A group of 18 European Parliament Members have issued a statement officially calling for #Degrowth.

Here is part of what they wrote...
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We believe that the current economic model, based on endless growth, has reached its limits.

Firstly, continuous economic growth, especially based on the consumption of fossil fuels, is leading to catastrophic global warming.

Secondly, the infinite pursuit of growth relies on the depletion of natural resources, the destruction of biodiversity, and the accumulation of waste and pollution. This also poses risks to our health, our economies, and our societies writ large.

Thirdly, the current economic model is contributing to social inequality and exclusion. The emphasis on economic growth has not translated into equal distribution of wealth or opportunities. Instead, it has resulted in a concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few leaving many behind.

Fourthly, the current economic model is inherently unstable and prone to crises, as seen, for example, during the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The pursuit of growth at all costs has created a global economic system that is fragile and vulnerable to shocks.

We need an economic system that prioritises human well-being and ecological sustainability over GDP growth, one that recognises that infinite growth on a finite planet is impossible.

We also believe we need to find new ways of organising our economies without relying on the continuous exploitation of resources and the constant increase in production and consumption.

We call for more pluralism in economic thinking within EU institutions and for its alignment with the scientific evidence of climate, ecological, and social sciences.

We call for economic models and other decision-support tools to be more diverse, more comprehensive, and more readable for citizens.

We call for decision-making processes to be aligned with our common policy objectives rather than on the basis of the variation of GDP figures.
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FULL STATEMENT -- https://www.euronews.com/2023/05/10/moving-beyond-growth-is-not-only-desirable-it-is-essential

Names of those who signed on as co-authors: Philippe Lamberts (BE), Bas Eickhout (NL), Ville Niinisto (FI), Manuela Ripa (DE), Marie Toussaint (FR), Ernest Urtasun (ES), Kim Van Sparrentak (NL) — Greens/EFA; Manon Aubry (FR), Petros Kokkalis (EL), Marisa Matias (PT), Helmut Scholz (DE) — The Left (GUE/NGL); Pascal Durand (FR), Aurore Lalucq (FR), Pierre Larrouturou (FR) — Socialists & Democrats (S&D); Sirpa Pietikainen (FI), Maria Walsh (IE) — European People’s Party (EPP); Katalin CSEH (HU) — Renew Europe (RE); and Dino GIARRUSSO (IT) — Non-attached (NI).

#Europe #EU #Politics #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Biodiversity #Pollution #Inequality

When a car is repaired after a crash, the GDP goes up.

When a fruit or vegetable is grown only to be thrown out by a supermarket as food waste, the GDP goes up.

When you replace a phone that still works because of planned obsolescence, the GDP goes up.

When you throw out a perfectly good coat because it's no longer fashionable, and buy a new one in this season's style, the GDP goes up.

When a bridge has to be replaced because it wasn't built right, the GDP goes up.

When a piece of packaging is manufactured only to be thrown away straight away, the GDP goes up.

When a site needs to be decontaminated because chemicals weren't stored correctly, the GDP goes up.

In each case, society has no more usable wealth than it would have had if the car didn't crash, the vegetable wasn't grown, the phone wasn't replaced, the old coat was still being worn, there was less packaging, or the chemicals were stored correctly. Yet the GDP goes up.

Meanwhile, most of the wealth that is generated ends up in the top one percent's pockets.

The truth is that GDP isn't a useful measurement. It's just a convenient one.

#economics #politics #gdp #auspol #ukpol

I have been thinking about what happened in the Capitol very much recently. I have been thinking about what is happening in the world, and I feel we are going about this the wrong way.

My take on this:

We shouldn't forget that Trump received millions of votes, more than most presidential candidates in the history of the US.
Of course, in an ideal world, we would just snap our fingers and hope the Trump supporters realize the stupidity of their actions...
But in the real world, things are not so simple.

I once heard a journalist, talking about the prison problem, saying: "If there is one thing we know for certain from people who are currently in jail, is that, with the exceptions of those who will die inside, everyone who is in jail will eventually come out. How do we deal with that, as a society?"

I think a similar problem applies to this current divide in the US, and in the world in general.
Yes, we can make sure those who assaulted the capitol loose their jobs, pay fines, etc, etc...
But they are still here.
They are still members of society.
And their opinions and political stances are unlikely to change because of the backlash some of them are receiving for their actions.
Maybe even the opposite. This will just reinforce their ideas about them being the victims.

So what to do, then?

Here, I turn to the conclusion that humans arrived at thousands of years ago: It's all about compassion and empathy.
We have forgotten the skill to imagine ourselves in someone else's shoes.
The people from the alt-right, Q-Anon, and similar ideologies are not the rich 1%. They are working class people.
And there is some truth to their complaints.
The system is corrupt.
Politicians do lie.
And they are, just as any other citizen, victims of a system that exploits them.

Of course, the conclusions they arrive at, based on these premises, are completely wrong and misguided. But I feel that shouting in their face that they are wrong, calling them names, ostracizing them and trying to cancel them as valid members of society is not the solution. Because, just as prison inmates, they are sill part of society, whether we like it or not.

We shouldn't judge. We don't know the circumstances that led them to believe what they believe.
We have to change minds with kindness, with our heart.
It might make us feel good to yell at someone how wrong they are. It makes us feel we are on the right side of history.
But what does that accomplish, really?
The world is becoming more and more divided, and that is bad for all parties.

So, next time you encounter one of these people. Don't put your boot on their face.
Don't use pure, logical reason to try to convince them they are wrong.
Just try to empathize.
Try to imagine the life circumstances that led them to the place they are at.

In the end, we all want the same thing.
We want to live in peace. Happily.
We want to love and be loved ❤

We should always strive to be excellent to each other, as the motto of our dear social network reminds us.
Regardless of sex, color, and political orientation.

So, friends. Please keep this request in mind.
More love, less hate.
More compassion, less recrimination.
More open arms, less tuning of our backs towards them.
More empathy, less judgement.

Love you all ❤ ❤ ❤

#love #beexcellentoeachother #nonviolence #politics #My2Cents #thought