Hans asks the socially, politically and economically unpalatable questions

Any processes that would make a serious dent on the advance of climate change appear to be socially, politically and economically unpalatable.

Melbourne-based
anthropologist,
Dr Hans Baer.

However, as distasteful as they may be our adherence to existing values ultimately threatens continuation of live as we know it.

The University of Melbourne’s Dr Hans Baer is another who promotes the idea of living more frugally and talks with the authority of the PhD in anthropology arguing that we need we need “de-growth” in society, rather than the relentlessly championed paradigm of growth.

Dr Baer, who is an associate professor in the university’s School of Social and Political Sciences at the Centre for Health and Society, has a history as asking the difficult question at public lectures.

He was in the audience at a recent lecture when the much-discussed very fast train for Australia’s east coast was discussed and it importance to growth was constantly referred.

He quizzed the speakers as to how the infinite growth they championed could be achieved and sustained on a finite planet and the MC for the night declared that a question for another occasion.

Later, Dr Baer felt his question, which he believed was relevant to the whole conversation, had been “deflected”.

Along with Dr Baer, I see the only workable solution to genuine climate change mitigation being de-growth.

De-growth for the developed nations must of course be associated with growth in those nations, or parts of the world, that have been exploited, or forgotten by the capitalistic drive to riches, should be encouraged to grow.

Evidence that a slower economy, an enforced de-growth, would have a positive impact on global carbon dioxide emissions emerged from the 2008 global financial crises for with less ability to spend, consumption fell, energy use dived  and for a moment we slowed the worsening of our damage to earth’s climate system.

And now, it seems, the U.S. Government has accepted the science of climate change, science it has known about for decades, and in an ABC story today headed: “White House calls for action on climate change after release of new report”, U.S. President Barack Obama, has called for “bold actions”.

Considering the seemingly unbridled power of the market enthusiasts, it is unlikely that those so called “bold actions” will include any moves toward de-growth.