Deep Economy

Deep Economy is a very well written and important book. What I like best about it is the way Bill McKibben puts together a comprehensive way of looking at contemporary problems. He smoothly shows how individual consumer decisions, such as buying locally, and large scale environmental issues such as global warming are closely connected. I haven't read any of McKibben's earlier books, but he has been studying and writing about environmental and economic issues for several decades. The title is a play on the term "deep ecology," used by radical environmentalists. McKibben makes a persuasive case that economics is the best way to attack many of our most serious problems. McKibben's most fundamental point is that we must question the widely held assumption that growth is necessarily a good thing for the economy. He concedes that for people living in extreme poverty, a certain amount of growth is indeed necessary, but that beyond a certain point it is counterproductive. Not only for the environment, but for happiness and well being. He quotes statistics that suggest accelerated growth in income and spending has been associated with a decline in overall happiness for Americans.This is partly due to what he calls "hyper-individualism," the extreme focusing on self that leads to alienation and the collapse of communities. This is not, of course, an objective look at these issues, nor is there any pretense of this. I don't necessarily agree with all of McKibben's political assumptions. One could, for example, take many of the facts and possible solutions McKibben puts forth and interpret them in a more libertarian (rather than the anti-individualist, communitarian bias he has) way. But political ideology is not really the point of the book. McKibben believes, as do an increasing number of environmentalists, that global warming, peak oil (the world may be running out of oil very soon) and other environmental problems will soon make our current way of life (meaning Western, especially American) impossible. This is no longer a fringe position. With nations like India and China trying to emulate the American lifestyle, the prospect of running out of resources such as coal and oil no longer seems like a distant prospect. Add to this the issue of climate change and we really are facing a serious challenge to radically change the way we live. Deep Economy is more than an alarmist tirade. It contains many hopeful ideas for the future, many of which are already being done. Probably the most basic and radical idea in the book is that local food production is actually more efficient than the mass production system that dominates the marketplace today. From local farmers markets across the U.S. to innovative solutions implemented in African, Asian and Central American countries, McKibben shows that the solution to virtually all food problems is simply for more people to grow and consume locally. The vast amounts of energy used in transporting food, the health conc

Bill McKibben, author of "The End of Nature", et al., has been studying "modern" society for years and has seen the writing on the wall of where the world is going with un-checked population growth (see his book, "Maybe One: A Case for Smaller Families"); runaway growth mania economic platforms; rapidly increasing resource depletion; global warming, etc. It's not a pretty picture, but there is hope gained from the success of those people and entire communities that have stepped-back from the conventional "more is better" and "growth at all costs" lunacy and created simpler, far less stressful life-styles that are symbiotic with biological and sustainable resource use. An awareness of interconnectivity and interdependence with life makes for a harmonious and happy existence and this, as McKibben makes it abundantly clear, is doable! McKibben's books emphasize the old Chinese adage: "If we don't change the direction we're going, we will end up where we're headed" and currently, that is total collapse of all life support systems= chaos. There is a plethora of information in this fine book on how people are mellowing-out from erratic, over-consuming society and getting into conservation, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), growing one's own food where viable, alternative power and community based organization for better local control of government - "Localism" (p122): in other words, "From Problem To Plan. If Hyper-individualism Is Damaging our lives, what can we do about that?". (p 104). Take charge and responsibility for one's self and community's life. Find balance in all affairs. Create "...thoughtful social innovation..." and "...face to face democracy as citizen legislators." (p 170) to create a "Durable Future". (Chapter 5).

McKibben doesn't expose any new data but his interpretation is refreshingly different or maybe just a reaffirmation of what we knew in the Sixties but didn't follow -- Think Global Act Local. I have been thinking alot lately about why there aren't any more Southern restaurants in the South, why my kids aren't happy when we buy them yet another game, toy or gadget, why all the radio stations sound alike, why we have a dumpster packed to the gills with "stuff" in our driveway, and why I can buy tilapia imported from China for $2.50 per pound in our local supermarket but no fish from North Carolina. Apparently I am not the only one thinking about these things but judging by the number of reviews this engrossing book has garnered thus far there still aren't that many of us. The concepts McKibben puts forth are important and hopefully gain a wider audience.

"Deep Economy" may be the most disturbing and challenging book published this year. Disturbing? It's like the doctor telling you that you have cancer. And not just you --- you and everyone you know. The good news: There is a cure. And with the energetic support of business and government, you and everyone you know can be saved. The bad news: Our economic system is based on a crude, outdated model: More = better. Blinded by the mantra of growth, our leaders will try to make that model last as long as possible --- even if they destroy the planet in the process. The challenging action item: You want to help save the world? Think local. Think community. Your reaction is mine: No way. Shopping at a farmer's market: nice, but unimportant. Better bus service: handy, but inconsequential. Solar panels and wind turbines: of anecdotal importance. At best, the "economics of neighborliness" will divert us as the temperature and water rise. On the other hand, this is Bill McKibben talking. And only a fool doesn't pay attention to this guy. In 1989, he published "The End of Nature," the first book to call attention to global warming. He's written about population control and television and the challenge of remaining human as the world becomes digitized. (And he's not just a brainiac. In "Long Distance," the 37-year-old McKibben put himself through Olympic-intensity training to see how good a cross-country skier he could become.) McKibben has the ability, rare among writers, of identifying a problem, reporting on it, thinking it through and proposing solutions --- all in 225 pages. Here the problem he sees is unchecked growth. The usual suspects say we're in no danger of draining the planet's resources. McKibben points out that we --- that's Americans --- suck resources out of all proportion to other countries. McMansions: Until 1970, Americans lived in houses about the size of today's garages. Food: 75% of the apples sold in New York come from the West Coast or overseas, even though New York produces ten times more apples than its residents consume. Energy: Americans use twice as much as Europe. McKibben's argument gains force when he gets down to examples. His idea of name-dropping is charming: "When I was last in Bangladesh...." Other stops on his travels: Brazil, China, India. And in each place, he discovers some brilliant innovation that saves energy and boosts the quality of life. (But that doesn't take America off the hook. If rich countries don't change, he says, the poor ones won't --- they take their dreams from us.) The great sociologist Philip Slater points out, "The first cure for illusion is despair." These pages give you plenty to mope about; our earliest prophet of global warming unleashes some gloomy predictions here. One hundred eighty million dead Africans by century's end if we don't change our wasteful ways. Twenty per cent of the global economy sheared off. The rich in bunkers, the poor at the gates --- it's not a pretty picture

Humanity is in a crisis. The IPCC has turned out more than enough reports for policy makers. It has outlined the economics and warned of the imminent threats. The danger is real, the danger is now, and it's up to us. Bill McKibben has shown us how it can be done. He shows no disillusionment in regards to the truth; the future will not sustain this method of madness. Unlimited growth from the stored hydrocarbon fuels is in need of being phased out, quickly. China and India have gotten a foot-hold on this destructive path and their progress must be made more sustainable before it's too late. Let's lead the way and quantify it all for the hyper-individualistic capitalist with compromised morals. Be a yokel, buy local. Your future depends on it.