Abstract
<p><strong>In </strong>view of the global resource and ecological situation, per-capita resource consumption rates in the rich world probably need to be reduced by 90%. This can only be done if there is a "de-growth" transition to some kind of Simpler Way centered on mostly small, highly self-sufficient and self-governing communities in control of local economies within a culture that is not focused on material wealth. It is not surprising that the viability of such a vision is typically regarded as implausible. The aim of this study is to show that normal outer city suburbs could be restructured along the lines required to cut global impacts by the necessary amount, while improving the quality of life. Data on typical Australian consumption rates, food production yields, suburban geographies, etc. is used to estimate the achievable reductions. The theoretical conclusion that such reductions could be made aligns with a study of the Dancing Rabbit Eco-village in northeast Missouri. Heavy cuts in resource consumption cannot be made without extreme change in economic, political, settlement and cultural systems.</p><p><strong>Key words</strong>: The Simpler Way, de-growth.</p>
Highlights
The general "limits to growth" case that planetary resource demands and ecological impacts have far exceeded sustainable levels is widely accepted, but the magnitude of the overshoot is not well understood
The World Wildlife Fund's "Footprint" index provides an effective illustration (2016). It indicates that the amount of productive land needed to provide current "living standards" for Australians is in excess of 7 ha per capita
If by 2050 the expected world population of 9.6 billion people were to rise to the present Australian way of life, approximately 67 billion ha of productive land would be needed
Summary
The general "limits to growth" case that planetary resource demands and ecological impacts have far exceeded sustainable levels is widely accepted, but the magnitude of the overshoot is not well understood. The World Wildlife Fund's "Footprint" index provides an effective illustration (2016). It indicates that the amount of productive land needed to provide current "living standards" for Australians is in excess of 7 ha per capita. If by 2050 the expected world population of 9.6 billion people were to rise to the present Australian way of life, approximately 67 billion ha of productive land would be needed. Only about 8 billion ha is available on the planet (and at current loss rates the present area of agricultural land might have been halved ; Rees 2017). Numerous other measures and studies confirm a multiple of this order or greater (Trainer 2017a)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
