Upshift

Upshift

Inspired by an article that reflects on the works of two authors who -- independently -- assert that contemporary capitalism is the source of many of the world's woes and ills, I'm struck by a certain inconsistency of argument.

While I agree with this:

"Speth calls for a rejection of the necessity of constant economic growth - a central tenet of capitalism. He calls, instead, for policies that 'strengthen families and communities,' 'measures that guarantee good, well-paying jobs,' 'measures that give us more time for leisure, informal education, the arts, music, drama, sports, hobbies, volunteering, community work, outdoor work ...,' 'measures that give everyone a good education,' and more. (p. 145)"

and this:

"He rejects 'consumerism and commercialism.' Instead, 'Confront consumerism. Practice sufficiency. Work less. Reclaim your time -- it's all you have. Turn off technology. Join No Shopping Day. Buy nothing! Simplify your life. Shed possessions.'(p. 163)"

I disagree with this single term: "'Downshift.'"

Downshift.

When I think of a car -- an apt metaphor and symbol of capitalism, consumerism, economy, and all the rest -- and down-shifting, I think of waste. The car as slows in speed, it burns much more fuel and wastes much more of its energy. A downshift slows the vehicle as it strains to maintain speed in a lower gear. It is for these reasons that politicians and economists, with all the power and authority they wield, warn against any shift away from constant economic growth or away from a fossil-fuel based economy. A downshift undoes what has been done, it reverses progress.

Think of the necessary shift in capitalism and general human conduct as an upshift. By engaging a whole new range of thoughts, conducts, practices, and all the rest, humanity can travel along at a much faster speed on the same energy spent. Truly, it is humanity at a lower gear ratio. For many reasons, as people -- now captives of an antiquate and dying economy -- adjust to any shift made, some of what we now take for granted will fade. Some things such as immediacy -- the instantaneous satisfaction of modern-world desire. Some things such as novelty products -- the "fad" factor that feeds so many empty desires and so, too, the economy. Some things such as convenience -- the 5 000 km salad and the winter pineapple in Canada will become less possible. Essentially, from shining brilliance of our white-hot "enlightenment," the endeavours of human societies will turn to rely on less energy and require it to do more. Here, there is the possibility for real growth, renewal, and rejuvenation.

To date, humanity assumes the undertaking of many shifts over time. From the stone age to the ages of metals such as bronze and iron, from small communities to large nations and international associations, from subsistence growth and local production to factory-farming and industrial mass-production. For all of these shifts, humanity has made only one great shift -- from existence subject to nature, to command over it. The necessary shift, now, is to make the most of what is left; to make the most of what humanity has attained as a species; what humans have experienced, learned, exploited, and become. The next shift must be from command and conquer to symbiosis. It is this shift that everything humans have ever uncovered about the natural world and the universe beyond must achieve.

In order to remain relevant in this universe, in order to merely survive against the abundantly obvious human trait of self-destruction, humans must overcome our own hubris. Humans are no longer a large gear at the center of a small system, but a tiny gear of fleeting existence in a virtually infinite system.

An upshift utilizes the inertia of the moving object, a vast swell of kinetic [moving] energy, and applies it to a more efficient gear. The same energy applied achieves more work in less time. There is the threat, that this upshift could stall the vehicle of human endeavour. Misunderstanding, resistance, and rejection are all possible forestalling factors. Like any smooth shift of an automobile transmission, the transition from one gear to the next must be gradual and controlled by a clutch. The clutch, the go-between of two spinning entities, is essential to prevent a fatal stall. In the human world, the clutch is free and open communication of ideas. It is for this reason that the upshift is one mediated by information. The more information is made freely available, and the more information is shared, the easier it is to maintain inertia and effect a smooth transition. Here, too, the current model of economics and policy fails. It thrives on secrecy and the control of information and opinion.

Humanity can NOT walk the current path. The path that renews old technologies such as "Clean Coal," reinvents contemporary technology such as is exhibited in Alberta's oilsands projects, or that reassures investors that $140 per barrel does not significantly effect the conduct of business as usual. The path that extracts non-renewable resources, processes them into non-biodegradable, novel chemical products, and redeposits them into landfill sites once used up. The path that binds global profitability closely to military contracts, government corruption, or the deception, coercion, or outright bullying of the general public and their opinions. The path that reinforces ignorance as virtue yet utilizes mass ignorance to benefit the few and the wealthy. This is the path that has led us to all our current crises.

Other problems yet remain in the human condition. A shift in the conduct of business and energy policy will not quench the human condition of its taste for conflict and confrontation. It will not guarantee gender or racial or socioeconomic equality the world over. It will, however, grant us the time to address these and other issues that sorely need addressing. Instead of worrying about how long the lights will stay on or how much we must work to pay for it, we can afford to discuss politics, human rights, and the plight of others. Instead of enduring occupations for the favor preoccupations, all people can reclaim the dignity of choosing for themselves.