Edging Forward by Ann Dale
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Chapter 6: The Three Trolls under the Bridge
August 30, 2015
Barriers to Change
Powerful barriers and alternatively drivers for change and transformation of current development paths exist. What is stopping us from achieving a carbon neutral economy by 2030, as I argue in my book, we have more than enough science, information and innovation happening in Canada to begin going down new development paths. What are the biggest three trolls under the bridge preventing change: our belief in the ability of perpetual growth to ‘grow’ our way out of modern challenges, adherence to old capitalist models, and a lack of governance. This chapter offers concrete solutions for human progress decoupled from perpetual growth and the next chapter entitled Knights of the Round Table talks about the third troll.
Chapter Quote
“The definition of human well-being is at the heart of the matter. The relevance of economic performance is that it must be viewed as a means to an end and that the market is an imperfect allocation mechanism. That end is neither the consumption of beef burgers, nor the accumulation of television sets, nor the control of inflation rates, but rather the welfare of human societies. Some argue that economic performance matters only insofar as it makes people happier. A broader concept of wellbeing requires a more complex and nuanced analysis, provided through a recent burst of research into what factors support happiness and how this relates to economic growth, as well as broadened mainstream measures of what constitutes progress beyond the GDP.” (p. 93)
– Ann Dale, Edging Forward: Achieving Sustainable Community Development
Video
August 20, 2015
350.org. (2016, May 27). Break Free, 2016: the movement steps up [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/sqHYDwCM0Yg
Video footage of protesters around the world fighting for climate action. The video is for the Break Free movement, whose message is to build a renewable economy and stop mining oil and coal.
Fastco Studios. (2017, February 9). How Technology and Social Media have Changed the Conversation around Criminal Justice [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/
Interviews with civil rights experts, activists, a former prosecutor, and John Legend on how technology and social media make it possible to quickly document and spread evidence of police brutality.
Oxfam UK. (2017, January 16). An Economy for the 99% [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/xjhq9nPmoxA
A breakdown of statistics on the massive global wealth gap. The sum of just 8 of the world’s billionaires is equal to the wealth of the least wealthy 50% of people in the world.
Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson
RiverheadBooks. (September 2010). Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com
Where do good ideas come from? The spaces that see unusual rates of creativity and innovation all share the same recurring patterns. Author, Steven Johnson, recounts his findings in this animated short.
Leonard Cohen Strikes a Chord with Al Gore
Skavlan. (2016, November 11). Interview with Leonard Cohen and Anjani Thomas [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/T2pFG9WoxfU
Interview on Norwegian talk show Skavlan with Leonard Cohen, Al Gore, and Cohen’s former partner, singer Anjani Thomas. Near the end, Cohen and Gore share ideas on what motivated people to change: catastrophe or hope?
Recharge in Quebec’s Cottage Country
The Star. (2017, April 5). Why electric cars are popular in one Quebec region [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com
The region of Lanaudière, Quebec has the highest per capita rate of electric car ownership. This video highlights one car dealership in the cottage town of Rawdon, whose co-owner focuses on selling electric cars.
Academic Articles
August 15, 2015
Hanna, K. S., Dale, A., & Ling, C. (2009). Social capital and quality of place: reflections on growth and change in a small town. Local Environment, 14(1), 31-44.
Newman, L., & Dale, A. (2009). Large footprints in a small world: toward a macroeconomics of scale. Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy, 5(1).
Newman, L., & Dale, A. (2008). Limits to growth rates in an ethereal economy. Futures, 40(3), 261-267.
August 10, 2015
A Breitbart future: Breitbart News pushes deeper into Europe. (2016, December 10). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Anderson, D. (2016, May 31). Energy East pipeline benefits questioned in secret government memo. CBC. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/
Answering the machinery question. (2016, June 23). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Antidepressants are finding their way into fish brains. (2018, February 8). Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Bagehot: Brexitland versus Londonia. (2016, June 30). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Becket, L, Harris, R., Popovich, N., Diehm, J. & Chalabi, M. (2016, June 21). America’s gun problem is so much bigger than mass shootings. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com
Big banks: Chop Chop. (2016, January 30). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Biodiversity: Growing pains. (2015, September 10).The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Carrington, D. (2016, July 25). China’s coal peak hailed as turning point in climate change battle. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com
Elliot, Larry. (2017, January 16). World’s eight richest people have same wealth as poorest 50%. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com
English cities: All politics is local. (2015, October 8). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Extreme poverty: Leaving it behind. (2015, December 12). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Forests and climate change: Hope for the trees. (2015, December 19). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Free exchange: All at sea. (2016, January 23). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Free exchange: A proper reckoning. (2016, March 12). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Free exchange: Joy to the world. (2014, December 17). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Free exchange: Keeping up with the Karumes. (2015, October 29). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Globalisation and politics: Drawbridges up. (2016, July 30). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
In the know: Insider trading has been rife on Wall Street, academics conclude. (2018, February 10).The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Lesson’s from Haiti’s earthquake: A march around the institutions. (2015, January 15). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Migration in Europe: Looking for a home. (2015, August 29). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Migration to Europe: Let them in and let them earn. (2015, August 27). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Monbiot, G. (2017, April 4). Freeing up the rich to exploit the poor – that’s what Trump and Brexit are about. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/
Monbiot, G. (2017, February 2). How corporate dark money is taking power on both sides of the Atlantic. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/
Monbiot, G. (2015, February 3). Some deny society exists. Let’s prove them wrong. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/
Public opinion: Groupthink. (2015, November 26). The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/
Racco, M. (2018, April 29). This is why sustainable fashion matters. Global News. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/
Schumpeter: Flexible Figures. (2016, January 28). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Schizophrenia: Brain gains. (2016, January 30). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
The 21st century economy: How to measure prosperity. (2016, April 30). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
The Paris agreement on climate change: Green light. (2015, December 19). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
The western drought: Concrete oasis. (2015, August 8). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/
Wealth check: The rich get richer, and millennials miss out. (2017, November 6). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/