manifesto for our Future

In 2008 I read an article in the New Scientist – ‚’Time to Banish the God of Growth‚’. It chimed with my own thinking and I broached the topic with my Council colleagues. It was promptly laughed out of court.

Brave voices have since been making the case for humanity to leave a lighter footprint on the earth; they are now being heard. A recent conversation on BBC R4 talked about this‚’ we cannot continue consuming the planet at current rates ‚’ we need to put a value on our natural ‚’givens‚’.

Three major issues have recently coalesced: the climate crisis, Brexit and COVID19. A perfect storm -a perfect opportunity? The resources of our planet are fragile and finite and, post COVID and Brexit, we now have the chance to re-evaluate our policies, our society and our trajectory.

The past year has demonstrated how vital the natural environment is for human well-being ‚’physical and mental. A recognition of this and support for our wild places and bio-diversity is needed by Government and the private sector. We thus need a change to our economy which puts a realistic value on the natural world. With determination and visionary leadership it could happen.

The New Scientist article proposed a ‚’Steady State Economy‚’. I‚’m not an economist, but others with expertise have expounded similar ideas ~ eg. ‚’Enough is Enough: —‚’ by Rob Dietz and Dan O‚’Neill; the writings of Samuel Alexander such as ‚’Prosperous Descent:—“. John Curnow‚’s article ‚’How do you put a value on natural capital?‚’. Larry Fink is leading the way in a just transition towards sustainability. Private companies are needed with their longer term vision.

Britain can lead too. The end of the Age of the God of Growth has surely come!

 

 

1718-1

Leave a Reply

%d