Degrowth & Spatial Justice

Critical Ecologies

In this podcast with Melanie Johnson, we go back to the 1300s to explore the origins of capitalism as we know it today and talk about the importance of space in its inception. The vital role of common space in human independence is discussed, and enclosure, privatization, and commodification are shown to be its violent antagonists. De-enclosure is a target to be achieved through a process called Degrowth, an intentionally subversive term meant to be understood as the opposite of what in this podcast is referred to as "the growth imperative." Degrowth is a counter-extractivist initiative that can only take place on a localized, grassroots level. We talk about the localization of economies and the integral role of ecology in carrying out such a goal, how small-scale subsistence is the counteraction to large-scale dominance, and how some communities in Ireland are already showing us how to carry out Degrowth by living amongst themselves and for each other.