How dopamine complicates our efforts to transition to sustainable energy and economic pathways
Dopamine, the brain’s chemical messenger, drives our relentless, consumptive, “wanting” behavior. No 2506 Posted by fw, August 17, 2019 To access links to other posts by Nate Hagens about The … Continue reading
We’re an egoistical, delusional lot, despoiling our life support system, living way beyond our needs
And preservation of our environment is low down on our list of priorities, says realist Kristine Mattis. No 2349 Posted by fw, August 11, 2018 “We’re an egoistical, delusional lot, … Continue reading
What we call “leisure” today mostly involves the relentless consumption of energy and resources
In order to have true leisure, we must free ourselves of those distractions that prevent it, which takes time and practice. No 2335 Posted by fw, July 18, 2018 “The … Continue reading
Addictive consumption has not brought happy, fulfilling lives for most Americans– Nate Hagens (40)
What’s missing from this smorgasbord of stuff is a feeling of community and a true sense of purpose. No 2322 Posted by fw, June 30, 2018 To access links to … Continue reading
Brain chemical makes feeling of wanting a thing much stronger than having it — Nate Hagens (14)
Anticipation of reward increases level of dopamine-driving desire, but with possession, dopamine level declines. No 2297 Posted by fw, June 12, 2018 To access links to all other posts in … Continue reading
The vision for an economy of tomorrow is not utopian. It’s not a Western post-materialist fantasy
The vision is about taking simple steps towards an economics fit for a meaningful prosperity on a finite planet. No 2152 Posted by fw, January 27, 2018 To access all … Continue reading
Will the emergence of a post-growth economy mean the end of capitalism as we have known it?
Jackson calls for a focus on growing the “economy of tomorrow”, don’t waste time on “irresolvable turf wars.” No 2151 Posted by fw, January 26, 2018 To access all other … Continue reading
How do we help people to move beyond the “iron cage of consumerism?”
Consumerism has gutted our sense of common purpose, lost are opportunities for citizens to share a common life. No 2149 Posted by fw, January 20, 2018 To access all other … Continue reading
Could “prosperity without growth” provide a framework within which to make sense of our existence?
The role of this framework, this “sacred canopy,” is to keep us from despair when confronted with existential threats. No 2148 Posted by fw, January 19, 2018 To access all … Continue reading
Tim Jackson is blunt. Our situation is dire: “Society is faced with a profound dilemma.”
In his final chapter, he recaps key arguments and explains the critical importance of achieving prosperity without growth. No 2147 Posted by fw, January 18, 2018 To access all other … Continue reading
Tim Jackson outlines four broad policy themes for a post-growth society
He underscores the importance of input from constituents in the process of government policymaking. No 2145 Posted by fw, January 17, 2018 To access all other synopses from Prosperity without … Continue reading
Government is caught in a “dilemma of growth” – It’s time to move beyond this conflicted state, says Jackson
A half-century of the governmentality of growth has come at the expense of policies for the common good. No 2144 Posted by fw, January 15, 2018 To access all other … Continue reading
“Governmentality” – the way governments try to produce citizens best suited to fulfill their own policies
Decades of neoliberal regimes have practiced the unsustainable, ecologically destructive, governmentality of growth. No 2143 Posted by fw, January 14, 2018 To access all other synopses from Prosperity without Growth, … Continue reading
Jackson builds a case for government as a “commitment device” to escape the “iron cage of consumerism’”
But will our selfish pursuit of affluence continue to erode and undermine government’s role as a commitment device? No 2142 Posted by fw, January 13, 2017 To access all other … Continue reading
Tim Jackson calls for a systematic re-construction of economics capable of delivering a lasting prosperity
Ironically, rampant consumerism provides an opportunity to recalibrate our capitalist economic system. No 2092 Posted by fw, November 07, 2017 To access all other synopses from Prosperity without Growth, click … Continue reading
Fear of social shame drives our relentless pursuit of stuff, threatens promise of a life of true prosperity
The language of goods has failed us, leaving no escape from this social trap in pursuit of a life without shame. No 2088 Posted by fw, November 2, 2017 To … Continue reading
Why do rich societies with lots of material goods, show few signs of meaningful social participation?
Given weak evidence of our ability to flourish, it is even more puzzling why rich societies pursue material growth. No 2087 Posted by fw, October 30, 2017 To access all … Continue reading
Insatiable consumer desire aside, people are capable of restraining spending in times of economic crisis
But no escaping the growth dilemma — spending restraint during a crisis deepens and lengthens the recession. No 2086 Posted by fw, October 29, 2017 To access all other synopses … Continue reading
The production of novelty through creative destruction sharpens the appetite for novelty in consumers
But novelty-driven consumerism, by failing to advance social progress, has created an “anxiety of the empty self”. No 2083 Posted by fw, October 24, 2017 To access all other synopses … Continue reading
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