Prof. Noorgard - Degrowth or the economics of Enought

International Degrowth Conference in Barcelona (25-29th March 2010) Papers, reports , contact: http://www.degrowth.eu/v1/

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• richard noorgard
• degrowth
• decroissance
• decrecimiento
• decrecita
• serge latouche

[Alexopolux]

@Markiss1 Well, hopefully we restrain us a bit in expanding the concept so extensively, running the danger that it remains merely a nice academic exercise. I also think that it is not only moving toward other indicators, but toward other societies. You see, we can measure HDI, GPI, HPI, etc, etc., instead of GDP or NI. Yet, the measurement does not necessarily implies that policy is going into this direction. We need them, but they don't do the job.

[Markiss1]

@Alexopolux I find this odd too. The concept of degrowth has been expanded upon quite extensively by the likes of Daly and other ecological economists. They have made clear that degrowth is not merely the unworshipping of growth but also moving towards other indicators of societal progress like wellness, happiness, employment, and ecological footprint. I spent some time learning under Prof. Peter Victor who made clear to me that  the concept of degrowth was not a vague one at all!

[Alexopolux]

It surprises me that Prof. Noorgard finds de-growth too vague. What is vague in stating that rich economies (and emerging ones) must contract their economic activity in order to be within ecological limits? And that once it is done, they should try to attain what his colleague Prof. Daly has called a steady state economy? And what "we should do" is exactly what he and his colleagues have been written since decades!