Post capitalism: life within environmental limits

It may seem as though capitalism has always been a part of the Western world, but that’s not true. Although the concept has some roots in the Ancient world, capitalism as a system dates only from the 16th century.

If the whole world consumed like Australians, we’d need
 more than four planets to meet our resource demands.

Now, some 500 years later, there’s increasing discussion arguing for, or simply forecasting, a post-capitalist society.

Capitalism is locked into an economics of growth that is undermining the environmental foundations of life on Earth – that is, capitalism is ecocidal. And this has become the defining contradiction of capitalism in the twenty-first century.

As a result, this “growth imperative” alongside our own planet’s limits is likely to bring capitalism to an end in coming decades.

Read the Pursuit story by Dr Samuel Alexander and Professor Brendan Gleeson from the University of Melbourne  - “Post capitalism: life within environmental limits.”

Post capitalism: life within environmental limits

It may seem as though capitalism has always been a part of the Western world, but that’s not true. Although the concept has some roots in the Ancient world, capitalism as a system dates only from the 16th century.

There’s increasing discussion forecasting a post-capitalist society. 

Now, some 500 years later, there’s increasing discussion arguing for, or simply forecasting, a post-capitalist society.

Capitalism is locked into an economics of growth that is undermining the environmental foundations of life on Earth – that is, capitalism is ecocidal. And this has become the defining contradiction of capitalism in the twenty-first century.

As a result, this “growth imperative” alongside our own planet’s limits is likely to bring capitalism to an end in coming decades.

Read the Pursuit story by Dr Samuel Alexander and Professor Brendan Gleeson, both from the University of Melbourne - “Post capitalism: life within environmental limits".

Some are responding, while the Federal Government just walks away

Institutions, both State and Federal, are preparing to engage with difficulties arising from climate change and although our Federal Government claims recognition of the science, it appears to be doing little.

The Victorian Country Fire Authority
 believes fires such as those experienced
in New South Wales will become
more common in Australia.

Actually, it is doing something – it is walking away from confrontation with the reality.

It is one thing to acknowledge something, quite another to actually face it, particularly when “facing it” threatens the superstructure of ideologies upon which your life has been assembled.

The mantra of most every government in the world, of whatever stripe, is growth, but the adaptation to and mitigation of climate change hinges on the abandonment of those values; principles upon which the modern Western world urgently depend.

We must reshape those values, concentrating our efforts and energies on ensuring that our neighbourhoods, communities, towns and cities will sufficiently resilient and resourceful enough to endure the complications of the next few decades in which our changed atmosphere will produce weather quite different from what we are accustomed to and the resources upon which we depend will begin to disappear.

The Victorian Country Fire Authority has acknowledged the emerging difficulties associated with climate change and a story in today’s Melbourne Age headed: “Climate change means more severe fires: CFA” discusses its preparations.

Another story in yesterday’s Age headed: “Climate change raising fire risk” discusses the probability of increasing extreme fire risk.

It seems most people acknowledge human induced climate change, but there is, obviously, a vast gulf between saying “Yes, it is happening” and “Yes, let’s limit our wants, reduce our energy demands and give the world a chance to recover from 300 years of human assault”.

A world in which we build resilience will be dramatically different from one which is driven by the mantra of growth.