''Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future'' is a non-fiction work by

environmentalist An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...

Bill McKibben William Ernest McKibben (born December 8, 1960)"Bill Ernest McKibben." ''Environmental Encyclopedia''. Edited by Deirdre S. Blanchfield. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, December 31, 2017. is a ...

published in the field of ecological economics in 2007. The work promoted

sustainable economy Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...

in close-knit communities. These include regions that generate their own food, their own energy, their own culture, and their own entertainment. McKibben defined a "deep economy" as one that "cares less about quantity than about quality; that takes as its goal the production of human satisfaction as much as surplus material; that is focused on the idea that it might endure and considers durability at least as important as increases in size." The book has been generally well-received, though some critics have questioned his proposed solutions.

Overview

The long-standing presumption that "more" equals "better" in economic growth is questioned by McKibben, who asks if in fact this idea is valid. McKibben also suggests that unfettered growth is not a realistic, sustainable goal. According to McKibben, the invention of the

steam engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...

and the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

in 1712 resulted in a mindset which rapidly altered expectations of economic growth. He also said that, "The current political assumption ignores both the problems of

resource depletion Resource depletion is the consumption of a resource faster than it can be replenished. Natural resources are commonly divided between renewable resources and non-renewable resources (see also mineral resource classification). Use of either ...

and inequity, which leads to human unhappiness." In its place, McKibben suggested that the focus should be on "deep economy", which includes, rather than constant growth, a consideration of human satisfaction. As an example of the problem with the current philosophy, McKibben focuses extensively on global,

industrial agriculture Industrial agriculture is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of crops and animals and animal products like eggs or milk. The methods of industrial agriculture include innovation in agricultural machinery and far ...

, which he argues has endangered localized farming communities, damaged the environment, increased the risk of terrorist sabotage of a central food supply, increased food-borne illnesses, led to more mistreatment of

farmworkers A farmworker, farmhand or agricultural worker is someone employed for labor in agriculture. In labor law, the term "farmworker" is sometimes used more narrowly, applying only to a hired worker involved in agricultural production, including harv ...

, and accelerated the depletion of water and oil. The solution to these problems, he suggests, is community-centered farming as currently practiced in Cuba, with similar projects in New England and Detroit. He also examines the West's attitude towards economic inequity. The mega-rich are praised and admired, a symptom of the "hyper-individualization" that McKibben regards as a social failure, ecologically, politically and morally. Human beings are psychologically healthier, not to mention happier, when part of a community. Accordingly, community-based economies, wherein goods are locally produced and consumed, foster neighborliness and happiness. To the end of fostering close communities, McKibben offers several suggestions, ranging from encouraging the use of

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

to offering a close living environment where multiple residents share living spaces in interconnected condominiums; from developing sustainable alternative energy sources to developing and utilizing a

local currency In economics, a local currency is a currency that can be spent in a particular geographical locality at participating organisations. A regional currency is a form of local currency encompassing a larger geographical area, while a community curren ...

(such as BerkShares) in addition to a national one. By contrast to such economists and commentators as

Deirdre McCloskey Deirdre Nansen McCloskey (born Donald N. McCloskey; September 11, 1942 in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is the distinguished professor of economics, history, english, and communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She is also adjunct pr ...

Thomas Friedman Thomas Loren Friedman (; born July 20, 1953) is an American political commentator and author. He is a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner who is a weekly columnist for ''The New York Times''. He has written extensively on foreign affairs, global tr ...

and

Jeffrey Sachs Jeffrey David Sachs () (born 5 November 1954) is an American economist, academic, public policy analyst, and former director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, where he holds the title of University Professor. He is known for his work ...

, McKibben does not promote

globalization Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...

in the developing world, which he views as an ineffective means of raising the global standard of living and unsustainable given limited global resources.

Critical reception

The book was generally well-received, with critics praising the presentation though sometimes questioning his solutions. Preceding their interview with the author, Salon.com described his future as "credible" and his account of the problems the world faces and the path to the current crisis "compelling."

Bloomberg Bloomberg may refer to: People * Daniel J. Bloomberg (1905–1984), audio engineer * Georgina Bloomberg (born 1983), professional equestrian * Michael Bloomberg (born 1942), American businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P.; politician and ma ...

suggested that "the book is given to one-sidedness and oversimplification", with answers that may not be workable, but added that it isn't gloomy or "tedious...: it has barely a dull sentence" as McKibben "makes his case with flair and a wealth of fascinating detail...." A review in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' by

Lance Morrow Lance Morrow (born September 21, 1939, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American essayist and writer, chiefly for ''Time'' magazine, as well as the author of several books. He won the 1981 National Magazine Award for Essay and Criticism and was a ...

noted that the book was "suffused with a certain Vermontlichkeit" and offers the occasional "ghastly idea", but cautioned, "It would be unwise to dismiss McKibben’s ideas as pipe dreams or

Luddism The Luddites were a secret oath-based organisation of English textile workers in the 19th century who formed a radical faction which destroyed textile machinery. The group is believed to have taken its name from Ned Ludd, a legendary weaver s ...

. He makes his case on anecdotal, environmental, moral and, as it were, aesthetic grounds."

References

External links

Diving into ''Deep Economy''
, OneBookUTA,

University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA or UT Arlington) is a public research university in Arlington, Texas. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining the University of Te ...

.
Bill McKibben: "Deep Economy"
Interview.

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. 2007 books Ecological economics Localism (politics) Henry Holt and Company books Interdisciplinary subfields of economics

Overview

Critical reception

References

Further reading

External links