So … following on from my last post, and directly connected to the subject of economic growth, I’ve been listening to Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell chat with Kate Raworth about Doughnut Economics

I saw Kate Raworth a couple of years ago at the Greenbelt Festival and she is going to be there again this year …

She developed something called ‘Doughnut Economics’ (or Donut Economics if you prefer).

Basically, imagine a doughnut, the kind with a hole in the middle. The inside of the ring describes a quality of living that no one should fall below. In other words, if you are in the hole, you are living below an acceptable line of economic well-being.

The outer ring of the doughnut describes the limit of our resources on Planet Earth. That is, if we are living outside the outer ring, it is going to be unsustainable.

Her vision is for thriving, not for growth. That is thriving for the human race, but also for the planet, because everything is connected. Her two key drivers are that life should be regenerative and distributive. Resources should be renewable, and should be shared.

In other words, growth and GDP (Gross Domestic Product) are not the measures we need. Our ability to thrive will be determined by meeting everyone’s basic needs, but without destroying the planet. Sounds good to me.

The podcast above is a great way to get into her ideas, and to hear Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart respond to her ideas. As political animals, they see all the problems with implementing Kate’s ideas, although they get what she is saying, and appear to be supportive.

The problem is two fold. One is that her ideas would result in a levelling up of economic wealth. The richest would need to accept limitations on wealth in order for the poorest to have their basic needs met. The other problem is time. Even if we tried to move towards the new economics the planet is already past the tipping point.

Kate speaks so powerfully and passionately – and I suspect that unless we aim for something like her plan, we will all suffer the consequences. In the long run, If the poorest suffer, then so will we all. Or as someone else (I think, I forgot who) has said – no one survives unless we all survive.

.