Last week The Natural Step Network-USA and Illahee hosted Boston College sociology professor and author Juliet Schor, who spoke about her most recent book Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth. Schor has examined the intersection of our economic and social systems for many years. In Plenitude, she addresses the question many of us asked in the aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown: where do we go from here?  Schor’s answer is her theory of “plenitude,” which goes hand-in-hand with a recent talk by Canadian scientist and professor Bill Rees, as well as the underlying principles of The Natural Step Framework:

…the individual principles of plenitude: work and spend less, create and connect more. In turn they yield ecological benefits- emit and degrade less- and human ones- enjoy and thrive more.

Not only has our culture of consumerism been challenged, but also our definition of wealth. What is needed for a sustainable future is a complete re-structuring of both our economic system as well as our way of thinking. The U.S. business-as-usual approach does not recognize, nor give any weight to, the social wealth that can result from realizing that we really can “get more for less.” Schor explains: “if we can admit that full-time jobs need not require so many hours, it’ll be possible to slow down ecological degradation, address unemployment, and make time for family and community.”  

We have either forgotten or no longer realize that what is good for the environment is also good for people. In addressing the 4th system condition that must be met to achieve true sustainability, choosing to be sustainable does not mean we have to sacrifice our quality of life. It simply means we need to change what we consider our “needs” and stop buying in (literally) to the “more is better” lifestyle.   

New technology and higher energy prices alone cannot solve our problems; what is needed is a collective effort and change of interest to become more in-tune with natural systems.  Bill Rees, originator of the ecological footprint, describes the dilemma of our current situation in his speech “Is humanity inherently unsustainable?” on April 15:

Unsustainability…is the modern mind interacting with Nature. It's the way we think, in terms of the beliefs, values, and assumptions under which we operate…Our economies, are so far removed from the way in which natural systems function, that there is no way that you can compatibly integrate the two.
 

Rees gives the following example: if a developing country with a population similar to China’s reaches a level of consumption equivalent to that of the U.S., that single country will exceed the Earth’s total ecological output available. His solution? Not only Americans, but all of “the rich countries have to slow down” and change our habits of excessive consumption, which he calls “contraction and convergence.” Much like the Natural Step sustainability principles emphasize, we must find ways to become more efficient and effective, in addition to reducing both what we take from the earth as well as what we make. By not only changing our needs to require fewer natural resources and reduce disruption of natural system cycles, we can “create the ecological space necessary for [populations of other countries] who deserve to grow” and live at a “decent standard.” As Schor says, “business-as-usual with a coat of green paint is not enough.”

Access Bill Rees’ speech transcript and audio.  

 By Brooke Beadle, Intern, The Natural Step US