Detox

Degrowth for detox

Sylvain Fisher from Can Decreix

 Pesticides, nanotechnologies, GMO, electromagnetic waves, side effects in medicine, nuclear accidents, garbage accumulation, chemicals and pollutions in air, water, soils, buildings... industrial innovations bring a wide diversity of toxic elements in our environment. Forecasting the consequences of each innovation is even not possible to since potential interactions with ecosystems are so numerous and so complex that they remain far out of any predictability. Moreover researchers and corporations unlikely criticize their own activities. As an illustration asbestos lasts 100 years to be recognized carcinogenic. And today there is no way to discover why bees get annihilated...

A degrowth proposal could simply be to avoid as much as possible the use of such innovations rediscovering the benefits of low-techs. Indeed low-tech is already a reference for many people and many activities.

Most emblematic sector is agriculture where organic farming chooses to refuse chemistry through its bill of specifications. European people spend only 15% of their budget in food (to be compared to around 50% in preindustrial societies). So we can give priority to support organic producers, paying a bit more... and more importantly stop giving money for conventional agriculture which worldwide contaminates soils, water, workers and consumers. Note that when we give a little money to conventional farming, it also receives a remainder through public subsidies. Please boycott strictly!

Ancient building techniques with earth, natural fibers, lime... can be safest, warmest, more enjoyable. As in most productive sectors, we need to rediscover skills to do it ourselves since it requires an important working time. Anyway, companies do not have this low-tech knowledge, and they prefer to pay more for industrialy-processed materials so as to intensively reduce human work (i.e. also human creativity).

We can empower ourselves preparing our own house cleaning products, cosmetics, collecting wild plants for eating and medicine; learn how to cook with non-processed ingredients, how to fast, how to take care about our body and health... For enjoying life, no car, no flight, we can go for local tourism at friend's farm: there we will find a great cultural shock! Most efficient communication is direct meeting. Any media, phone, internet, etc. brings a lower quality of human connection. Why not meeting again and creating conviviality in our neighborhood? Thus stop hiding away behind long distance and often poorer relationships! Rediscovering acoustic music and traditional dance is  participative, pleasureful, possible everywhere and everyday without the expensive electronic equipments!

As a conclusion, degrowth can participate to open the path for detoxifying our life and our world, recovering skills for community life and do-it-ourselves together!