How does affluence affect efforts to secure a livable future?
The mainstream sustainability discourse is filled with metrics for guiding environmental impact reduction: carbon intensity, energy density, renewables' share of electricity generation capacity, etc. Plans to improve these metrics are typically aimed at both reducing impacts and facilitating economic growth. In his talk, "The Importance of Affluence in Sustainability Discourse and Action," degrowth researcher, John Mulrow will argue that the growth effect tends to counteract the impact-reduction effect and that the sustainability discourse's focus on metrics and technical feasibility effectively hides a persistent desire for more and more of the Earth's resources.
John Mulrow is a degrowth researcher and activist based in Chicago, Illinois. He is a cofounder of DegrowUS, Executive Director of the Degrowth Institute, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University. His work is focused on improving environmental assessment methodology through perspectives that prioritize social equity and limits to growth. Research website: www.jmulrow.org.
Breakfast will be provided.