Worksumption as an environmental problem

1. Worksumption as an environmental problem and A brief review of greentopias in saving the environment By: Jukka Jonninen

2. Worksumption • A new concept with the following definition: • ”A self-feeding hegemonic cultural paradigm aiming to give meaning to people’s lives by circulating and destroying physical and mental resources in an effort of bringing them added value”

3. Consumption of work • Work ([opposite of ”play”]: activity that aims in producing a good(s)/service(s) to be traded in the market) is itself a limited resource people consume • One of the main limitations is the amount of demand (that is constantly being increased by advertising [self-feeding process]) • Other limitations will be clarified in the next section • Humankind is already in a situation where work as a resource has gotten scarce

4. Consumption as work • One of the most important sectors of worksumption is the creation of cultural signals that are used in feeding the consumption. Most explicit form of which is advertising • These cultural signals are controlling people’s leisure time, forcing it to be worksumption in one way or another  attending markets as a consumer • Leisure time is a precondition for a worksumption-society

5. Arendt’s ”Communist fiction” • Hannah Arendt: ”The Human Condition” (1958) • A phenomenon behind the success of worksumption • Communist fiction: An idea invented by liberal philosophers (/economists) like Smith and Ricardo stating that the whole society has a common interest for which everybody must act  producing yet more added value • Karl Marx was the strongest proponent of the idea • A complete victory for society over people which is today more powerful than ever before • Society’s aim towards yet more added value a presupposition that is almost unchallenged

6. Can the environment be saved without working less? • Yes, it can • But not without considerable problems and compromises

7. A x B x C x D = ¤ A=Number of people on the planet B=Average environmental stress caused producing a good/service C=Average efficiency in producing a good/service (amount of work put on G/S) D=Amount of work made by average person ¤=Overall ecological footprint Formula on environmental stress

8. Current situation and trends • A x B x C x D = 1,25 (25% abovesustainable level) [Source: Meadows et. al. 2004: Kasvun rajat] • A: 2008 6,7B  2050 8,9B (32% increase) • B & C: Because of asymmetric economic incentives efficiency in production is likely to increase faster than environmental efficiency. Estimate: B (-50%), C (+200%) • Without work this would mean: • 1,32 x 0,5 x 3,0 + 0,25 = 2,23 (123% above sustainable level) • If the calculations are accurate the amount of work should be reduced by 55% in order to balance the environmental stress to sustainable level.

9. Greentopia I: Dramatic reduction of homo sapiens • Famous proponent: Pentti Linkola • Difficult to make it both ethical and fast • Ways to implement (at slow pace): • Educating women in the third world • Implementing social security structures

10. Greentopia II: Technological revolution • Famous proponent: Capitalism • Also labeled as ”technocratic escapism” • Energy is the key because it enables: • Theoretically endless recycling of material • Harvesting materials outside of earth • Permanent repository places for waste outside of earth

11. Greentopia III: Introduction of post-materialistic society • Famous proponent: Most Green parties • More and more people work in sectors labeled as ”service” but all of them worksuming and almost all of them somehow closely linked to production (that is outsourced to machines) of material  selling, distributing, marketing products; management of production; maintenance of production/retail facilities; education people to worksumpt; keeping workers healthy to worksumpt

12. Greentopia IV: Decreasing efficiency • Famous proponent: Jean-Jacques Rousseau • Also known as ”Return to the Middle Ages” • Only needed if the gains in efficiency are put to produce yet more worksumption, not leisure time

13. Greentopia V: Less work(sumption) • Famous proponents: Bertrand Russell, Osmo Soininvaara, Philippe Van Parijs, Hannah Arendt(?) • Also known as: ”The renaissance of civic society” or ”Society of play” • Only possible if the society enables people to survive as consumers without being producers

14. Basic income, resource quotas etc. • Basic income one option in turning this utopia into reality • Has many forms: • A fixed monthly payment for every citizen • Resource quotas for Co2-emissions  every person on earth has the same initial right to produce Co2-emissions and those rights are sold in market • Rent on work  If one works (that is, takes a limited resource away from someone else) he/she has to pay compensation for those who do not work

15. Conclusions • Work(sumption) is a serious threat to the environment • Work should be seen as a limited resource and a form of pollution (=negative externality) that is to be innovatively taxed • The tax should depend on how much work done (progression in terms of hours worked [first 10h 5%, 30.h 40.h 60% for example]) in order to give everyone the chance to work if he/she wants

16. Thank you!

17. Questions • ”Worksumption”: is there a sense in the concept? • Is there any ”environment-saving utopias” outside of the ones mentioned? • Which political slogan is more of an exaggeration: ”Work secures future” or ”Work destroys future”?