Economics for Rebels

The GDP was never meant to be an indicator of human happiness. Ecological economists have been criticising the use of the GDP as a sole measure of progress for over half a century now and even if a myriad of other indicators exist in the world, it is still the only one captures the imagination of policymakers. Can we turn it around? Is it true that you cannot have what you do not measure? And can the concept of sustainable and inclusive wellbeing guide the EU beyond growth? Our guest today, Tuuli Hirvilammi believes that Europe’s single-mindedness with competitiveness should be replaced by the true understanding of what sustainable and inclusive wellbeing might bring to the table. Hosted by Alexandra Köves. Edited by Aidan Knox. Episode picture by Elena Helade.

Turning our economies upside down for people and planet require some fundamentally different understandings of how we relate to each other and to more-than-humans. Conviviality is a central concept for Degrowthers, a term first used by Ivan Illich to describe an intrinsic ethical imperative to use our autonomy in relation to others and respecting our interdependence rather than just for our own individual benefit. In today’s episode, Andrea Vetter explains whyconviviality is so important from a Degrowth perspective and how it relates to other concepts such as freedom and commoning. Hosted by Alexandra Köves. Edited by Aidan Knox. Episode picture by Arthur Poulin.

It is completely critical to Earth system stability that we decarbonise the global economy. Recent studies have demonstrated how a decarbonised energy system would consume much fewer materials than a status quo fossil energy system. But even so, decarbonisation will require the most incredible amount of new infrastructure, including the installation of an unfathomable amount of renewable energycapacity and associated infrastructure. So where will all those materials come from, and how can we ensure that decarbonising the economy doesn’t just shift problems onto other aspects of the biosphere, such as nature or local communities on extraction frontiers? In today’s episode we’ll talk through all these issues with Dr Aurora Torres from the University of Alicante. Hosted by Sophus zu Ermgassen. Edited by Aidan Knox.

In an ideal world, equality and justice are not just empty buzzwords. In our collective actions, we would make sure that we have taken into consideration the impacts of those actions not just on those whose voices are most loudly heard but also on everyone else. When ecological economists work on policy suggestions to transition into an economy that respects not just planetary boundaries but all our fellow humans and non-human entities, they need to be able to think along the lines of intersectional justice. In today’s episode, our guests Corinna Dengler and Pooja Patki explain us what intersectionality is and how we can reflect on it. Hosted by Alexandra Köves. Edited by Aidan Knox.

One of the ultimate drivers of nature degradation and loss is investment in activities that harm nature mediated by the financial system. There is a huge amount of policy activity aiming to address the financial flows that are damaging nature at the moment, but many seem to be light-touch initiatives that put more of an emphasis on getting private companies to disclose their impacts and dependencies, than taking real regulatory action for addressing biodiversity loss. So what can we really do to address the nature degradationembedded into the financial system? Hosted by Sophus zu Ermgassen. Edited by Aidan Knox.

Roman Hausmann, an assistant professor in ecological economics, dives into the world of grassroots initiatives that are reshaping local economies. He shares his personal motivations behind studying community-led projects and emphasizes the importance of structural changes over individual behavior. Through captivating examples like community-supported agriculture, Roman illustrates how these local efforts embody principles of cooperation and care. He also discusses the tensions faced by these initiatives and their vital relationships with public authorities, making a case for community-building in socio-ecological transformation.

One of the departures from mainstream economics in ecological economics is the way ecological economists tend to value nature for more than its pure anthropocentric, utilitarian value. So in this episode, we’ll be talking aboutprotecting some nature that gets pretty bad press: sharks! We interview award-winning conservation scientist and practitioner Dr Hollie Booth, who runs an NGO focusing on shark conservation in Indonesia whilst also running randomised controlled trials to evaluate their effectiveness. So here we get a deep dive on the economics of shark declines, and the real-world challenges of running large ecological economics field experiments in the wild. Hosted by Sophus zu Ermgassen. Edited by Aidan Knox.

Transitioning into an economy that respects planetary boundaries inevitably requires downscaling of production of certain kinds and causes major shifts within and between industries. However, it is unclear whether a truly regenerativeeconomy would demand more or less labour. What we can predict is that both the way we think about work and the types of jobs available to us will have to change. But can we create a safety net throughout these tectonic changes?  Our guest today, Charles Stevenson argues that a job guarantee is not only possible but also desirable. Hosted by Alexandra Köves. Edited by Aidan Knox.

Attila Melegh, a Hungarian sociologist and economist known for his expertise in demographics and migration, dives into the complex world of socialism and its historical experiments. He discusses the varied outcomes of socialist practices in Eastern Europe, emphasizing their successes in stability and welfare compared to neoliberalism. Melegh critiques the misconceptions surrounding state capitalism and advocates for a reevaluation of the past to inform current ecological economic theories. He argues for historically grounded models to address today's pressing ecological challenges.

It is blatantly clear that if we ever want a good life for all within planetary boundaries, we need to tackle the question of distribution and redistribution. On the one hand, we must make sure that all can live in sufficiency and dignity and on the other that those who have an enormously unequal share of the resources are forced to make do with less. In today’s episode with Marlies Glasius, we look at the possibilities to tax the superrich in a world where they seem to have most of the political as well as the economic power. Hosted by Alexandra Köves. Edited by Aidan Knox.