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Hi Nancy & All,
That version of the Daly article is much longer than the printed =
version I saved. Good to see the more complete text.
The quote from Bertrand Russell is priceless-- from Daly's chapter; =
pasted below--=20
In the 1930's the late Bertrand Russell proposed a policy of leisure =
growth rather than commodity growth and viewed the unemployment question =
in terms of the distribution of leisure. The following words are from =
his essay, "In Praise of Idleness:"
Suppose that, at a given moment, a certain number of people are engaged =
in the manufacture of pins. They make as many pins as the world needs, =
working (say) eight hours a day. Someone makes an invention by which the =
same number of men can make twice as many pins as before. But the world =
does not need twice as many pins. Pins are already so cheap that hardly =
any more will be bought at a lower price. In a sensible world, everybody =
concerned in the manufacture of pins would take to working four hours =
instead of eight and everything else would go on as before. But in the =
actual world this would be thought demoralizing. The men still work =
eight hours, there are too many pins, some employers go bankrupt, and =
half the men previously concerned in making pins are thrown out of work. =
There is in the end just as much leisure as on the other plan, but half =
the men are totally idle while half are still overworked. In this way it =
is insured that the unavoidable leisure shall cause misery all round =
instead of being a universal source of happiness. Can anything more =
insane be imagined.
----- Original Message -----=20
From: N Robinson=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2016 12:00 AM
Subject: Re: Consumerism & global warming Long: Re: [NatureNS] Leap =
Day, Leap Manifesto, global warming, Academy Awards
Thanks for this reference, David - a dense and fascinating article =
that can be found online:
http://dieoff.org/page41.htm
"Toward a New Economics: Questioning Growth" by Herman E. Daly
Nancy
On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 8:01 PM, David & Alison Webster =
<dwebster@glinx.com> wrote:
Hi Jim & All, =
Mar 2, 2016
Quoting Jim "what can/should be done about this anthropogenic =
problem."
A) About 1950, long before global warming surfaced, I concluded =
that rampant consumerism, mechanization and the massive highway system =
which would be needed to serve the dream of a car (or several vehicles) =
in every driveway would quickly shred the environment and generate =
unemployment.=20
In the mid 50's a common joke was "If all the economists in the =
world were laid end to end they would still all point in different =
directions".=20
Now one would have to restate that to "If all the economists in =
the world were laid end to end they would still all point in the wrong =
direction" and it is no longer amusing.=20
When global warming came along in the late 60's it seemed =
obvious that combating global warming was desirable, even if it turned =
out to be a fiction, because actions to combat global warming, reduced =
consumption of fossil fuels, would also help to at least reduce the =
destructive effects of the above slow motion train wreck (A)..
At about that time I somewhere ran into an interesting =
article"Toward a New Economics: Questioning Growth" by Herman E. Daly, =
pp. 47-52 in ?; tore it out and saved it. This was an excerpt from a =
book The Patient Earth to be published in 1971 (which I never read).=20
But it is still taken as gospel that GNP must increase each year =
or else and after interest rates have barely exceeded inflation for 5 =
years our head bankers imagine that lowering rates, perhaps into =
negative territory, will stimulate the economy by increasing consumption =
while, heaven forbid, not luring people into increasing their debt load =
And of course, at the same time, expressing the hope that people will =
also continue to save for the rainy day or old age whichever comes =
first.=20
Or, in fewer words, if our financial leaders had a clue then the =
rattle would drive them crazy.
Industry has found ways to force consumerism; shoddy goods. Our =
first toaster, 1960 vintage, lasted 40 years; by taking it apart, =
turning a screw here, bending a rod there, repairing a broken filament =
with a loop of wire... Our second toaster lasted one week, our third =
about one month and the fourth is still going after 15 years. None of =
the last three toasters can be taken apart so when something goes the =
unit also is toast.
=20
I doubt that governments can assume leadership in global warming =
any more than they have been able to come to grips with the folly of =
perpetual growth. And, in any case, the two are just different sides of =
the same cloth.
It is up to individuals to reduce their direct or indirect =
consumption of fossil fuels. If enough make this choice then politicians =
may get onside.
For those who have the patience to lobby for change, a huge =
reduction in motor vehicle traffic, highway construction, highway =
repair... could be launched by a few strokes of a pen in government =
hands. With Motor Vehicle Insurance and Registration as high as it is =
and gasoline as cheap as it is there is little incentive to drive less.=20
If Insurance and Registration were both proportional to distance =
driven then there would be real incentive for the public to demand and =
use effective public transit; less demand for wider highways, less =
traffic and fewer accidents. All held back in an effort to keep that =
perpetual growth flywheel turning ever faster.=20
=20
End of rant.
DW
=20
=20
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Jim Wolford=20
To: naturens=20
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2016 8:03 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] Leap Day, Leap Manifesto, global warming, =
Academy Awards
Begin forwarded message:
From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Subject: Leap Day, Leap Manifesto, global warming, Academy =
Awards
Date: March 1, 2016 at 6:38:35 PM AST
To: Nature BNS <nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca>
Cc: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
FEB. 29, 2016 - LEAP DAY! Makes me think of the Leap Manifesto =
movement, ala Naomi Klein=E2=80=99s book and the similarly titled =
documentary filmed by Avi Lewis, =E2=80=9CThis Changes =
Everything=E2=80=9D, concerning global climate change and its =
repercussions and what can/should be done about this anthropogenic =
problem. =20
I=E2=80=99m glad I was up late watching the end of the Academy =
Awards on Sunday (yesterday). Leonardo DiCaprio won best actor for =
=E2=80=9CThe Revenant=E2=80=9D, and his short acceptance speech ended =
with some very well-chosen words about climate change and the need for =
humanity to come to its senses finally and so something about it. He =
finished with something like, =E2=80=9CI don=E2=80=99t take our planet =
for granted, and I don=E2=80=99t take this award for granted.=E2=80=9D
If anyone knows how to get DiCaprio=E2=80=99s actual words on =
climate change, I would like to see them again.
Perhaps fittingly, today was abnormally very warm, albeit with =
very strong winds. Apparently Greenwood, King=E2=80=99s County, Nova =
Scotia, was the warmest spot in Canada at 17.6 degrees C.
Cheers from Jim, in Wolfville.
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2016.0.7442 / Virus Database: 4537/11726 - Release Date: =
03/01/16
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2016.0.7442 / Virus Database: 4537/11731 - Release Date: =
03/02/16
------=_NextPart_000_03B5_01D17543.79533590
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>Hi Nancy & All,</DIV>
<DIV> That version of the Daly article is much longer =
than the=20
printed version I saved. Good to see the more complete text.</DIV>
<DIV> The quote from Bertrand Russell is priceless-- =
from=20
Daly's chapter; pasted below-- </DIV>
<DIV>
<P=20
style=3D"WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; TEXT-INDENT: 0px; FONT: medium =
'Times New Roman'; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: =
rgb(0,0,0); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">In=20
the 1930's the late Bertrand Russell proposed a policy of leisure growth =
rather=20
than commodity growth and viewed the unemployment question in terms of =
the=20
distribution of leisure. The following words are from his essay, "In =
Praise of=20
Idleness:"</P>
<P=20
style=3D"WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; TEXT-INDENT: 0px; FONT: medium =
'Times New Roman'; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: =
rgb(0,0,0); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">Suppose=20
that, at a given moment, a certain number of people are engaged in the=20
manufacture of pins. They make as many pins as the world needs, working =
(say)=20
eight hours a day. Someone makes an invention by which the same number =
of men=20
can make twice as many pins as before. But the world does not need twice =
as many=20
pins. Pins are already so cheap that hardly any more will be bought at a =
lower=20
price. In a sensible world, everybody concerned in the manufacture of =
pins would=20
take to working four hours instead of eight and everything else would go =
on as=20
before. But in the actual world this would be thought demoralizing. The =
men=20
still work eight hours, there are too many pins, some employers go =
bankrupt, and=20
half the men previously concerned in making pins are thrown out of work. =
There=20
is in the end just as much leisure as on the other plan, but half the =
men are=20
totally idle while half are still overworked. In this way it is insured =
that the=20
unavoidable leisure shall cause misery all round instead of being a =
universal=20
source of happiness. Can anything more insane be imagined.</P>
<P=20
style=3D"WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; TEXT-INDENT: 0px; FONT: medium =
'Times New Roman'; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: =
rgb(0,0,0); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: =
0px"> </P></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20
dir=3Dltr>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dnrobbyn@gmail.com href=3D"mailto:nrobbyn@gmail.com">N =
Robinson</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, March 03, 2016 =
12:00=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Consumerism & =
global=20
warming Long: Re: [NatureNS] Leap Day, Leap Manifesto, global warming, =
Academy=20
Awards</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr>
<DIV>Thanks for this reference, David - a dense and fascinating =
article that=20
can be found online:<BR><BR><A href=3D"http://dieoff.org/page41.htm"=20
target=3D_blank>http://dieoff.org/page41.htm</A><BR><BR>"Toward a New =
Economics:=20
Questioning Growth" by Herman E. Daly<BR><BR></DIV>Nancy<BR>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV class=3Dgmail_extra><BR>
<DIV class=3Dgmail_quote>On Wed, Mar 2, 2016 at 8:01 PM, David & =
Alison=20
Webster <SPAN dir=3Dltr><<A href=3D"mailto:dwebster@glinx.com"=20
target=3D_blank>dwebster@glinx.com</A>></SPAN> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px =
0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex"=20
class=3Dgmail_quote><U></U>
<DIV style=3D"WORD-WRAP: break-word" bgcolor=3D"#ffffff">
<DIV>Hi Jim & All, =20
=
=20
=
=20
=
=20
Mar 2, 2016</DIV>
<DIV> Quoting Jim "what can/should be done about =
this=20
anthropogenic problem."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> A) About 1950, long before global warming =
surfaced, I=20
concluded that rampant consumerism, mechanization and the =
massive=20
highway system which would be needed to serve the dream of a car (or =
several=20
vehicles) in every driveway would quickly shred the environment =
and=20
generate unemployment. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV> In the mid 50's a common joke was "If all =
the=20
economists in the world were laid end to end they would still all =
point in=20
different directions". </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Now one would have to restate that to "If =
all the=20
economists in the world were laid end to end they would still all =
point=20
in the wrong direction" and it is no longer amusing. =
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV> When global warming came along in the =
late=20
60's it seemed obvious that combating global warming was =
desirable,=20
even if it turned out to be a fiction, because actions to combat =
global=20
warming, reduced consumption of fossil fuels, would also help to at=20
least reduce the destructive effects of the above slow =
motion=20
train wreck (A)..</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>At about that time I somewhere ran into an interesting =
article"Toward a=20
New Economics: Questioning Growth" by Herman E. Daly, pp. 47-52 =
in ?;=20
tore it out and saved it. This was an excerpt from a book The =
Patient Earth=20
to be published in 1971 (which I never read). </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> But it is still taken as gospel that GNP =
must=20
increase each year or else and after interest rates have barely =
exceeded=20
inflation for 5 years our head bankers imagine that lowering rates, =
perhaps=20
into negative territory, will stimulate the economy by increasing=20
consumption while, heaven forbid, not luring people into =
increasing =20
their debt load And of course, at the same =
time, expressing=20
the hope that people will also continue to save for the rainy day or =
old age=20
whichever comes first. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Or, in fewer words, if our financial leaders =
had a=20
clue then the rattle would drive them crazy.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Industry has found ways to force =
consumerism; shoddy=20
goods. Our first toaster, 1960 vintage, lasted 40 years; by =
taking it=20
apart, turning a screw here, bending a rod there, repairing a broken =
filament with a loop of wire... Our second toaster lasted one week, =
our=20
third about one month and the fourth is still going after 15 years. =
None of=20
the last three toasters can be taken apart so when something =
goes the=20
unit also is toast.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> I doubt that governments can assume =
leadership in=20
global warming any more than they have been able to come to grips =
with the=20
folly of perpetual growth. And, in any case, the two are just =
different=20
sides of the same cloth.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> It is up to individuals to reduce their =
direct or=20
indirect consumption of fossil fuels. If enough make this =
choice then=20
politicians may get onside.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> For those who have the patience to lobby for =
change,=20
a huge reduction in motor vehicle traffic, highway construction, =
highway=20
repair... could be launched by a few strokes of a pen in government =
hands.=20
With Motor Vehicle Insurance and Registration as high as it is and =
gasoline=20
as cheap as it is there is little incentive to drive less. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> If Insurance and Registration were both =
proportional=20
to distance driven then there would be real incentive for the public =
to=20
demand and use effective public transit; less demand for wider =
highways,=20
less traffic and fewer accidents. All held back in an effort to keep =
that=20
perpetual growth flywheel turning ever faster. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>End of rant.</DIV>
<DIV>DW</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: rgb(0,0,0) 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20
dir=3Dltr>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: =
rgb(228,228,228)"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Djimwolford@eastlink.ca =
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca"=20
target=3D_blank>Jim Wolford</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" =
target=3D_blank>naturens</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, March 01, =
2016 8:03=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Leap =
Day, Leap=20
Manifesto, global warming, Academy Awards</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><BR>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>Begin forwarded message:</DIV><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE type=3D"cite">
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: =
'Helvetica'"><B>From:=20
</B></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'">Jim Wolford =
<<A=20
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca"=20
target=3D_blank>jimwolford@eastlink.ca</A>><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'"><B>Subject: </B></SPAN><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'"><B>Leap Day, Leap Manifesto, =
global=20
warming, Academy Awards</B><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: =
'Helvetica'"><B>Date:=20
</B></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'">March 1, =
2016 at=20
6:38:35 PM AST<BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: =
'Helvetica'"><B>To:=20
</B></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'">Nature BNS =
<<A=20
href=3D"mailto:nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca"=20
=
target=3D_blank>nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca</A>><BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px"><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: =
'Helvetica'"><B>Cc:=20
</B></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: 'Helvetica'">Jim Wolford =
<<A=20
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca"=20
=
target=3D_blank>jimwolford@eastlink.ca</A>><BR></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV style=3D"WORD-WRAP: break-word">
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px"><B>FEB. 29, 2016</B> - <B>LEAP =
DAY! </B>=20
Makes me think of the <B>Leap Manifesto movement,</B> ala Naomi =
Klein=E2=80=99s=20
book and the similarly titled documentary filmed by Avi Lewis, =
<B>=E2=80=9CThis=20
Changes Everything=E2=80=9D</B>, concerning global climate =
change and its=20
repercussions and what can/should be done about this =
anthropogenic=20
problem. </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px; MIN-HEIGHT: 14px"><BR></DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px">I=E2=80=99m glad I was up late =
watching the end of the=20
Academy Awards on Sunday (yesterday). Leonardo DiCaprio =
won best=20
actor for =E2=80=9CThe Revenant=E2=80=9D, and his short =
acceptance speech ended with=20
some very well-chosen words about climate change and the need =
for=20
humanity to come to its senses finally and so something about =
it. =20
He finished with something like, =E2=80=9CI don=E2=80=99t take =
our planet for granted,=20
and I don=E2=80=99t take this award for granted.=E2=80=9D</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px; MIN-HEIGHT: 14px"><BR></DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px">If anyone knows how to get =
DiCaprio=E2=80=99s actual=20
words on climate change, I would like to see them again.</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px; MIN-HEIGHT: 14px"><BR></DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px">Perhaps<B> fittingly, today was =
abnormally very=20
warm</B>, albeit with very strong winds. Apparently =
Greenwood,=20
King=E2=80=99s County, Nova Scotia, was the warmest spot in =
Canada at <B>17.6=20
degrees C.</B></DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px"><B><BR></B></DIV>
<DIV style=3D"MARGIN: 0px"><B>Cheers from Jim, in=20
Wolfville.</B></DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><A></A>
<P align=3Dleft color=3D"#000000">No virus found in this =
message.<BR>Checked=20
by AVG - <A href=3D"http://www.avg.com"=20
target=3D_blank>www.avg.com</A><BR>Version: 2016.0.7442 / Virus =
Database:=20
4537/11726 - Release Date:=20
=
03/01/16</P></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV><=
A></A>
<P align=3Dleft color=3D"#000000" avgcert??>No virus found in this=20
message.<BR>Checked by AVG - <A=20
href=3D"http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</A><BR>Version: 2016.0.7442 / =
Virus=20
Database: 4537/11731 - Release Date: =
03/02/16</P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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