Question

Summary of how economic growth has become anti life by vandana shiva

Answer 1

An obsession with growth has eclipsed our concern for sustainability, justice and human dignity. But people are not disposable — the value of life lies outside economic development,” writes philosopher, environmental activist, and author Vandana Shiva at The Guardian.

“Limitless growth is the fantasy of economists, businesses and politicians,” she says. “It is seen as a measure of progress. As a result, gross domestic product (GDP), which is supposed to measure the wealth of nations, has emerged as both the most powerful number and dominant concept in our times. However, economic growth hides the poverty it creates through the destruction of nature, which in turn leads to communities lacking the capacity to provide for themselves.

Answer 2

Economists, businessmen, and politicians all fantasise about unlimited growth. It is seen as a barometer of progress. As a result, the gross domestic product (GDP), which is intended to quantify a country's wealth, has emerged as both the most powerful statistic and the dominating notion in our day. However, economic prosperity obscures the poverty caused by environmental damage, resulting in populations unable to sustain for themselves.

During World War II, the notion of growth was proposed as a means of mobilising resources. GDP is predicated on the creation of a fictional and artificial barrier, thinking that if you create what you consume, you do not produce. In effect, "growth" quantifies the transformation of natural resources into currency and commons into commodities.

Thus, nature's extraordinary cycles of water and nutrient replenishment are described as nonproduction. The world's peasants, who provide 72 percent of the food, do not produce; women who farm or perform the majority of the housekeeping do not fit this growth paradigm either. A live forest does not contribute to growth; but, when trees are taken down and sold as wood, we see growth. Healthy cultures and communities do not contribute to growth, but sickness generates growth, such as the sale of patented medication.