This chapter delves into the concept of degrowth, proposing a shift towards reducing energy and material demands to foster a more equitable society. It discusses the challenges of transitioning from resource exploitation to sustainable practices amidst global issues like climate change. The dialogue examines the interconnectedness of energy, matter, and economies, raising questions about wealth distribution, power dynamics, and the potential for increased social egalitarianism in a world facing energy scarcity or climate-related challenges.
What's the relationship between our energy consumption, our material footprint and our economies?
Tim Garrett and I come to refer to these as “the holy trinity”. Tim is a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah, and over two years ago, he joined me to discuss the thermodynamics of collapse, where he explained his research into the behaviour of snowflakes and how you could extrapolate the behaviour of economies and civilization using the laws of thermodynamics. He's back on the show to explain how we use our energy, the necessity of a surplus of energy and how all of this relates to a society's growth and health.
In this conversation we discuss questions like: Will renewables facilitate an increased consumption of fossil fuels? Can we reduce inequality by reducing energy consumption? How can we organise a wave-like civilisation, which grows and decays within safe boundaries? Can we decline in order to recover before crashing completely?
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