Library Economy - Presentation Blog Post

     With the ever-increasing severity of the climate crisis, it is clear that change is needed. One problem I see is that most people's ideas of what level of change is required are not quite up to par. It's not enough to simply start recycling or buy an electric car, the main issues contributing to the crisis are related to our economic systems; specifically industrial capitalism and the globalization that results from it. Not only are most people not willing to accept this and the lifestyle changes that result, but large corporations seem to be trying their best to hide this fact (while also seeming "green"). Those with economic power are aware that the change needed to halt the coming disaster would mean the end of their empires, and they're willing to sacrifice anything to maintain their stability and status. 

    So what is the issue with industrial capitalism? Environmentally speaking, it is the infinite upward growth required for the system to maintain the capital flow. Devices, such as phones and cars, are designed to be less durable in order to encourage the purchase of their newest models. Both of these "commodities" are produced using non-sustainable and even environmentally hazardous materials (lithium batteries), however, we are producing them at staggering rates as if this process could continue indefinitely. Not only is this bad for the environment, but it's also bad for the human spirit. Notice the correlation between the rise in mental illness and the rise of industrialization, both began at the same time. We like to say that poorer countries are improving because the GDP is increasing, however, sweatshops and child labor are great at stimulating GDP. Countries like china are seeing a boom in their GDP, but the quality of life for their citizens leaves something to be desired. Just this week we've seen the revolts led by iPhone factory workers, as they try to escape the forced lockdowns for fear they will be overworked and never released. Industrial Capitalism breeds humanitarian crises, and we as Americans get the better end of the deal. We can forgo the intense labor needed for this level of production by outsourcing the work to developing countries with the excuse that we are "helping their economies."

    The only thing that can cause any significant change, in my opinion, is Degrowth. This would involve sobering up our economy from its addiction to upward expansion. We do not need a new iPhone each year to survive. We need to reach a homeostatic state of being which will allow us to be symbiotic with the environment. We need to stop seeing ourselves as somehow separate and above the environment and instead see ourselves as an integral part of its organism. The only problem is that for this to truly be carried to fruition, life as we know it would be very very different. It would call for smaller, more self-sufficient communities, less technology available to the masses, and fewer superfluous products. How would we get what we need to function? Would this mean a return to a more primitive mode of being? 

    One model that I hope might have some promise is this system referred to as the Library Economy. Imagine many small but tight nit communities, that produce most of their food, and at the center of each, contain something akin to a "Stuff Library." Just like a regular library, members of the community could stop by for free and rent out things like tools or accessories. Because the communities are small, each member should be able to bike to their respective jobs (this may mean housing consisting mainly of apartments or townhomes). If you need to travel farther, you can rent a car. The only product that would be needed would be necessities and replacement products. There would be no supercenters where you can buy whatever you want, food would not be thrown out for being too ugly, and there would be no advertising for things that are not important. We would shift our mindset from that of ownership to that of users, everything belonging to the community. This way we could lessen our depletion of resources and stop taking advantage of so-called under-developed societies. 

    This will definitely be a hard pill to swallow. Any change, whether it be something like the library economy or not, will require such a shift in western lifestyle that there will be major pushback. I do not believe that there will be some scientific advancement that will save us like some second coming of Christ. We have no new earth to be delivered unto, we only have this one; we are not its only inhabitants. We owe it to our extended families (animals, plants, fungi) to take care of their home, and ensure our direct lineage has a place they can sustain their existence.