Richard Heinberg: why end of growth can mean more happiness

Richard Heinberg- whose latest book describes The End of Growth- isn't looking for when the recession will end and we'll get back to "normal". He believes our decades-long era of growth was based on aberrant set of conditions- namely cheap oil, but also cheap minerals, cheap food, etc- and that looking ahead, we need to prepare for a "new normal".

The problem, according to Heinberg, is our natural resources just aren't so cheap and plentiful anymore, and he's not just talking about Peak Oil, Heinberg believes in Peak Everything (also the title of one of his books).

Heinberg thinks for many, adjusting to a life where everything costs a bit more, could be very hard, but he also thinks the transition to a new normal might actually make life better.

"Particularly in the Western industrialized countries we've gotten used to levels of consumption that are not only environmentally unsustainable, they also don't make us happy. They've in fact hollowed out our lives. We've given up things that actually do give us satisfaction and pleasure so that we can work more and more hours to get more and more money with which to buy more and more stuff- more flatscreen tvs, bigger SUVs, bigger houses and it's not making us happier. Well, guess what, it's possible to downsize, it's possible to use less, become more self sufficient, grow more of your own food, have chickens in your backyard and be a happier person."

This is not all theoretical. In the backyard of the home Heinberg shares with his wife, Janet Barocco, the couple grow most of their food during the summer months (i.e. 25 fruit & nut trees, veggies, potatoes.. they're just lack grains), raise chickens for eggs, capture rainwater, bake with solar cookers and a solar food drier and secure energy with photovoltaic and solar hot water panels.

Their backyard reflects Heinberg's vision for our "new normal" and it's full of experiments, like the slightly less than 120-square-foot cottage that was inspired by the Small Home Movement. It was built with the help of some of Heinberg's college students (in one of the nation's first sustainability classes) using recycled and natural materials (like lime plaster).

Heinberg admits it's not a real tiny house experiment since they don't actually live in it- his wife uses it as a massage studio, he meditates there and sometimes it's used as a guest house (though that's hush hush due to permitting issues). But their tiny cottage points to the bigger point behind why a transition to a less resource intensive future could equal greater happiness.

"Simplify. Pay less attention to all of the stuff in your life and pay more attention to what's really important. Maybe for you it's gardening, maybe for you it's painting or music. You know we all have stuff that gives us real pleasure and most of us find we have less and less time for that because we have to devote so much time to shopping, paying bills and driving from here to there and so on. Well, how about if we cut out some of that stuff and spend more time doing what really feeds us emotionally and spiritually and in some cases even nutritionally."

Original story here: http://faircompanies.com/videos/view/richard-heinberg-why-end-growth-means-mo...

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• richard heinberg
• end of economic growth
• economic growth
• peak oil
• peak everything
• happiness
• simplicity
• simple life
• small house movement
• tiny home
• small house
• self sufficiency
• grow your own
• backyard veggie garden
• backyard food
• pv
• solar
• photovoltaics
• solar hot water
• solar cooker
• solar food drier
• craft
• luddites
• post carbon institute
• recession
• backyard chickens
• rainwater capture

[gonephishin77]

I appologize if i missed it, but what area does this gentleman live... i live in michigan and am very curious as to what areas in the united states would have a nice climate year around for something similar?

[kirstendirksen]

@gonephishin77 He lives in Northern California.

[Kirkebyen]

A good video, but from what i know gas in the US is cheap!

[kirstendirksen]

@Kirkebyen You're right. Compared to much of the rest of the world it's much cheaper-- about half what you pay in Europe. But in the past few years gas prices in the US have doubled so it doesn't feel cheap to most Americans.

[CaLebHillSmallMt]

i love these videos and i watch them as soon as they are uploaded.

i cant tell you how inspiring these are to me

[wasjunk11]

ME TOO

[an691]

@mellamosean

lol, "troll", the magic word to escape everything ...

[an691]

@raywint

not all of them of course, but almost, like 99%

[raywint]

@an691 Really? All Americans? You are a fool.

[mellamosean]

He said that as oil prices go up we'll be forced to grow more locally, although that's not necessarily true. Technological innovation will lead to cheaper and more plentiful energy. If you don't acknowledge that you'll have a hard time finding middle ground with those who have more faith in the capitalist system.

[mellamosean]

@an691

I spy,

with my little eye,

a troll

[an691]

Do you think that cunt would say what the US needs is a $2 tax a gallon at least for a minimal chance of anything ?

Of course not, typical ugly Amewican asshole

[an691]

Americans are collapsing swines, disgusting filthy pigs, biggest failure the world has ever seen for sure

[davidpaganbutler]

Listening to Richard sends a tingle down my spine. I guess he just resonates with what I've always thought but never been eloquent enough to present it with such clarity. And a beautifully crafted film. loved it.