Growth is Madness! A new blog

John Feeney recently started a new blog, with title and main theme, Growth is Madness! Looks promising. Here's a snip from the first post:

Our earth is in trouble. And that means we're in trouble. It's no exaggeration today to say we face a looming global ecological collapse. Scientists have warned us of this for more than a decade. The warnings, from individual experts, and organizations grow more urgent.

Yet, most people's attention is on other news. There is little awareness of the gravity of the environmental problem we face and the likely consequences if it is not vigorously addressed.

There is even less awareness of the root causes of our environmental plight. This is not too surprising as their role in creating the problems we face has been suppressed by those with vested interests in shielding us from the truth. …

Let's start with some truth right now. The root causes of the ecological collapse of which scientists are warning are:

1. Global population growth to levels near or beyond the earth’s carrying capacity.
   
2. Corporate economic growth, as defined by Herman Daly, in the form of increased physical throughput, from the extraction of raw materials, through their manufacture into commodities, to their output as wastes.
   
3. Excessive and growing per capita resource consumption rates.

…But before you close this site in dismay at what, up to here, seems a profoundly pessimistic message, I’ll point out that there is room for much hope! …[T]there are effective actions we can take to avert disaster. It will take serious commitments from many nations, intergovernmental cooperation, corporate and individual efforts. Part of those efforts needs to be the spreading of accurate information to inspire others to help….

Comments

[Eco-critic]

There has been some fairly positive recent developments that I've tried to assess in my own blog, but as with all things in politics its all about vying for space in an overcrowded market of ideas!

http://ecocritic.blogspot.com/

[John Feeney]

Hey, thanks very much for the nod! From what I've seen, Ecological Economics is right at the top among blogs focused in any way on ecosystem and economics. So as one of the new kids on the block, I am *very* flattered to see my blog mentioned. :) And I look forward to further reading here.