Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere just hit a ‘depressing’ new recordhttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/carbon-dioxide-levels-in-the-atmosphere-just-hit-a-depressing-record-high/

[gimulnautti@mastodon.green]

@gerrymcgovern Growth has become a problem because neoliberalistic ideology has turned formerly democratic nations into kleptocracies, where governments bow down to monopolistic corporations that are on many instances more powerful than the states themselves.

This has been a completely voluntary choice. All of it has been voted in by the public, and cheered on with thunderous applause.

We chose these politicians and ignored the warnings. We thought we were going to be among the rich.

[gerrymcgovern@mastodon.green]

Degrowth is the only hope

"Resources are dwindling, including minerals, timber, water, and soils. Almost all ecosystems are being damaged, including the atmosphere, oceans, and forests. Species are being lost at an alarming rate. Seven of the nine major “planetary boundaries” impacts have now exceeded safe levels."

https://www.resilience.org/stories/2026-05-05/transition-towns-are-key-to-degrowth-but-current-movements-remain-too-reformist/

[gerrymcgovern@mastodon.green]

"Supporters of economic theories known as “degrowth” or “post-growth” say that capitalism’s pursuit of growth, along with the relentless consumption and production needed to sustain it, has run its course. They point to rising inequality, exceeding natural planetary boundaries and geopolitical struggles over scarcer energy resources."

https://theconversation.com/is-this-the-moment-to-change-the-way-we-think-about-economic-growth-281747

[lucybeahere@mstdn.social]

@gerrymcgovern

But someone told me that increased energy consumption is fine bc renewables will cover it all! So frustrating.

[saltywizard@beige.party]

@gerrymcgovern

tune out, turn off, and drop in!

[gerrymcgovern@mastodon.green]

@lucybeahere yeah, it's such a sweet, compelling sell, isn't it? The Green Transition to the sunny uplands of guilt-free consumption. What could go wrong?

[julesbl@mastodon.me.uk]

@gerrymcgovern
Let's start by turning off all the LLMs

[gkrnours@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@gerrymcgovern well, they need to fuel the AI datacenter.

[lritter@mastodon.gamedev.place]

@gerrymcgovern i'm thinking that maybe this will solve itself on its own, because when everyone does the same on a market, they usually leave a niche. the smart money might be "rediscovered" in the sustainable investment "niche". the thing is, it doesn't make waves. it isn't loud. it's unhypable.

[arsimael@social.khajiit.de]

@gerrymcgovern We dont need "degrowth". We just need to stop using energy for:
- cryptocurrency
- ai everything
- ads everywhere
- producing stuff "to throw it in the trash"

...
Oh...

[ukeleleeric@mstdn.social]

@Arsimael @gerrymcgovern I disagree - we DO need degrowth, as well as those.

[davide_sandini@mastodon.uno]

@Arsimael
Indeed this is a degrowth, but only for oligarchs's pockets.. This is why they are scared of.
@gerrymcgovern

[franceskamann@freeradical.zone]

@Arsimael @gerrymcgovern

We do need degrowth. We need 1.7 earths to support our humanity as we are.

[arsimael@social.khajiit.de]

@FranceskaMann @gerrymcgovern We are already running towards a huge "degrowth". Look at the population charts.
Nearly every western and 'developed' Nation is below a birthrate of 2. Two Children per couple are needed to keep the population at the same size. All 'first world' nations are shrinking.

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/