The real risk is that the economy could fail this winter
Like so much of life, the economy is very fragile. It can seem almightily powerful to most of us, most of the time. But that is not really the case.
economic collapse
2017: The Year When the World Economy Starts Coming Apart
Some people would argue that 2016 was the year that the world economy started to come apart, with the passage of Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. Whether or not the “coming apart” process started in 2016, in my opinion we are going to see many more steps in this direction in 2017. Let me explain a few of the things I see.
The Growth Trap
Every economy, every self-organizing system which is not also self-limiting within the bounds set by its environment, grows until it exceeds the ability of that environment to support and sustain it.
Casino Collapse and Economic Collapse Need not be the Same
If both work and pleasure can be a walk or short cycle ride from our doors, then the energy demands of a culture will suddenly become much simpler and will also shrink.
Heading Toward The Sidewalk
Talking about historical change is one thing when the changes under discussion are at some convenient remove in the past or the future. It’s quite another when the changes are already taking place.
Limits to Growth–At our doorstep, but not recognized
How long can economic growth continue in a finite world? This is the question the 1972 book The Limits to Growth by Donella Meadows and others sought to answer.
Radio Ecoshock: Crash on Demand with David Holmgren and Nicole Foss
Do we need to break the system to save the climate? Permaculture co-founder David Holmgren says "yes", in rare radio interview. Then Nicole Foss replies. Plus Alex’s climate music.
How our narratives inform our hopes for change
When co-founder of the Permaculture Movement David Holmgren recently suggested it might be better for the world if we were to try to precipitate global economic collapse in order to mitigate runaway climate change, he received a harsh response from Transition Movement founder Rob Hopkins, and somewhat more sympathetic responses from Dmitry Orlov and Nicole Foss. The second article (due out next month) in my series for Shift Magazine will talk more about this, but in the meantime I wanted to recommend to you Agency on Demand, a fascinating take on this debate, written by Eric Lindberg.
Charting Collapseniks
A ferment in the environmental movement, brewing for many years, has now bubbled up into the blogosphere. We are dipping our ladle in here to take a little taste of it, even though we are quite certain it is not done fermenting.
Why EIA, IEA, and Randers’ 2052 Energy Forecasts are Wrong
What is correct way to model the future course of energy and the economy?…With different approaches, researchers can obtain vastly different indications. I will show that the real issue is most researchers are modeling the wrong limit.
Economic Descent, hopefully with Skillful Means
In case I don’t use sufficiently ‘skillful means,’ please let me begin with stating: I am not advocating for intentionally creating an economic crash.
Mineral resources and the limits to growth
So, ladies and gentleman, let me start with this recent book of mine. It is titled "The Plundered Planet."