Degrowth Needs Capitalism: Could There Be Another Way?

How to get off the socialist-capitalist continuum

Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

Capitalism is the cause of climate change. Of that, there is no doubt. Its accounting via externalities — the pollution and carbon it just refuses to count — is piling up in the form of climate change.

So, what is the natural solution? Replace capitalism. Especially global corporate industrial capitalism. But also, replace global state industrial socialism, which contributes as much or more to the problem. In terms of climate, capitalism and socialism are the same things, and the continuum needs to be replaced.

The question is, replace it with what? For that, there are two primary schools of thought. One is known as degrowth, and the other as postcapitalism. The two are very different, though they could be complementary.