The LudditeA very hard-hitting critique from Jacobin about #degrowth. I don't know how the movement will survive this one.
https://jacobin.com/2024/02/degrowth-movement-problems-climate-change
I'm going to write a Jacobin article about how people care more about making apple pies than not dying.
FWIW I'm a big degrowth person but I actually do think that their point could be valid, were it articulated seriously. Degrowth literature often has an incredibly robust critique of capitalism followed by an insufficiently articulated theory of political change or of the post-growth economy. I have a running joke with some degrowth friends that "cargo bikes and repair cafes do not an economy make" about this.
While I'm here, another critique of degrowth literature: It's very urban. As far as I can tell, a decarbonized post-growth economy will result in a fuckton more people doing agricultural work. Many books talk a lot about walkable downtowns, cargo bikes, etc., but we in the global north have no idea how to farm at scale without fossil fuels. I would like to see someone tackle that. Closest I've seen is analyses of Cuba's transformation after the fall of the soviet union. Recs appreciated!
Amgine#Automation is the primary topic, sometimes #agriculturalautomation or similar. The future appears to be a steady increase in sensor use, and relatively small/light equipment operating effectively autonomously.
Think of a roomba which has a cloud of sensors to work with, so it only leaves its battery dock when the floor is dirty/dusty enough to be improved by its work, and it works on the regions based on priorities and time scheduling.
@amgine I think that's neither realistic nor desirable, personally. I hope the climate crisis inspires us to reevaluate our relationship to both technology and labor, especially labor as important as farming, including our assumption that all tasks should be automated. What if instead of developing technology to minimize labor time, we sometimes maximized enjoyment?
I think life is for doing things with the people you love. What better thing is there to do than grow and make food together?
¯_(ツ)_/¯
There is a specific and distinct difference between #gardening and #farming. And between #professionalfarming and #subsistencefarming.
Pastoral utopias are proven unrealistic. Agricultural automation is happening, has been happening for a century, and appears likely to accelerate dramatically to get to #NetZero.
For me, the question is will it be proprietary, or #opensource?
@amgine I live on a farm. We mostly pasture heifers for a local organic dairy, but we do other things too. I also worked in warehouse logistics automation, mostly pallet loading/unloading.
I don't think you know what you're talking about, frankly.