Why Change?
Over recent decades the UK has experienced massive loss of biodiversity and operates with an ecological footprint well beyond the biocapacity available within its borders.
Exponential growth was never a viable model on a finite planet. The latest edition of ‘Doughnut Economics’ references recent research which acknowledges the need to shrink total consumption back with the available biocapacity. Both Wales and Scotland have declared the aspiration to deliver Wellbeing to their citizens, and they are experimenting with alternative economic models. Wales is actively experimenting with and exploring the principles of Doughnut Economics in its policymaking and community initiatives.
The world needs leadership in the transition away from exponential growth economics, and the UK is in a strong position to provide that leadership. The window of opportunity is quite narrow, because of the threat of an autocracy emerging, as we have seen in the USA under Trump 2. For the time being the UK still operates as a democracy, but all the political parties are trapped and subservient to the growing wealth inequality arising from unfettered Capitalism.
How might this happen?
Table a motion to Parliament suggesting that they create an emergency cross-party government to guide the UK and the rest of the world in the process of economic contraction that is a prerequisite to implementing the Doughnut model of sustainable economics. If Parliament are agreeable, the UK can then initiate the global shift in mindset thus:
- Express the aspiration to inspire humanity to maximise mitigation from the existential crises and social injustices arising from overconsumption and overpopulation.
- Release all environmental and social justice activists with gratitude for their sacrifice
- Invite all UK citizens to get involved in the relearning, and reimagining exercise that is involved to put healthy ecosystems and social wellbeing as our top priority
- Apologise to the world for taking so long to find the moral courage to acknowledge how socially and existentially destructive Capitalism has become. Coercive consumerism has caused overconsumption and there has been a total absence of any mature discussion about the issue of global overpopulation. A resolve to face up to both of these challenges is the first step towards agreeing a wiser path forwards. No problem is ever solved if it is never discussed.
Aspire, Eco-build, Achieve
The three pillars of the mindset shift: Aspiration, Eco-building, Achievement. With a clearly defined shared aspiration for eco-equity and social equity, we shall commit to achieving massive economic downsizing in an urgent attempt to repay our chronic ecological debts. With this aspiration we can achieve humility, wisdom, and tranquillity in our souls. We would also provide leadership into a wiser direction for the rest of the world to follow if they choose.
Eco-building involves focusing all our available resources on regenerating and recovering Earth’s fragile ecosystems, which are increasingly destabilised by human encroachment and accelerating climate change. This involves strengthening our emotional connection to Nature, which has been eroded by technology and coercive consumerism. The resources that we in the UK could deploy with minimal ecological cost are these: existing infrastructure, lessons that we can learn from Nature, our well-established respect for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, freedom for ingenuity, creativity, and story-telling skills to grow, well-established banking and funding expertise. We could play a key role in the global relearning and reprioritising process, but our educational model will need some significant rethinking and redirecting to facilitate the change in our aspirations and to encourage maximum creativity from our citizens. Modern Monetary Theory holds the key to redirecting our efforts from propping up the failing model of Capitalism, to investing in efforts to return within the carrying-capacity of Earth as quickly, peacefully, and as fairly as possible.
For those who need a clear map of what is required to transition to an equitable Degrowth economy, this online article suggests how the UK might provide global leadership towards a sustainable economy.
Conceptually, the emergent process of transition away from exponential growth might look like this:
