Enough Is EnoughBuilding a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources

Rob DietzAuthorProject Manager, Farmland LP

Northwest Hazardous MaterialsManagement ConferenceTroutdale, ORJune 24, 2014

I Hate Econ!

Invisible Hand Cafe

Tuna fishing banned in South Pacific

Source: Rockstrom et al., Nature v. 461, 2009.

Critically endangered lemur leaf frog (photo by Brad Wilson)

Sources: Veenhoven “World Database of Happiness” and World Bank “World Development Indicators.”

• Declining biodiversity

• 400 parts per million CO2

• Overconsumption

• Poverty and inequality

• Economy inconsistent with long-term human and planetary health

• Continuing faith in growth (increasing production and consumption)

“Houston, we have a problem!”

Source: Kate Raworth, “A Safe and Just Space for

Humanity,” 2012.

Foundation: changing awareness from more to enough

Roof: goal of sustainable and equitable well-being

Pillars: support structure of new policies and institutions

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Three Questions for Each Pillar

What are we doing?

What could we do instead?

Where do we go from here?

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Throughput: What are we doing?

Throughput: What are we doing?

RenewablesExtraction ≤ Regeneration

NonrenewablesSubstitution ≥ Depletion

WastesEmissions ≤ Safe Absorption

Throughput: What could we do instead?

Throughput: What could we do instead?

Throughput: What could we do instead?

Throughput: Where do we go from here?

88%

Throughput: Where do we go from here?

Role of Technology

Role of Technology

Appropriate Technology?

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Ranking Nation HPI Score (out of a possible 100)

1. Costa Rica 76.12. Dominican Republic 71.83. Jamaica 70.14. Guatemala 68.45. Vietnam 66.59. Brazil 61.017. Bhutan 58.520. China 57.135. India 53.051. Germany 48.174. United Kingdom 43.375. Japan 43.3106. Russia 34.5114. United States 30.7115. Nigeria 30.3143. Zimbabwe 16.6

Selection of Nations Ranked by Happy Planet Index

Happy Planet Index =Happy Life Years

Ecological Footprint

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LEARN SOMETHING,

SAY SOMETHING,

DO SOMETHING!

Houston, we have a problem!

steadystate.org/enough-is-enough/

“Lucid, informed, andhighly constructive…”–Noam Chomsky

“…offers the way to a better quality of life and a sustainable future for all.”–Kate Pickett

“…will restore your hopein the future.”–Thom Hartmann