Chapter Ritirata sostenibile! I tanti modi con cui possiamo adattarci al cambiamento

This Chapter examines the paths along which we humans could create an economy within planetary boundaries. To prevent the contraction of human activities from translating into a traumatic collapse, we should accept that contraction and indeed accelerate it. The negative impact on us would be greater, in fact, if we tried to stave off the decline, or slow it down. Given this paradox, the Chapter discusses how to support the return of socio-economic metabolism to the borders. In particular, it examines interventions at the individual, national and supranational level; mercantile policies; forms of collective and mutual action; measures that leverage systemic turning points. Finally, it thinks about how the relationship between humans and the environment is changing in terms of mutual "resonance"

Chapter Per la critica della crescita illimitata e della crescita verde

We focus on two great narratives: unlimited growth and green growth. The problem of the compatibility between the increase of human economic activities and the ecosystem seems to be solved by each of the two narratives. After recalling the thermodynamic unfoundedness of the first paradigm, we ask ourselves why it remains central in orienting political choices. Our answer explores the nature of "public religion" that economics has been taking on: by shaping our mental models and our actions, today's dominant economic theory is capable of converting us, contributing to the affirmation of even indefensible beliefs. With regard to the green growth paradigm, it is based on the idea of an absolute decoupling between the trend of growth and the negative impact on the environment, as well as on the related idea that forms of full circularity of economic processes are practicable. Against this conception theoretical arguments and empirical evidence have been advanced, none of which is in itself negatively conclusive, but whose complex makes it highly implausible

Chapter Gli scenari

Chapter seven analyzes some of the most relevant future scenarios, regarding population, energy resources, public health, inequality, democracy on a national scale and forms of social power. On the population, evidences are advanced which cast doubt on the comforting idea that its trend will first become stationary and then decrease. On public health, the connotations of the Covid-19 pandemic are compared with those of the major ecological problems. On inequality, the emphasis is placed on that resulting from competition for the goods of status and power. On democracy, the tension between the national context, in which this political regime has expressed itself in our era, and global processes is discussed. Finally, the coexistence of various forms of social power and the ways in which they combine with each other is examined

Chapter Il degrado della biosfera

The position of man in the biosphere and the interaction of its activities with the different sectors of the earth's ecosphere are bringing the Earth system into a drastically different state from that in which the development of advanced civilizations was possible

Chapter Qualche riflessione finale

We introduce the concept of "tragic choices": those that concern our vital and identity experiences. As in the tragedies of classical Greek theater, there are circumstances in which there is no right and wrong, since theses capable of exhibiting arguments of almost equal strength are opposed. This is what happens today due to the contrast between economic and ecological predicaments: there is no optimal choice in this regard, valid always and in any case, that allows us to neglect and forget the other option. This is why, in pragmatic terms, the concept of “a-growth” is useful: we check on a case-by-case basis when economic growth can still be useful, when it should be slowed down and when it needs to be reduced. This approach is part of the research, itself pragmatic, of the "boundaries of the biosphere". These are not rigid limits, but constraints that must be interpreted and adapted, based on the idea of "being happy", where being satisfied means making the biosphere feel good with us inside

O la capra o i cavoli

We cannot have the goat and the cabbages together. We cannot jointly achieve the preservation of the planet, economic growth and the improvement of individual and collective well-being. Climate and energy issues are not a crisis, and even an emergency, but a historic passage that we must face by committing ourselves to grasping the exact terms of the difficulties and dangers. We must give up part of our lifestyle, reducing population and economy as quickly, but also the less traumatically possible. We must abandon the criterion of efficiency for that of sufficiency. We need to stop thinking about what we could do more and start thinking about what we can do less

Chapter Limiti alla crescita, universalismo e progresso sociale

The paradigm of limits to growth has been legitimized by important contributions, both scientific and philosophical. Although it has oriented the political program of the major ecological movements, its weakness is to be "negative" (placing constraints) and paternalistic (preaching to others what it would be right to do). We evaluate the weight of these criticisms by examining Ingrid Robeyns' recent refined version of it, according to which it would be efficient and right to put an upper limit on income and wealth. We then move on to criticize the universalist ideology that has always permeated the ecological paradigm, arguing that, ultimately, Humanity will be able to awaken and jointly face the ongoing crises. Evolutionary biology helps to account for the weakness of this approach: the human species reproduces by mixing conflict and cooperation on an individual and group level. Humans have always been divided into many tribes, which can collaborate, but which sometimes exist as they defend and affirm borders and identities. It is rather empty to imagine the ecumenical convergence of all humans on the same order of priorities. Finally, we distinguish between growth and social progress. We try to formulate a definition of progress that constitutes the premise for a more adequate narration of the story of our biosphere