GROWTHISM

We’ve seen major climate disruption coming for decades. Why have we been unable to act? I think primarily it’s our addiction to Growthism in the Western world and specifically the global north, supported by historic Colonialism and its knock-on effects exploiting the resources and cultures of (largely) the global south.

This post will start to explain what I mean.

So What’s Growthism?

Let’s back up: Some would say it’s Capitalism that’s the problem. Maybe. But actually I think the greater culprit is the aspect of our capitalist model that requires perpetual growth, for it’s own sake.

Companies, GDP, customer orders, oil reserves, mining claims, widget production – all that and more – investors, politicians, central bankers – their success models all require perpetual GROWTH.  

Why is this a problem?  There are several problems arising – mainly it’s a problem because
a) We don’t NEED the outputs of such growth for positive societal benefit, and
b) Because the means of achieving it is using up the resources of the planet, plundering ecosystems and exploiting peoples.

Umair Haque (@umairh) summed up Growthism this way in a 2013 HBR article:  “It’s not just a system or a set of institutions. It’s a mindset; an ideology; a set of cherished beliefs. And one that’s hardened into dogma. A dogma which is palpably failing; but can’t be dislodged—because it’s become an article of faith, the central belief of a cult, whose priests and acolytes threaten mysterious, terrible, divine revenge whenever their authority is questioned.”  

The outcomes of unbridled, ubiquitous Growthism are – naming just a few – too much stuff we don’t really need, use of earth’s resources well beyond sustainable levels, huge and worsening disparities between the haves and the have-nots.

The Growthism dogma drives us to continue to do what we know is wrong. We need to get off that path.