Sustainability

Class 10: Wessels, The Myth of ProgressPOLI 294Fall 2012

Analysis Papers

Analysis Papers – not research Get to pt quickly and concisely. Use

specifics Need strong argument for paper built

on thesis – in 1st para Use thesis to guide your analysis Go deeper rather than broader Build on critical pts through next

papers develop YOUR thoughts Process not a result Evolution

Story of Stuff

Annie Leonard, Story

Materials Economy & Linear Systems

Material Embeddedness: Linear systems embedded in larger systems: capitalism, commerce, trade, governance, institutions, at all scales (Hawken & Speth)

Ideological Embeddedness: linear systems and materials economy is supported by culture, history, tradition, language, discourse, values etc. (Wessels)

Dominant institutions and people within those instits try to control both areas to retain control and power ideological embeddedness is vital to understanding enviro degradation

Need a new “Cultural Narrative”??

Progress

“It’s a very recent phenomenon that landscapes to which people were once connected have become smothered by development—growth that we are told is a sign of progress. But is progress truly possible if its wake continually generates loss—loss of connections to place and community, loss of clean air and water, loss of other species who are truly part of our ancestral family tree?” (p. xii)

Myth of Progress, Intro

Book Thesis: Challenge to our current “paradigm” that “in order to progress we need to keep growing the economy.”

Paradigm: represents a core belief that dramatically structures our worldview.

Econ growth: predicated on increasing consumption of resources

Econ Development: centers on per cap income. can occur w/o increasing consumption—encouraged thru value-added activities (p. xvi)

Means to true Progress

Conclusion: “Need for real community, traditions that help us find our way, connection to our place, and ample time for reflective practice…without those connections we lose any sense of responsibility for our actions.” “As such, greed becomes possible and when

linked to the need to consume, the combination allows for dramatically selfish behavior.”

Myths

1. Myth of “control” 2. Myth of Growth 3. Myth of Energy 4. Myth of the “free market” 5. Myth of “Progress”

3 Laws of Sustainability

1. Limits to growth2. 2nd law of thermodynamics Entropy

Constant “heat”/energy loss perpectual machine is impossible Increased Disorder exposes the dangers of increased energy consumption (over simplification and diffusion)

3. Law of self-organization spontaneous coordination from local interactions initial causal agent leads to positive feedback

Wessels Vid

Wessels Speech (part I) (9m)

Wessels Speech (part II) (3m)

Chaos and Butterflies

Chaos Theory: initial conditions have a deterministic effect on future conditions complex systems are highly sensitive to initial conditions

Butterfly Effect: slight alterations of starting pt (in a system) can “dramatically alter its future behavior.” (p4)

Runs against predictability of Western scientific paradigm based on linearity and reductionism (breakdown into parts to understand system) (Newton and Descartes)

Today, scientific approach embraces linearity, and culture (through education) perpetuates it

Feedbacks in Complex Systems Because of a complex system’s ability to

feedback on itself (contrary to linearity), predictability becomes difficult

A complex system can jump to a ‘new behavior’ from feedbacks ‘bifurcation event’

Melting Ice becomes a positive feedback to climate system. Reflective ice disappears leaving dark ocean to absorb more heat adding to temp increase.

Wessel’s Myth of Control (#1)

“predictability and control lie at the heart of our reigning notions of progress. Our leaders believe they can control the future by constantly adjusting the parts. Technological advances are touted as the means to control one day those things that we can’t control right now, allowing progress to continue…control is a reality in a linear system, but in a complex one, it’s simply a myth.” (p21)

Myth of Growth

“Limits to growth is an inherent law that governs all organisms, populations, ecosystems, and even the biosphere—systems that are all nested within the other” (p31) (so do “earth’s physical systems”)

Myth of Energy2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Based on 2nd Law of thermodynamics (Law of Entropy): although energy can’t be created or destroyed (1st law), it can be transformed.

However, this transformation is never 100% efficient (some energy is always lost from system) (p42)

Entropy: process where things naturally move from a state of order toward disorder (or complexity to simplicity)

Every enviro problem today is the result of entropy—caused by increasing energy transformation by humans

E.g. erosion of topsoil or deforestation—entropy leaves behind simpler, more diffused ecosystem

Myth: Progress = More Energy Transformation; however, more energy transformation only leads to more entropy

Solution is to reduce energy consumption, although renewables will help (still energy transformation req’d) and focus on efficiency

Myth of the Free Market

All biological systems increase in complexity and diversity, parts become specialized and integrated—it is the key to sustainability of bio systems (p64)

Higher diversity creates resilience and stability; simplified systems can tumult with loss of a single species. (p77)

Opposite in corp world: Mergers lead to larger orgs (MNCs) and competitive exclusion US Agriculture: sharp decline in # of farms, limited # of crops, and subsidies

(60% subs went to large agribus representing only 10% of US farms—2003) (p78)

Rise of Corp power: corps as persons (law), monopolization, interest group power

Indiv corps grow, simplifying system, with higher concentrations of power econ sys behaves in contradiction to natural complex systems

Myth of Progress

Hierarchy of Progress Reverse today’s trajectory (all about materialism) Indivs must be fulfilled (emotional well being) at top,

material progress at bottom

More affluent, higher levels of anxiety, depression, and social isolation focus in on possessions and lifestyle (ephemeral pleasure)

Live longer but less healthy

Indicators of well-being is deteriorating

Cultural Change = Ancient Values

Large part of prob is individualism & self-absorption

Lessons from Ancient cultures: Reciprocal altruism Each had a critical role, but knew

place within world Part of land, not apart from it Reflective practice

10000 Yrs of Cultural Transformation

2 changes with advent of agriculture 1. part of land replaced with being apart from it 2. as villages grew, political hierarchies formed▪ * resulted in exclusion

With Ind Rev: Extended families shed for more mobile nuclear ones Societal changes accelerated, & with greater mobility,

connections that grounded people to place were lost

Today (4th cultural transformation) Global, postindustrial culture shifts in populations from pol &

econ upheavals and changing job mkts Nuclear family under assault (both parents work) Major decisions made by trade reps, MNCs, & appt officials

Epilogue: Connection not Consumption

Main Prob: “isolation of people from community, place and reflective practice has become a crisis of culture.” (p109).

As economy & consumption grow, entropy (sys becomes disorganized & simplified as it loses energy) will accelerate. The feedback from this mounting entropy will eventually destabilize and curtail econ growth.”

“with an econ sys that continuously moves away from cooperative integration of efficient, specialized enterprises to huge transnationals that thrive on competitive exclusion, we find a system that grows increasingly wasteful, lacks critical redundancy, and as a result moves toward greater instability.” (p113)

CSA: Community Supported Agriculture people buy shares in a farm and get all produce as members