Richard Heinberg and Helena Norberg-Hodge Discuss the End of Growth

Must the economy always grow? At what societal, personal, and planetary cost? Orion hosted a live discussion on the end of economics as we know it with Richard Heinberg, author of The End of Growth, and Helena Norberg-Hodge, whose film The Economics of Happiness explores the costs and alternatives to perpetual growth. During this hour-long dialogue ranging from Occupy Wall Street to climate change, our guests shared ideas, resources, and answered listener questions.

Comments

  1. Hello there,
    Great discussion. I wrote about similar themes a little while back at the start of August as markets became super-volatile. It seems so obvious doesn’t it? I mean really, fractured society, crime, poverty, looming environmental catastrophe and all we’re worried about is a RETURN TO GROWTH.
    Keep fighting the good fight. I’ve just returned to Melbourne, Australia from Berlin and I’m feeling a little disheartened again. Politics here is so base, intellectual is a dirty word and I’m not even sure what I’m meant to be doing haha!
    Kind Regards,
    Phil

  2. What Richard has been saying for years is so important, I thought the politicians and lawmakers would have understood this by now. What do we have to do to make this mainstream on every channel and not marginalized?

  3. the End of Growth is probably the most important book of the year. What do we do? We plant gardens, teach our kids to garden, assist low-income people to garden; Develop local food processing facilities (dairies, meat processing, etc.); Hold book/film discussion groups in local libraries for Helena Norberg-Hodge’s “Economics of Happiness” film and Heinberg’s End of Growth book; Develop Transition Towns including teaching self-sufficiency skills to everyone; Get churches and schools involved in all these activities; Form Study Groups to talk about these issues with neighbors; Run for City Councils; Immerse our kids and ourselves in Nature. and on and on…
    Craig

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