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| down:downshifting [2025/12/05 10:08] – created - external edit 127.0.0.1 | down:downshifting [2025/12/17 04:30] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| > "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo da Vinci | > "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo da Vinci |
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| Downshifting is possibly the most important but least understood concept related to sustainability. It's about earning less and consuming less, and as such is only applicable to people with a reasonable disposable income - which means mainly (but not exclusively) people in developed, wealthy countries like the UK. | Downshifting is possibly the most important but least understood concept related to sustainability. It's about earning less and consuming less, and as such is only applicable to people with a reasonable disposable income - which means mainly (but not exclusively) people in developed, wealthy countries like the UK. |
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| Human activity is causing [ecological damage](/thna/the_nature_problem), and it's increasing. Two things increase human impact - population growth and economic growth. Global population is beginning to stabilise, but economic growth is still what all governments are chasing. But it's not possible to live in harmony with nature (which we need to do if we want to survive) AND have perpetual economic growth. Sustainable growth is an oxymoron. Downshifting is [steady-state economics](/stea/steady-state_economics) in microcosm. We can't slow down or reverse economic growth if the majority of people just want more, more, more. | Human activity is causing [ecological damage](/ntre/nature), and it's increasing. Two things increase human impact - population growth and economic growth. Global population is beginning to stabilise, but economic growth is still what all governments are chasing. But it's not possible to live in harmony with nature (which we need to do if we want to survive) AND have perpetual economic growth. Sustainable growth is an oxymoron. Downshifting is [steady-state economics](/stea/steady-state_economics) in microcosm. We can't slow down or reverse economic growth if the majority of people just want more, more, more. |
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| <WRAP center centeralign> | <WRAP center centeralign> |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| ‘The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling – they need us more than we need them’ – Arundhati Roy. | _‘The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling – they need us more than we need them’ – Arundhati Roy._ |
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| </caption> | </caption> |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| Image: [Polyp.org](http://polyp.org.uk/) | _Image: [Polyp.org](http://polyp.org.uk/)_ |
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| </caption> | </caption> |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| The [British Medical Journal](http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e1358) ran a series of articles exploring the role of the medical profession in helping to tackle climate change. However, consultants and GPs can earn over £100k a year, and if that's the case, then surely everyone can aspire to earn that much? And that will massively increase the human impact on ecology. Wealth and sustainability are no more compatible than economic growth and sustainability. Even if you try to do the right thing, and only [spend your money](/lish/low-impact_shopping) on locally-produced environmentally-friendly goods, money still moves around the economy, and will eventually be used for more damaging things. High incomes contribute to ecological damage directly because of money spent / invested, and indirectly because they contribute to other people's aspirations to 'keep up' and spend more. | The [British Medical Journal](http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e1358) ran a series of articles exploring the role of the medical profession in helping to tackle climate change. However, consultants and GPs can earn over £100k a year, and if that's the case, then surely everyone can aspire to earn that much? And that will massively increase the human impact on ecology. Wealth and sustainability are no more compatible than economic growth and sustainability. Even if you try to do the right thing, and only [spend your money](/lish/shopping) on locally-produced environmentally-friendly goods, money still moves around the economy, and will eventually be used for more damaging things. High incomes contribute to ecological damage directly because of money spent / invested, and indirectly because they contribute to other people's aspirations to 'keep up' and spend more. |
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| <WRAP center centeralign> | <WRAP center centeralign> |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| Gardening – save money, have healthier food and get more fresh air and exercise. | _Gardening – save money, have healthier food and get more fresh air and exercise._ |
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| </caption> | </caption> |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| Image courtesy of [Cait Flanders](https://caitflanders.com/). | _Image courtesy of [Cait Flanders](https://caitflanders.com/)._ |
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| </caption> | </caption> |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| Don't fall for '[green consumerism](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/buying-green-perfect-distraction/)'. | _Don't fall for '[green consumerism](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/buying-green-perfect-distraction/)'._ |
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| </caption> | </caption> |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| See corporate advertising; give money to global corporations; get into debt with global financial institutions; work hard for global corporations to pay off the debt. It’s becoming the norm, but is that really how you want to live your life? | _See corporate advertising; give money to global corporations; get into debt with global financial institutions; work hard for global corporations to pay off the debt. It’s becoming the norm, but is that really how you want to live your life?_ |
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| </caption> | </caption> |
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| <caption> | <caption> |
| Extreme downshifting: a £3000 home with no mortgage – not easy, but not impossible either. | _Extreme downshifting: a £3000 home with no mortgage – not easy, but not impossible either._ |
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| </caption> | </caption> |
| ## Further resources | ## Further resources |
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| ## Specialists | - [Great Big Scary World](https://www.greatbigscaryworld.com/) - quitting your job to live your life, coping with financial worries, travelling without money |
| | - [The Downshifter](https://thedownshifter.co.uk/) - advice for people thinking of downshifting |
| | - [Down the Lane](https://www.downthelane.net/) - how to live a simpler life |
| | - [Low-cost living](https://www.lowcostliving.co.uk/) - advice on reducing living costs |
| | - [Couchsurfing](https://www.couchsurfing.com/welcome) - stay at other people's homes for free, people stay at yours for free |
| | - [Adbusters](https://www.adbusters.org/) - fighting corporate advertising |
| | - [Envisioneer](https://www.envisioneer.net/home.php) - how to build a £4k house |
| | - [Simon Dale](http://www.simondale.net/) - how to build a £3k house |
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| | ## Specialist curators of this topic |
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