1. The Future: Degrowth & Sustainability

2. ‘A frenzied explosion of consumer culture’
Black Friday (DQ1)
‘A frenzied explosion of consumer culture’
Huge #s
Small business Saturday
Aggression, violence, deaths
Cyber Monday
Giving Tuesday
Getting worse
Single’s Day 11.11

3. Black Friday (DQ1- cont.)
Capitalism req. growth
CF= guise of ‘consumer power’
Retail therapy
Adverse feedback loops
Ignore external costs
CF thrives on:
Consumer apathy
Feeling overwhelmed if want to help
Halo effect
Lack of ed.

4. ‘Degrowth’ (DQ2) Degrowth pushes to Scale back production, consumption
Eliminate social injustices
Redefine ‘the good life’
GN living in post-materialism era
Same concerns as CF

5. ‘Degrowth’ as Necessary Beyond SD? (DQ2 cont.)
SD co-opted by MNCs
SD implies development
Needed in GS, but need to avoid GN model
No-growth advocates

6. Challenging the Dominant Paradigm (DQ3)
Shift in values
Is FT cocaine the answer?
‘Importance of scale’
Replace sustainability
Planned obsolescence
Need policy changes

7. Recap SD co-opted by MNCs Degrowth = sustainable progress
Borrowing into future
Challenges capitalism, CF
Pushes for a balance
Consumption, work hours, equal access
Why more growth?
Need to make changes
What we value
‘True materialism’

8. Critical Thought Paper 2
Answer the below questions, indicating each by #1, #2,#3, #4. Be absolutely certain that you write in paragraphs.
How do food and water supply and demand challenge sustainability? Why is reducing overall consumption of food in the GN arguably more important than in the GS? How do water issues vary in the GN and GS?
How do waste issues differ in the GN and GS? How does commodity fetishism encourage waste? Consider, for example, why a model of reducing consumption, along with fixing and reusing products is more important than recycling.
Why is degrowth both the best and most improbable solution to sustainability? Be sure to consider how your consumption choices affect the planet and the people on it. Look back at your consumption log to consider how you could change your impact. What changes are you willing to make or not?
In conclusion, consider how sustainability is both a GN and GS issue. How are the two economic sectors interconnected?

9. Critical Thought Paper 2 (cont.)
Writing/Submitting Details When referencing readings, avoid writing out the titles. When you refer to a specific reading, just put the name (as indicated in parentheses above) at the end of your first reference to it. All references should be in your own words (don’t paraphrase or quote) Focus on discussing the significance of the readings to the course concepts rather than giving summaries of them.
Be sure to follow the Standard Format for Written Work in your course syllabus. You have a 1600 word maximum (about 5 ½ or so pages). If you exceed the word limit, you will lose 10% from your grade for each block of up to 50 words, so grading would begin at 90%. List your word count at the end of your paper.
Submit your paper in word format, uploaded as last name, P2 to Canvas no later than 11:00 pm, Monday, 5/6. If I cannot open your file, you will receive a zero. Late submissions (up to 11:15 pm) will incur a 1 point penalty. No papers will be accepted after 11:15 pm.