surviving the end of growth

8/20/2019 Surviving the End of Growth

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Surviving the End of Growth: Achieving a Red-Green

Synthesis. by Joshua A. Peters

© 2014 by Joshua A. Peters. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-312-17522-8

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Surviving the End of Growth: Achieving a Red-Green

Synthesis

Joshua A. Peters


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5/35

The sky was bright and brilliant, dotted with light pink

clouds, as the sun slowly peeked over the horizon. Jubal could

sense the brightness flood into his consciousness as the sunlight hithis closed eyelids. For a fleeting moment he chased around the

amorphous sensations dancing in his mind, expanding and

contracting light amoebas, slowly changing shapes. Opening his

eyes, he could see the forest canopy above. Jubal had been

travelling for three days to reach a specific area of open plains

outside a Ward cluster in the Ohio River Valley; compelled by

history, and by relic knowledge. A small creek was running

nearby and a few hearty fowl that had survived the GreatBottleneck were chirping timidly. Jubal Valentine did not

experience the Great Bottleneck himself, only the much harsher

world that remained nearly sixty years after the mass extinctions

finally subsided. The extinction event lasted more than twenty

years and a constant cycle of human depopulation caused by

famine, disease, and environmental degradation reduced human

population from its peak of 16.7 billion in the year 2064 to a more

stable population of 3 billion today: the year 2152.

Jubal took stock of his belongings: a two strapped bag that

hung from his shoulders containing one change of clothes, a spare

set of leather boots, flint for starting fires, a collapsible water

container, a compass, a shepherd’s sling, his communication

device, and a stash of vegetable seeds gathered along his travels. If

Jubal wanted to be on time to meet his space-man from the past, he

knew he would have to get moving. It was highly unlikely that thehuman astronaut launched in 2056 would actually return as

planned, but hey, it was worth being there to find out.

Jubal’s stomach rumbled loud; a clear sign that he needed

to eat, and soon. He had not eaten meat for three days, not an

uncommon occurrence, but he hungered for something substantial.

He opened the leather drawstring on his pack and pulled out his

shepherd’s sling. It was basically a slightly cupped pouch, wovenfrom hemp rope, with two long cords woven in; one cord coming

from each side of the pouch. One of the cords had a loop at the


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end, intended to slide over the middle or ring finger, while the

other cord was placed between pointing finger and thumb. A small

rock, smoothed by flowing rivers, was placed in the cupped pouchand flung out at great speed when the cord between thumb and

pointing finger was released. Most people did not see this as much

of a weapon; in fact many had underestimated its power, but in

Jubal’s able and practiced hands it was silent and deadly.

Jubal walked slowly and quietly along the edge habitat

created by the immense swathes of downed trees, slowly swinging

the loaded sling in a circular motion over his head. He was aboutto give up the hunt when he saw a grey squirrel in the distance,

sitting on a tree branch, packing his cheeks with black walnuts.

Jubal twirled the sling faster, two more revolutions, then released

the chord between his thumb and finger just as the centrifugal

force aligned with the target. The polished river stone launched

out of the pouch at incredible speed, revolving at the perfect

frequency. The squirrel’s death was quick and painless and Jubal

said a prayer, thanking the creature for his sacrifice. This was theway of the world in 2152. A much deeper reverence for the flesh

of animals had been established, a vestigial respect bourn of the

tragedy of the Great Bottleneck. Every able bodied human was

required to be present for the butchering of any animal whose meat

they intended to consume, and were encouraged to participate in

the killing of the animal as well. Additionally, all animals

domesticated as a source of food must be allowed to live at least

one half of its average life span before consumption. The NewConsensus demanded this regulation to ensure reverence for the

animal’s sacrifice and consideration for their life potential.

As Jubal packed away the valuable protein for later

consumption, he noticed a flash out of the corner of his eye. He

turned his head and saw a small glowing sphere shooting out of the

Northwest sky, slowing as it approached; then a small controlled

explosion from the top. It was an old-style parachute brightlyadorned with the Old American “stars and stripes”, with a

glowing-hot metal container hanging from long chords. Jubal


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hurried toward the apparent landing zone, almost not believing his

eyes.

Captain Carl Kakudmi, the U.S. Astronaut sent out into the

cosmos in the year 2056, was equally surprised to be “home”. The

last thirty years of his life had been spent inside a room no larger

than a school bus, thinking about the family he left behind: his

mother, father, and little sister Ursula. Now fifty years old, he had

spent more time in deep space than he had spent on Earth. Carl

was sent off at the age of twenty to be the first forward time

traveler. Everyone knows that traveling backward in time isimpossible, but anyone with a basic knowledge of physics and

space-time knows that traveling forward in time is just a matter of

speed. Capt. Kakudmi had traveled in a life sustaining vessel,

eventually reaching .95 the speed of light. When traveling that

close to the speed of light, the passing of time relative to Earth,

slows significantly. He had been shot into deep space, slowed

down, slung around a nearby star, then accelerated back to .95 the

speed of light, returning thirty years later in his life span. But because he traveled so fast, when he returned to Earth, more than

ninety years had passed.

As Carl shoved open the hatch he was surprised to behold a

singular human in a simple brown sarong, smiling broadly. Jubal

spoke, enunciating perfectly, “As the Regional Education

Ambassador, I Jubal M. Valentine, welcome you to the Communal

Wards of the Americas. You must be Carl Kakudmi. You mayhave expected a larger welcome home committee, but to be honest,

the low probability of your survival combined with the massive

changes we have experienced, led to a lack of popular public

knowledge or interest.”

Carl was shocked, he wasn’t necessarily expecting a ticker-

tape parade down Broadway, but this was truly lackluster. “What

changes?”

Jubal began speaking towards the captain’s blank stare, “I

have thought a lot about where I should begin, to help explain the


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significant and radical changes that have come to fruition since you

left Earth. I think it best to begin with the concept of a ‘progress

trap’, are you familiar with that term?”

“No, I can’t say that I am. Hey, where are we exactly,

anyways?” Carl asked assertively.

“You are outside a Ward cluster near the Ohio River

Valley, please try to listen, a progress trap is when innovation that

looks initially like a positive adaptation later proves to be

dangerous or detrimental. The progress trap is constructed by

unintended consequences and triggered by the exhaustion of asystem. Social innovations like capitalism and the harnessing of

fossil fuels, initially hailed as saviors of mankind, were revealed to

be a cruel trap.”

“No more capitalism? You gotta be kidding me?” Carl

barked, feeling somewhat confused.

“I am not.” Jubal paused long, waiting to see if this antiquespace-man was ready to listen, then spoke again: “Even in your

time, there were warnings that capitalism was driving the rift withthe biosphere and that we were struggling to maintain a sustainable

relationship with nature (Clack). In order to survive, humanity had

to turn away from the blind ambition of pure anthropocentrism and

the expectation of perpetual growth, toward a species being that

was more eco-centric and less centralized. The New Consensus,

our new social thesis is this:

Liberal, social democratic, conservationist, and

environmentalist thought all support a capitalist status

quo that is destroying our planet; in order to establish

the theoretical foundations required to survive the

inevitable end of growth, humans must synthesize the

radical responses provided by Red social thought and

Green environmental thought into a consensus ideologythat creates a reverence for humanity that can be

projected upon all living entities on Earth.”


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Captain Kakudmi squinted a bit and pressed his lips

together tightly. Jubal went on, “Many ecological theorists had

noted that as capitalism expanded and natural resources weredepleted, production costs would skyrocket and create a crisis for

capitalism, but very few wanted to listen (Clack). Clearly, a new

social contract was needed in order to provide social and

environmental justice to future generations. Simply cordoning off

tracts of land and deeming them National Parks, preserving a

snapshot of what your generation saw as ‘wilderness’, was not

enough.” Sensing that Carl was finally taking him seriously, Jubal

continued, “A new form of democracy emerged, woven from thetheoretical musings of political theorists; a system that

decentralizes political power and creates a seat at the table for

other living entities. Fortunately, the need for a highly

authoritarian political system, proposed by Heilbroner and others,

was not necessary because the New Consensus was deeply felt by

all (Smith).”

“Well there’s a first!” Carl interjected, “one hundred percent consensus, in America! What did you have to do,

brainwash everyone?”

“I’ll get to that, Captain. Please allow me to continue.”

Jubal paused,

“Go on, Jubal, say your peace.”

“In the face of hardship, the urge to ignore moral andethical realities was intense, but ultimately a new social contract

was established in which we recognize our responsibilities to the

planet, future generations, and even other species. Just looking

ahead one or two generations was not good enough, the ethical

domain of human thought had to expand much further; the

potential needs of humans twenty generations in the future had to

be at least considered. The post-modernist-esque assertion that the

inherent complexity of evolving life precludes any obligations oressential truths, advanced partially by 20th century political

philosopher Michael P. Golding, fell from favor (Smith).”


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Carl looked at Jubal, slightly puzzled, then spoke somewhat

sternly, “Surely you understand that the further out you forecast,

the less accurate your social engineering will be? Right?”

“Clearly.”

“Good…” Carl grumbled. “Wait, how does one represent a

‘future generation’ or a blade of grass?”

“By studying and then ser ving their interests, as any good

representative should.” Jubal smiled wryly, “Don’t pretend it is

witchcraft, Captain; setting up markets to bet on the future value ofhogs, now that’s witchcraft.” Carl cracked a smile, then laughed

heartily, something he had not done for a long time. As

disorientated as he was, to be in the presence of another human

after thirty years was, well, intoxicating.

Jubal continued, “Of course it is difficult to judge the needs

of a future generation, but some base needs can be forecast with

clarity. Water is a prime example. The possibility that futuregenerations will learn to use far less water, per capita, should not

obstruct one from protecting the quality and cleanliness of freshwater resources now. Air is another example. I suppose it is

technically possible that future advances in medical devices could

allow us to replace our human lungs with some sort of machine,

but wouldn’t it just be better for society and species to enact the

regulations necessary to keep the air we breathe safe for

consumption by us and future generations?”

“But I can’t believe you got, what is it by now, fifteen

billion people, to go along with this crap, seriously?” Carl huffed.

Jubal felt a flash of heat and tears welling up as he remembered the

cost of this consensus. “Not fifteen billion.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“There are only three billion humans now” Jubal said,looking down in shame. But in reality it was not Jubal’s shame, it

was Captain Kakudmi’s shame, and he knew it.


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“Where the hell did twelve billion people go? How?” Carl

shrieked, burying his face in his hands. How could this have

happened, he thought? How did his generation misjudgeecological concerns so disastrously? “It can’t be true! Tell me

you are lying! Where is everyone else? It can’t be just you here,

just three billion people left, it can’t be!” Carl collapsed into

Jubal’s arms, crying deeply, but already trying to compose himself.

Jubal began to speak softly, reciting a poem he remembered,

written by Aeschylus:

Guide of mortal man to wisdom,

he who has ordained a law,

knowledge won through suffering.

Drop, drop — in our sleep, upon the heart

sorrow falls, memory’s pain,

and to us, though against our very will,

even in our own despite,

comes wisdom by the awful grace of God.”

Jubal gave him a friendly hug and then pushed him back

upright. “I’m sorry that this is difficult for you, but it is

information that you must know as deeply as we do, you have to

hear it all. The progressivist faith in science, the idea that

technology and innovation would progress at least as fast as our problems, was a lie (Hay).”

Jubal explained, “The Great Bottleneck began as an

upheaval in the human social structure and culminated in

unprecedented biological loss and ecological restructuring. The

first sign of a serious disruption to human society happened in the

late twenty first century. The workers of the industrialized world,

by this time nearly half of the planet, had been slowly pressed intoan increasingly miserable existence. Even by 2010, twenty six

years before your birth, corporate CEO and Wall Street manager


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travel, achieved by near light speed travel to the second closest star

and back again.”

“Me.”

“Yes, you.” Jubal paused, “the stored energy of ancient

plant and animal life had been harnessed to manufacture plastic

products, produce gasoline for combustion engines, synthesize

fertilizers for crops, transport food across the planet, and generate

electricity. The human population bubble created by this nearly

‘free’ energy was significant and dangerous in hindsight,

especially when combined with a culture so corrupt that it couldnot make the necessary adjustments to the global economy.

Capitalism experienced a crisis of material realities, finally falling

on the sword of chaos around the year 2078. As the other ‘Karl’

once wrote: ‘what the bourgeoisie, therefore, produces, above all,

is its own grave-diggers’ (Marx 483)”.

“The feedback loop of economic collapse finally stopped as

the Great Bottleneck of human population began. What remainedof the global economy collapsed when electrical grids failed

around the globe. Crops failed without petroleum based fertilizers

and food was no longer easily transported across continents and

oceans. All of the easily obtainable fossil fuels had been scooped

up, along with those that were not so easy to obtain. It is said that

our fore fathers excavated and processed sand deposits filled with

tar to keep the oil-based economy going, even building a pipeline

atop the continent’s most prized fresh water aquifer. They also broke bedrock hundreds of feet deep, not considering the seismic

consequences, in order to release the natural gas locked inside.

The result of these futile actions was to further the population

bubble, exacerbate climate change, and ensure even more future

human deaths. The collapse of governments and electrical grids

around the world led to nuclear reactors melting down, chemical

leaks tainting water supplies, and an unleashing of global climate

change in full force.”


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“The unrestricted use of fossil fuels also led to significant

climatic warming of the Earth. Higher air temperatures released

methane trapped in previously frozen tundra causing sea levels torise significantly. We knew in 2002 that methane was a more

powerful global warmer than carbon dioxide by weight and that it

had the potential to create abrupt changes in the atmosphere

(Nisbet). Even more significantly, warmer ocean temperatures led

to the release of massive reserves of condensed methane hydrate, a

form of solid methane trapped by pressure and cool ocean

temperatures; the ocean appeared to boil for years in some

locations as methane gas bubbled to the surface. Warning came asearly as 2004 that when considering the dynamics of global

climate, methane gas releases from the ocean floor cannot be

ignored as a possible source of the type of positive feedback

necessary for abrupt warming (Garidel-Thoron, Kvenvolden). We

knew, but did nothing”

“Most catastrophically, the melting permafrost also

released a myriad of bacteria and viruses that had long beenforgotten by the human immune system. The resulting deaths from

disease alone claimed another four hundred million human lives

starting in 2084. The piled bodies of those who starved to death or

died of disease had to be burned en masse. Chaos and violence

spread, with the vast majority of the poorest people around the

world perishing. Only one in five humans survived the Great

Bottleneck. Along with the billions of humans who perished,

thousands of other species also suffered or became completelyextinct.”

“It is possible, that this outcome was inevitable, even fated.

In Das Kapital , Karl Marx wrote: ‘the historical development of

the antagonisms, imminent in a given form of production, is the

only way in which that form of production can be dissolved and a

new form established’ (Cohen 146). The inherent antagonism of

capitalism, a system predicated on growth, was that it was fueled by a finite energy source, fossil fuels. In this case, the ancient

power of stored carbon supported not only a socio-economic


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RED THREADS

At the campsite, Carl watched his first sunset in fifty years

while Jubal cooked the squirrel over the fire. The sun crosses a

horizon twice a day on Earth; the lack of such an event in space

had unnerved Carl almost immediately. Now he savored it, he

didn’t want to close or even avert his eyes. Great swaths of

crimson and violet lit up the twilight sky in a breathtaking display

that again brought tears to Capt. Kakudmi’s eyes, this time light

and reverent.

After dinner, Jubal continued his attempt to bring Carl up

to speed. “Are you ready to continue, Carl”

“Now that my stomach is full, yes, I am quite ready.

Thanks again.”

Jubal explained, “A Marxist or socialist orientation was

important in order to explain the transition humans wereexperiencing, to address the human social systems that led to our

downfall, and to provide the most stable social system going

forward. According to Karl Marx’s materialist conception of

history, significant changes in social form occur when ‘one

dominant production relation supplants another’ causing a

revolutionary shift in the economic structure (Cohen 86). The

physical realities and modes of production are seen as having a

primary effect on the resulting social structures that occur in

society. In Marx’s Theories of Surplus Value, he wrote that ‘the

economic relations and consequently the social, moral and political

state of nations changes with the change in the material powers of

production’ (Cohen 146). The end of fossil fuels provided just

such a shift, with catastrophic results.”

“Marx viewed human social history as driven by the

development of productive forces over time and wrote in 1859 thatat ‘a certain stage of their development, the material productive

forces of society come in conflict with the existing relations of


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production’ followed by an ‘epoch of social revolution which

brings about a change of economic structure’ and finally a higher

relation of production (Cohen 136). Essentially, Marx is sayingthat the next great change in social and political structures will be

preceded by a change in the materials and techniques we use to

harness energies, as humanity did when we upgraded our fuel

source from wood to fossil fuels. For more than a million years

Homo sapiens survived on Earth utilizing wood to climb to the top

of the food chain; less than four hundred years of burning fossil

fuels reduced that chain to ashes. But it all started with the peak of

fossil fuel production and the resulting economic crises that Marx predicted.”

“Marx believed that when commercial crises were

especially deep, the immiseration of the proletariat would begin.

Marx envisioned embittered ‘masses of labourers, crowded into the

factory’ and organized like regiments of soldiers working as slaves

to the bourgeoisie, the state they control, and the machines they

work upon (Marx 479). The next step was widespreaddissatisfaction with the deteriorating social conditions that would

likely lead to an awakening of the proletariat.”

“Revolutionary class consciousness was seen as a

prerequisite by Marx in order for the proletariat to combine their

efforts, to exert change on the existing system. After discontent

spread among the masses, there must then be ‘a joining of forces

between dissatisfied, frustrated people’ (Davies 6). Thiscollaborative effort on the part of the proletariat may spring up in

working class neighborhoods where people of a common class

congregate and discuss their common situation, miserable and

poor. When this symphony of discontent reaches a loud enough

volume, the next step is action.”

“Marx writes that the only redress available to an oppressed

proletariat would be to abolish the ‘previous mode of

appropriation’ (Marx 482). The miserable working class would

turn to any method that proved effective, including general strikes,


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voting for socialist parties or even violence. According to Marx,

this dictatorship of the proletariat would commandeer ‘all capital

from the bourgeoisie, to centralize all instruments of production inthe hands of the state’ (Marx 490). This new state is, of course,

now controlled by the toiling masses and can be directed at

creating an egalitarian society free of class distinctions. This is

achieved, in part, by abolishing private property, instituting a

progressive income tax, and providing free education (Marx). The

goal is to create conditions in society where upon the next step is

allowed to take place; for the state as a governing structure to

eventually dissipate.”

“This withering away of the state is an important step

toward the final goal of establishing Communism. When he

described what would happen to government as society transitions

to Communism, Marx used the German word ‘aufhebung’ which

implies abolition, transcendence, and preservation (Avineri 47).

Certain elements of the state may never fully disappear, but

transcendence beyond the petty self-interest of the bourgeoisie willtransform the state into something wholly unrecognizable. When

there is no longer a parasitic class attached to the state structure,

pretending to be the state, a region can be governed by all in the

best interests of all, in order to build a fair and equitable society.

Communism is established when a ‘community of free individuals,

carrying on their work with the means of production in common’ is

established (Marx 326). This final step in the progression of

human social history represents, to Marx, the highest and mostthoroughly developed form of human society.”

“Does any of this sound familiar, Captain?”

Carl thought for a few moments then looked sideways at

Jubal, “You want me to say that it sounds like what happened in

real life, or should I say the version of events you have presented

to me?”

“Can you at least admit that he was close?”

“From what I hear…” Carl chirped. “Go on then.”


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“Let us now turn to how this ‘Red’ ideology can help us

analyze ecological problems. Enzensberger noted that to deal with

ecological problems in Marxists terms, one must view capitalismas a dominant mode of production that must be changed in order to

change the nature of ‘relationships between men and between men

and things’ (Hay 263). Essentially, we must create equality

amongst ourselves before we can begin to think of other life forms

as remotely equal. It is clear that from a ‘ progressive political

perspective, environmental problems and a widening social divide

are inseparable issues’ (Bailey 4). A higher relation of production

was needed, one with a more socialistic viewpoint in order toestablish the social cohesion needed to curb blind human ambition

and change the paradigm of how we treated each other and

eventually how we treated other species.”

“Environmental historians had done well at describing how

the capitalist development of natural resources degrades

ecosystems but had been less successful at explaining how

‘unsustainable human-nature relationships become accepted as anormal part of everyday life’ (Mosley 920). This is a breach where

Marxist social and political philosophy can provide even more

answers. The unsustainable relationships between nature and

humans was driven by the capitalist political economy that is

concerned only with creating profit and chasing growth, kept on

course by political elites who benefit from the status quo.”

“In addition to providing explanations for where we foundourselves as a species, the practical application of egalitarian

socialist principles were needed to provide a happy life with

adequate comfort to as many species as possible while maintaining

ecological equilibrium. This process begins with how we treat

each other. A ten-to-one pay ratio is now enforced, whereby the

highest paid employee in any organization cannot be paid any

more than ten times that of the lowest paid employee; if you want

to pay the CEO a million dollars per year, you must pay the janitorone hundred thousand per year.”


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“Wait a second, don’t you think that could be a disincentive

to working hard?” Carl barked.

“Not at all” Jubal responded, evenly, “We find that as

companies succeed and expand, this law makes sure that all boats

truly do rise with the economic tide and that solidarity is

established by the guarantee that the surplus value created by the

worker cannot be ferretted away by the executive team.”

“Aren’t some people just WORTH MORE than others? I

mean, really?” Carl huffed.

“No, you are mistaken. No one human is worth more than

another. The ten-to-one ratio still allows for some stratification

based on the productivity and work ethic of the employee, but

anyone who works full time deserves to live a comfortable life.

Without limits on pay ratios history has shown us that

compensation becomes a tool of economic and class stratification.

A twentieth century writer, Barbara Ehrenreich, most deftly

articulated the tragedy of this arrangement:

When someone works for less pay than she can live on – when, for example, she goes hungry so that you can eat

more cheaply and conveniently – then she has made a great

sacrifice for you, she has made you a gift of some part of

her abilities, her health, and her life. The “working poor,”

as they are approvingly termed, are in fact the major

philanthropists of our society. They neglect their ownchildren so that the children of others will be cared for;

they live in substandard housing so that other homes will be

shiny and perfect; they endure privation so that inflation

will be low and stock prices high. To be a member of the

working poor is to be an anonymous donor, a nameless

benefactor, to everyone else (221).”

The look on Carl’s face im plied a deepening understanding.

Jubal continued, “In addition to the pay ratio law, fossil fuel


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deposits were nationalized and set aside for future projects that can

only be done with energy dense fuels. For example, any future

space programs will need fossil fuels to break the bonds of Earth’sgravity. We also did away with the Electoral College, stock

markets, and charging interest on loans. All measures enacted on

a national scale are voted and passed by popular vote. In fact,

elections and communication devices are two of the few areas

where advanced technology is still used on a regular basis.”

“In general, we as a civilization turned away from

specialization in the workplace and now place much less emphasison driving productivity. We now promote cooperation, not

competition. This thread of the New Consensus creates much less

alienation in the human psyche. Alienation and angst has been

replaced with reverence and understanding. Alas, it is possible to

build a social system that reveres both humanity and nature. This

idea was not lost on Marx, even in his time. Marx envisioned a

communistic world where ‘associated producers’ could ‘govern the

human metabolism with nature in a rational way’ (Clack 419). Admittedly, many socialist ideologies fetishize economic growth

through industrialization, but as you know by now, Carl, those

threads had to be abandoned. In the morning, on the walk to OR-

W46, we will discuss the ‘Green’ threads that in many ways

dominate the New Consensus.”

“OR-W46? Are you kidding me? Have you people taken

all the fun out of life?” Carl groaned, but also smiled a bit. “My apologies for the formality, Capt. Kakudmi, you might

have known this area as Cincinnati, in your time.”

“Much better, Cincinnati. But, not the nicest city, huh? A

little ‘rough’, as my dad used to say”

“You’ll see Captain, tomorrow.”


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GREEN THREADS

In the morning, the pair set off for OR-W46. Jubal was

looking forward to seeing his family, while Carl was anticipating a

colossal let down; how could all of this work, he thought? What

kind of misery was he about to observe in Cincinnati? Jubal

started his lessons before Carl could travel too far down the rabbit

hole, “Let me begin by stating what should be obvious, the timid

and incremental approach of twenty first century ‘conservationists’

and even ‘environmentalists’ had already proved to be too little,too late. Conservationism was fatally flawed because it ignored

the interconnectedness of all natural systems; putting a fence

around it and destroying the rest is not a long term strategy.

Environmentalism failed because the movement proposed only

incremental change and never pushed reforms that would interfere

with the primacy of capitalism and growth. Your era’s version of

socialism was no better; the Green critique of 21st century

democratic socialism held that their capacity to ‘embrace

environmental imperatives’ was diminished by its reflexive

defense of all labor activities and economic growth, including

those that prove harmful to the ecosystem (Hay 256). Your

generation lacked the social and ecological principles to stop the

downward spiral.”

“There was an even more radical ideological path at our

disposal that the New Consensus did not pursue fully. The ‘deepecology’ position, asserts that culturally embedded

anthropocentrism drives humans to impose dominance upon the

non-human world; ergo we must abandon all anthropocentric

thought, placing the interests of plants on equal footing with our

own (Hay 53). Many deep ecologists promote vegetarianism as

the only ethical path forward (Hay). The central intuition of deep

ecology has been described as ‘the idea that we can make no firm

ontological divide in the field of existence: That there is no

bifurcation in reality between the human and the non-human


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realms’, that ‘to the extent that we perceive boundaries, we fall

short of deep ecological consciousness’ (Devall 200). These

positions imply an unrealistic program. Principles of deep ecologycan be more helpful if you tone down the absolutist tone; reducing

our anthropocentric thoughts and actions as much as possible is a

laudable goal that the New Consensus adopted.

Critics of deep ecology reverse the causal direction; for us,

the desire of some humans to dominate others is root, leading to

the dominance and degradation of non-human nature (Hay). The

New Consensus rejects adopting the full deep ecology position,that it would be prudent for humans to completely shed their

anthropocentrism, and instead adopts the radical but more

pragmatic route of Green principles blended with some deep

ecological sentiments. Bookchin got right to the quick when he

pointed out that deep ecology’s greatest failure was its inability to

‘fully anchor ecological dislocations in social dislocations’ (Hay

69, Merchant).”

“Book -who?” Carl chimed in.

“Never mind that. Stay with me, we are making real

progress, and OR-W46, I mean Cincinnati, is just over the next

hill.”

“Go on, Jubal.”

Jubal cleared his throat, “The New Consensus adopted

three pillars of Green politics: ecology, social justice, and

grassroots democracy (Hay). First of all, when I say ecology, I do

not mean the scientific field of ecology you would recall from your

era. I speak instead of ‘ecological awareness’ which demands that

we analyze our position within natural systems and attempt to

minimize any negative impacts on other species, that we recognize

‘the fundamental interdependence of all phenomena and the

embeddedness of individuals and societies in the cyclical processesof nature’ (Hay 131).”


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“Social justice means fairness for all citizens despite their

background or current circumstances. It means applying the law

equally and treating everyone like a valued family member so thatall can reach their highest potential in society. We value and

respect every member of society regardless of their IQ or even

their work ethic. The pillar of grassroots democracy is also key.

The direct democracy model we adopted, including abolishing the

Electoral College and most forms of private campaign finance,

combined with the organizational changes based on bioregion, has

led to a government that much more closely represents the will of

ecologically minded people. It is true that there is a very strongconstitutional base of restrictive laws that place limits on economic

activity, but that is nothing new, is it?” Jubal asked, rhetorically.

“Areas of population, once organized into a state’s county

precincts, now choose a rotating representative once a year who

meets with their peers in localized groups of forty, constituting a

Ward. In addition to the forty precinct representatives meant to

represent human interests, five at-large representatives are electedin each ward to represent the interests of future generations and

another five elected to represent the interests of non-human life,

totaling 50. The wards are grouped together into geographically

and socially logical clusters that coordinate local economies. This

arrangement is similar to that described by Peter Kropotkin, with

the private means of production transferred to public ownership

and ‘a system of autonomous, freely integrated communities’ that

replace economic globalization (Oved 303). All economic activityis geographically analyzed and ordered to maximize efficiency and

minimize waste. Necessary goods are sourced nearby in order to

reduce wasteful transportation practices and arbitrary goods of no

intrinsic value are taxed out of existence. Many of these principles

appeared in a prescient utopian novel published in 1975, Ecotopia.

The author envisioned a world of recycling, electric vehicles, and

urban living blended with a reverence for nature and a communal

living arrangement (Callenbach). Unfortunately this glimpse intoour future was largely ignored.”


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“Like the Ecotopians in Callenbach’s novel, we now use

only clean and renewable sources of energy: wind, solar, tidal and

even human power .”

“Human power?” Carl croaked, “Finally, we get to the

Soylent Green!”

“The what?”

Carl’s smile tuned to a frown, his joke had bombed, and it

was a reminder that the culture that he remembered had been

largely extinguished. “Never mind, I am curious though, human power?”

“Yes, quite ingenious really, there are two major ways we

turn human energy into electricity. The first involves rows of

stationery bicycles with their chains hooked to gears on an electric

generator; once the generator is turning it takes little effort from

twenty pedaling humans to keep it going. One can make an honest

day’s wage turning his food energy into electricity while taking theequivalent of a long but enjoyable bicycle ride through the country.

The other device is higher impact and more social, perfect foryounger people who cannot sit still that long! Envision twenty or

thirty escalators side by side, none with handrails. The people

walk up stairs, using, gravity, leg strength, and their own weight to

drive an electric generator spun by the motion of the escalator

loop. Think of it, one can earn money, spend time with their

friends, and stay healthy all at the same time!”

“Are you serious? People do this for a living?” Carl

questioned.

“Some do, and are proud of it. It provides clean renewable

energy to others and sustains themselves. Plus, haven’t you known

someone in your life that likes to work hard and stay active?

Someone who would never want a job sitting down?”

“Yes I suppose so.”


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“The way we treat animals has changed too. After I took

that squirrel’s life, I said a prayer thanking it for its sacrifice. You

will be expected to do the same from now on. Furthermore, youwill be expected to be present for the butchering of any meat you

intend to consume, a regulation aimed at keeping animal slaughter

from once again becoming an industry. You are also required to

allow domesticated animals to live at least one half of their

expected life span before taking their meat. Keeping animals in

zoos and using for them for medical testing has been outlawed.

These measures force us to demonstrate our respect for the species

being of the animals we consume.”

“The implementation of human labor has become more

agrarian and less industrial. Pointless and wasteful trinkets are no

longer manufactured on a massive scale. Less mechanization in

farming has led to more agricultural jobs, and residents of the

Communal Wards are no longer allergic to hard work! Ah! There

is Cincinnati, Captain, you can see it now.” As Carl and Jubal

crested a bulbous hill covered with tall grass, Carl could see shapesthat looked like houses and buildings, partially swallowed by the

ground. He had seen this scheme once before, but never this

widespread. “All earth-shelter structures? Really? What is this,

The Shire?”

“I get that joke ! Yes, very much so, but with electricity and

without the wizards!” Jubal and Carl laughed heartily. “Placing

structures partially in the ground reduces the energy requirementsconsiderably, and I think, increases the beauty. Also, I have a

surprise for you down there.”

“A surprise? This sounds ominous.”

As they entered the city, via a dilapidated gate left open

haphazardly, Captain Kakudmi was looking for signs of stress,

dismay, or oppression. He saw none. Two children played happily

on the grassy roof of their home while next door a man sat on his porch with a drink and a smoke. Further ahead they passed one of

the bicycle rows where a little over a dozen men and women


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pedaled lazily in the sun. They rounded a corner and passed

through a market, in the distance Carl could now see that a large

hillside had been turned into that escalator contraption described by Jubal. Forty or fifty people walked, skipped or even jogged to

the top then rode back down with the moving steps. Carl was

impressed.

“Carl, what do you remember about your little sister?”

“Ursula, oh Ursula, I have not thought about her in many

years. Accepting that I would never get to know the woman she

was to become, broke my heart. I was her big brother, I wassupposed to protect her, help her through life, and stand up at her

wedding. I have cried for her many times over the last thirty years.

What do you know of her?”

“I know where she lives, and it is right over there.” Jubal

pointed to a small hobbit hole at the end of the street they had

wondered down.

“Don’t you lie to me Jubal; that is not a kind thing to do to

a man in my position.”

“I do not lie to you, Ursula sits behind that door and is

aware that today might be the day you return. I only warn you that

she is over one hundred years old, so do not hug her too tightly!”

Carl took off running, still not quite believing it, but

compelled to find out. When he got to the door, he stopped andtook a deep breath. He slowly turned the doorknob and leaned in.

The creaking door reveled an old woman, to be sure, but standing

up with the aid of a cane. Ursula had wild gray hair and was

slightly bent over, but Carl recognized her immediately. He rushed

over to her and held her close, hugging as tightly as he dared.

“Ursula!” Carl gasped.

She whispered softly in her brother’s ear, “boy, have I gotsome stories for you…”


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CONCLUSION

The narrative presented has applied documented facts

regarding resource depletion and ecological realities to

demonstrate that liberal, social democratic, conservationist, and

even environmentalist thought all support a capitalist status quo

that is destroying our planet. It seems logical to seek an

alternative, especially since a recent Princeton study found that

“the average citizen’s influence on policy making” was “near zero”

(Gilens 22). They further concluded that “if policymaking isdominated by powerful business organizations and a small number

of affluent Americans, then America’s claims to being a

democratic society are seriously threatened” (Gilens 24). Even if

our current system was working correctly, “liberal democracy, by

itself, lacks the capacity to challenge the cultural orientation of

industrialism with the consequence that, what tends to prevail is, a

reductionism that overestimates the human ability to control the

natural environment while underestimating problems of

complexity and unpredictability” (Torgerson 21). Even our loftiest

goals of governance have been set too low. Liberals, and even

eco-liberals believe that capitalism can be constrained and molded

to respect the environment and that total abandonment of

capitalism is not the answer (Bell). I disagree.

In order to establish the theoretical foundations

required to survive the inevitable end of growth, humans mustsynthesize the radical responses provided by Red social

thought, the Marxist tradition, and Green environmental

thought into a consensus ideology that creates a reverence for

humanity that can then be projected upon the other species on

Earth. Merchant described early synthesizers of Red and Green as

holding largely “homocentric” views but ones that were “informed

and modified by ecological and dialectical science” (303). The

New Consensus suggests an even greener version of this synthesis,drawing on many deep ecological threads. The liberal tradition of

extending rights and promoting tolerance is a good start, but must


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do even better, we should seek interspecies understanding and

mutual respect.

Marx’s materialist conception of history and his theory ofrevolution act as an explanatory tool and may in fact predict what

will happen over the next couple hundred years. In his materialist

conception of history and in ecological Marxist theory, the

prevailing “conditions of production come into conflict with the

forces / relations of production” leading to “eco-economic crisis,

initiating the transition to ecological socialism” (Merchant 309).

Weston, an early Red-Green synthesizer rightly pointed out that

any attempt to change societal values is not likely to be successfulwithout a structural change in modes and relations of production

(Hay). Furthermore, “Marx recognized that man was part of

nature, and that alienation was two-fold: from one’s body, and

from the natural (that is, the ‘external’) world. Hence, according to

Marx, a new relationship needs to be established between people

and nature to overcome this so-called ‘metabolic rift’” (Bailey 6).

Essentially, we may need Marxism to change the paradigm

between segments of Homo sapiens; the first step to changing the paradigm between us and other species.

In the story, despite the significant warning signs, humanity

ignored the environmental damage they were causing. It took the

death of twelve billion men, women, and children to shock the

human psyche into changing the paradigm. The initial

environmental problems that appeared were approached in a half-

hearted way that always sought to preserve the principles ofcapitalism and the primacy of growth. If this is the way we

achieve the next stage of human social evolution and survive the

end of growth, it will have come at an astronomical cost.

While it is obvious to say that growth cannot be infinite, we

are faced with few good options. There is no way to tell if we have

passed the ecological point of no return, but any proactive

measures are preferable to inaction. It is my assertion that a Red-Green synthesis should be sought, discarding the flawed and

counterproductive policy proposals on both sides, while


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synthesizing the helpful nuggets. Without high levels of

cooperation envisaged by Marxist/Red political thought, it seems

unlikely that we can face any of the problems exposed by theGreen movement. Ironically, if Marx’s materialist conception of

history is correct, it may not be possible to ‘right the ship’ and

avoid catastrophe. Global capitalism will necessarily exhaust itself

before we can shift the paradigm.

Addressing the inevitable end of growth will require

discarding some aspects of Marxist thought, with the remainder

being blended with Green environmental principles. Clearlycapitalism has got to go. Many scholars have articulated the

incompatible nature of capitalism and green principles, identifying

capitalism’s dependence on growth as clearly in conflict with those

of greens (Bookchin). Greens are “implicitly part of the forces

ranged against the capitalist system and should be embraced as

such” (Hay 267). Three pillars of Green thought should be

embraced: ecology, social justice, and grassroots democracy. We

should also explore new measures of the “good life”: enough toeat, clean water to drink, clear air to breathe, one good vacation a

year, lazy summer weekends with friends, healthy children, not

hating your job, and people to share your life with. All of these

things are more important to human happiness than automotive

status symbols or having forty different laundry detergents to

choose from at the grocery store. We must also embrace

renewable and clean energy, respect for our food sources, local

economies to reduce energy needs, and a generally lessecologically impactful species being; all harnessed to bring

stability within our environment. Humans are not separate from

nature, humans are nature. To destroy nature is to destroy

ourselves. We must seek stasis, not status. We must make an

attempt to rethink being.


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surviving the end of growth

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