Anyone who has visions could help the political left! Oliver Nachtwey, professor of sociology at the University of Basel, sees in the unawareness of the political left the most important reason for the crisis, in which especially the social-democratic parties of Europe are present in many countries: “The malaise of the left has its origins …
2084: Why the venture into the unknown is worthwhile
“It was a bright [warm] day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” It would hardly have been surprising if Paul Raskin’s utopia of a “homeland earth” had begun with these words. Given the current global developments, a dystopia based on Orwell, an updated Twenty Eighty-Four version, would be a likely outcome in an …
Towards a trade-off between sustainability and return
Companies are confronted with a conflict of objectives, also referred to as trade-off in English. This arises when objectives and financial goals are not compatible. Companies often face the dilemma: should they invest in socially and ecologically sustainable measures or where a financial gain can be expected? Motivation On a limited planet, the economy can …
Where is the sufficiency in energy scenarios?
Are behavioral and lifestyle changes in global energy scenario studies considered as an option to significantly reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in the future? This question was the focus of a study that I conducted together with colleagues Marie-Christine Gröne, Uwe Schneidewind, Hans-Jochen Luhmann, Johannes Venjakob and Benjamin Best and whose results were published last …
A better future is possible
The Sustainability Council of TU Berlin had the Canadian scientist Peter Victor on 18.05.2018 in the context of the lecture series “prosperity without growth” to a lecture on new findings from the revision process of his 2008 published book Managing without Growth. Slower by design, not invited disaster . The renowned economist, Emeritus Professor of …
We are driven
Growth used to mean prosperity, yes, even luck. Today, the system is forcing us to consume more and more. Otherwise it would collapse. Increasingly, steady economic growth has shifted from a desirable goal to a constraint that we are subject to. The promise that growth would also be accompanied by a better future life has …
Society must move together
Sufficiency, especially in construction, still does not receive the necessary attention. According to the Federal Environmental Agency, living space consumptions per person increased from 39.5m² to 46.5m² between 2000 and 2014, even if different groups of people work bravely and tirelessly on the subject: environmental associations and growth critics inform about the necessities, have solution …
How sustainable is sustainability?
A critical-reflexive inventory “Do not cut more wood than grow back” – this vivid explanation of forestry people is 300 years old for the concept of sustainability (see Grober 2013) – actually a banal old wisdom. Capitalism, however, with its “time is money” and profit-maximizing strategy, exploits natural and social resources and increasingly depletes humans …
Platform Capitalism or Alternative Economy?
This year, the Association for Ecological Economic Research (VÖW) invites you to Wuppertal from the 1st to the 5th of October for the 8th Autumn Academy . Sharing Economy: Platform Capitalism or Alternative Economy? Sharing in itself is not a new concept and belongs in many cultures heard parts still today in all areas of …
Termination – what to do when the bank terminates the loan agreement
It is probably the nightmare of any borrower: during the repayment phase, the bank terminates the loan . Apart from the fact that such termination is noted as a negative feature in the private credit act of the consumer and the creditworthiness of the consumer deteriorates, the Bank has a further significant consequence of the loan termination : The entire outstanding debt has to plus any default interest and a compensation payment immediately the bank be transferred. …