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Tag Archives: consumption
And Now Trucking Is Suddenly Slowing Down
And Now Trucking Is Suddenly Slowing Down This comes at the totally wrong time. Trucking had been booming. 2014 had been a banner year. Capacity was squeezed, and rates were rising, so trucking companies went on a buying binge, ordering everything in the book in preparation for red-hot demand in 2015 and more banner years […]
The Downsides of Cheap Abundance
The Downsides of Cheap Abundance Having “a lot” is not necessarily a good thing. (Photo: Public domain) In college, Economics 101 is often described as the social science discipline that deals with the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services. MIT Economist Paul Samuelson liked to focus on scarcity, or more specifically, the allocation […]
Demographics and Major Financial and Economic Trends
Demographics and Major Financial and Economic Trends Demographics Driving Declines in Oil Consumption, Mounting Debt, & Central Bank Mismanagement Sometimes, the simplest answer really is best. I contend the primary and simplest factor that need be watched to gauge present and future economic activity are the changes in core populations (15-64 year old segment of the larger population) for any nation or grouping. […]
The Boundaries and Future of Solution Space – Part 4
The Boundaries and Future of Solution Space – Part 4 Blind Alleys and Techno-Fantasies The majority of proposals made by those who acknowledge limits fail on at least one of the previous criteria, and often several, if not all of them. Solution space is smaller than we typically think. The most common approach is to […]
Why the Cash Economy in Greece May Be Ending
Why the Cash Economy in Greece May Be Ending Many believe we have a teetering world economy, even without Greece as an indicator. Now Greece is looming ever larger as a critical if unknown actor. It is mostly considered a bad one, for the entire European, and even the worldwide, financial system and economy. The […]
U.S. Households Under Pressure: Stagnant Incomes, Rising Basic Expenses
U.S. Households Under Pressure: Stagnant Incomes, Rising Basic Expenses How do you support a consumer economy with stagnant incomes for the bottom 90%, rising basic expenses and crashing employment for males ages 25-54? Answer: you don’t. Frequent contributor B.C. passed along a sobering set of charts that provide context for How The Average U.S. Consumer Spends […]
No Climate Protection without Climate Justice; No Climate Justice without Degrowth
No Climate Protection without Climate Justice; No Climate Justice without Degrowth Shortly before the most crucial UN climate change conference after the failure of Copenhagen, it seems that the international climate-movement is finally getting its act together: resistance against fossil fuel extraction is gaining ground and a rising global movement is putting pressure on institutions to divest their […]
The First-World Fear That Makes Life Harder
The First-World Fear That Makes Life Harder Here in the so-called First World, we give up a lot because of an exaggerated fear of a particular feeling. It’s usually pretty subtle, but I see this fear made explicit whenever Mr Money Mustache or other early-retirement advocatesget national news coverage. The comment sections of these major publications are always vile, […]
Energy prices and consumer spending
Energy prices and consumer spending Among the disappointments in the 2015:Q1 GDP figures was weak consumption growth, which was a little surprising given the extra cash most consumers have on hand as a result of lower energy prices. I wanted to take a look at how the recent consumer behavior compares with what we’ve seen historically. The […]
The Financial Markets Now Control Everything
The Financial Markets Now Control Everything The entire economic and political structure is now dependent in one way or another on the continued expansion of financial markets. The financial markets don’t just dominate the economy–they now control everything. In 1999, the BBC broadcast a 4-part documentary by Adam Curtis, The Mayfair Set ( Episode 1: “Who Pays Wins” 58 minutes), […]
Today’s Money Regimes Are Doomed To Failure
Today’s Money Regimes Are Doomed To Failure Centrally issued money centralizes wealth and generates systemic inequality. A Thought Experiment on Money Let’s imagine a small mountain kingdom with only ten very scarce and thus highly valued seashells in circulation. These few shells are certainly valuable in terms of scarcity, but there aren’t enough of them […]
10 SHADY ORIGINS OF CONSUMERISM IN THE US
10 SHADY ORIGINS OF CONSUMERISM IN THE US Consumerism and the practice of flaunting one’s status through clothes, jewelry, and other things has existed since the dawn of civilization. Yet, the endless cycle of working to buy has never been more rampant than it is now. How did the United States, a nation founded on […]
Only Less Will Do
Only Less Will Do When I’m not writing books or essays on environmental issues, or sleeping or eating, you’re likely to find me playing the violin. This has been an obsessive activity for me since I was a boy, and seems to deliver ever more satisfaction as time passes. Making and operating the little wooden box that […]
Sustainability for Whom?
Sustainability for Whom? The mission of UPSTREAM (formerly Product Policy Institute) is “sustainable production and consumption and good governance.” Sometimes I feel like we’re swimming against the tide in advocating a role for government action in ensuring sustainable production and consumption. Big brands like Wal-Mart, Nestle, Procter and Gamble can effect rapid, systemic change in their global […]
The Journey of Setting up a Reuse and Repair Centre – a solution for a circular economy
The Journey of Setting up a Reuse and Repair Centre – a solution for a circular economy The 1951 film, ‘The Man in the White Suit’, is a classic comedy from Ealing Studios with a sinister edge. It tells the story of an inventor of a thread that never wears off. When his bosses at […]
