One percent is enough

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One percent is enough is the name of the report to the Club of Rome in 2016. It bears the subtitle “Fighting social inequality, unemployment and climate change with little growth”. The title of the English edition is: "Reinventing prosperity". The two authors Jørgen Randers and Graeme Maxton are two of the world's most influential futurologists in the assessment of the weekly newspaper Die Zeit . At the presentation of the book, Federal Development Minister Gerd Müller said that the Club of Rome had always been ahead of its time: "Our Western economic and consumption model ... [is] not the future model for India and Africa."

The book is not only about limiting growth in the industrialized countries, but also about turning away from current radical market thinking as a whole and about a radical restructuring of the national economies. "The economic system is more the cause of our problems and not their solution," the authors say. With their theses, they hope to gain broad support: "Our proposals should be very attractive to the democratic majority of voters, because almost all measures not only create a better world in the long term, but also immediate short-term benefits for most people".

In addition to the economic system, the authors are concerned with limiting the world's population . They identify the doubling of the population in the past 50 years as the main cause of the ongoing destruction of our planet and plead for the growth rate of the population to be further reduced or turned negative.

"13 proposals to reduce unemployment, inequality and global warming"

  1. Shortening annual working hours so that everyone has more free time.
  2. Raising the retirement age so that older people can support themselves for as long as they want.
  3. A redefinition of the term “ paid work ”, which also includes home care for relatives.
  4. Increase in unemployment benefits to increase demand during transition .
  5. Raising taxes on corporations and the rich to redistribute profits, especially those from automation .
  6. Increased use of green stimulus packages , financed by additional “printed” money or tax increases, so that the state can react to climate change and redistribute income .
  7. Taxation of fossil fuels and fair distribution of the proceeds to all citizens, so that low-carbon energy becomes competitive.
  8. Shift from income taxation to taxation of emissions and raw material consumption in order to reduce the ecological footprint, preserve jobs and reduce the use of raw materials .
  9. Increase inheritance taxes to reduce inequality and increase government revenues.
  10. Promote unionization to increase incomes and reduce exploitation .
  11. Restricting foreign trade where necessary to preserve jobs, increase general well-being and protect the environment.
  12. Encouraging smaller families ( birth control ) to reduce population pressures on the planet.
  13. Introduction of a basic living income for those who need it most so that everyone can live without fear of the future.
(Literally quoted from the book presentation in "slideshare.net/ClubofRome/slideshow-reinventing-prosperity-deutsch".)

Further demands

  • Taxes on sugar : The consequences of obesity, depression and shortened lifetimes should be borne by the manufacturers of the corresponding foods.
  • Turning away from free trade: Liberalized trade could worsen unemployment because it makes it easier for companies to relocate jobs abroad.
  • Birth control in industrialized countries: Children in industrialized countries use 30 times more resources than children in developing countries. Therefore, the birth rate should also fall in industrialized countries. Women who have at most one child should therefore receive a cash bonus.

reception

The book received numerous positive responses. Some quotes illustrate this:

  • "If you want to know why growth is threatening our prosperity and what to do now, you need to read this book." Herman E. Daly , em. Prof. University of Maryland
  • "A fascinating, detailed look at some of the most fundamental questions our species has ever faced - and a powerful argument in favor of more maturity rather than endless growth." Bill McKibben , author of the book "Deep Economy"
  • “One percent is enough, the study, which appears almost 45 years after the limits of growth , is another wake-up call of historic importance. I fully agree with your proposals for a different economy that is both more equitable and more sustainable. ” Ruud Lubbers , co-founder of Earth Charter
  • “A bold analysis that shatters the doctrines of orthodox economics. On the basis of the analysis, the authors offer thirteen suggestions for reducing unemployment, inequality and climate change. ” Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker , Co-President of the Club of Rome
  • “Maxton and Randers present a new path towards sustainability by making suggestions that would benefit the majority of people. One percent is enough is an important book, full of new insights and unconventional ideas. ” Roberto Peccei , Vice Chancellor for Research Emeritus, UCLA
  • "Maxton and Rander's groundbreaking book brings us 13 steps closer to a carbon-free global economy by 2050." Mathis Wackernagel , Founder and CEO, Global Footprint Network
  • "The book gives hope that there is a way to a better future." Franz Josef Radermacher , Ulm University

But there were also critical statements. For example, Die Zeit considered the proposal to limit the world's population to be a “population-political mallet”. The book as a whole is “more constructive and purposeful than previous reports from the Club of Rome. "And the daily newspaper judged the 1-child bonus in a nutshell:" The proposal is nonsense ". She argued "that birth rates [anyway] are falling wherever women enjoy education and rights".

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Club of Rome: futurologists advocate one-child policy in industrialized countries. In: Zeit.de. September 13, 2016, accessed June 20, 2019.
  2. ↑ a b Juliane Kipper: The rich world must rethink the economy. In: N-tv.de. September 13, 2016, accessed June 20, 2019.
  3. ^ A b c d Club of Rome: Researchers demand rewards for childless women. In: Spiegel Online. September 13, 2016, accessed June 20, 2019.
  4. ↑ Felicitas Boeselager: Club of Rome: One percent is enough. In: Deutschlandfunk.de. September 13, 2016, accessed on June 20, 2019 ( 3-minute audio contribution ( memento from September 16, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) on ardmediathek.de [not archived!]).
  5. ↑ a b Øystein Runde: One percent is enough. Book presentation. slidshare.net, September 7, 2016, accessed June 25, 2019 .
  6. ^ A b New report: The demands of the “Club of Rome”. In: FAZ.net. September 13, 2016, accessed June 20, 2019.
  7. ^ A b Patrick Bernau : Report of the Club of Rome: More children? "Wrong and stupid". In: FAZ.net. September 13, 2016, accessed June 20, 2019.
  8. ^ Christiane Grefe: Club of Rome: Save the world the hard way. In: Zeit.de. September 15, 2016, accessed June 20, 2019.
  9. ^ Ingo doctor: Report of the Club of Rome: rubber torn, 80,000 gone. In: taz.de. September 15, 2016, accessed June 20, 2019.