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CONSEQUENCES OF LIMITS TO GROWTH: OUTDATED ECONOMICS INCLUDING GREEN GROWTH

CONSEQUENCES OF LIMITS TO GROWTH: OUTDATED ECONOMICS INCLUDING GREEN GROWTH. NIELS I. MEYER nim@byg.dtu.dk. Niels I. Meyer Occupy, May 19, 2013/1. DILEMMAS. Global heating should stay below two degrees – BUT the present path points to four degrees or higher.

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CONSEQUENCES OF LIMITS TO GROWTH: OUTDATED ECONOMICS INCLUDING GREEN GROWTH

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  1. CONSEQUENCES OF LIMITS TO GROWTH: OUTDATED ECONOMICS INCLUDING GREEN GROWTH NIELS I. MEYER nim@byg.dtu.dk Niels I. Meyer Occupy, May 19, 2013/1

  2. DILEMMAS • Global heating should stay below two degrees – BUT the present path points to four degrees or higher. • At least 50 % of all fossil reserves should stay under ground, BUT several industrial countries on the contrary promote oil from tar sand and shale gas. • There are limits to growth, BUT all industrial countries are crying for more growth to cure financial crisis. • Economic and material growth may be counteracted by more equity, BUT inequity is increasing. • Transition to RES is urgently needed, but fossil fuels get six times more state subsidies than RES. • Dominating neoliberal system requires economic growth. Niels I. Meyer Occupy, May 19, 2013/2

  3. GREEN GROWTH • The concept of green growth is primarily an excuse to continue economic growth with a green paint. • The possible decoupling from carbon is relative but far from absolute in practice with existing technologies and production methods. Nature reacts on absolute decoupling. • In practice, exploitation of solar energy and other renewables for human energy purposes has limitations. • Too late to accept illusionary mitigation concepts. Best advice: forget about GREEN GROWTH Niels I. Meyer Occupy, May 19, 2013/3

  4. LIMITS TO GROWTH • Central dilemma is the neglect of limits to growth. • Main excuse: without economic growth, more unemployment. This is nota natural law! • The solution is a flexible employment concept where average working time is adjusted to market fluctuations. • International problem: How should an acceptable global carbon cap be divided over time? Fiascoes for agreement since COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009. • Fair and pragmatic solution: Same personal emission quotas for all human beings by 2050 (chancellor Merkel). Niels I. Meyer Occupy,, May 19, 2013//4

  5. LtG SCENARIOS Niels I. Meyer Occupy, May 19, 2013/5

  6. TIME FOR ACTIONWe know what is needed, but it requires radical social changes. • National equity: strongly increasing (progressiv) taxes on income, fortune, houses and inheritage. • Real democracy (people power) instead of money power: private and commercial money for political parties and politicians should be illegal. Equal public support. • Neoliberal economics has failed (Stiglitz and Krugman): it has no scientific basis and is more harmful than useful. • F.D. Roosevelt in 1930s, New Deal: Accelerate public investments and strong market regulations. • Highest priority to ecological, sustainable economics including low discount rates for ecological investements. Niels I. Meyer Occupy, May 19, 2013/6

  7. INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS • Replace WTO by green trade administration responsible for global transport tax and financial (Tobin) tax. • Change priorities of World Bank and IMF to green transition and global equity. • Stop government subsidies for fossil fuels. • Group af pioneering nations documenting economic and social advantage of a New Deal and a green transition. • Do not wait for reactionary large nations like the US and China that sabotage global agreements. More details in list of references. Niels I. Meyer Occupy, May 19, 2013/7

  8. REFERENCES • Niels I. Meyer: ”Enough is enough – Stop the unsustainable development” (in Danish), 88 pages, November 2012, 125 DKK. • Jørgen Steen Nielsen: The green transition” (in Danish), Spring 2012, published by Information. • Ross Jackson: ”Occupy World Street”, Chelsea Green Publishing, Vermont, USA, Spring 2012. • CEESA project, final reports 2012: www.ceesa.dk Niels I. Meyer Occupy, May 19, 2013/8

  9. THANK YOU FOR Y OUR ATTENTION NIELS I. MEYER nim@byg.dtu.dk

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