Don't shout at the telly: Progress & Sustainable Development
Uploaded on Feb 20, 2010 / 187 views / 1258 impressions / 3 comments
Description
On this month's Don't Shout at the Telly young volunteers grapple
with sustainable development.
Is it the best way forward or the enemy of progress? Should we
replace material development with living simpler, more sustainable
lives? Austin Williams,...
On this month's Don't Shout at the Telly young volunteers grapple
with sustainable development.
Is it the best way forward or the enemy of progress? Should we
replace material development with living simpler, more sustainable
lives? Austin Williams, director of the Future Cities Project and
author of The Enemies of Progress leads this on the sofa discussion
and argues that sustainable development is parochial, patronising
and a waste of human potential. But what do you think?
4 comments
2. Vivien
I like the definition of progress Austin Williams gave - progress should remain about all of us freeing ourselves from the land and from the constraints of work. So important as it would mean everybody could contribute to developing the world as we want it, everybody could have free time to do discussions like these. Yet it was interesting many of the participants couldn't agree, let alone celebrate this idea of progress.
3. margo_
This is a very interesting debate. Lots of different ideas coming out. However, I don't know if I would totally agree with Austin William's ideas that sustainable development means limited progress. Isn't there sustainable alternatives to our highly consumerist western society that would still allow individuals around the world in developed and developing countries to enjoy high standard of living. I found his position quite depressing. He says something like "I don't care if half the planet actually goes under water, I don't think we should restrain our carbon emission".
I don't mean that people in developing world shouldn't aspire to progress, I'm just saying that our 'modern' western conception of progress isn't necessary the best one and shouldn't necessary be applied/envied worldwide. Maybe I'm wrong ...
1. imlovinit
Rare for anyone to question sustainable development orthodoxy but I found it useful and it all becomes clear when the guy on the sofa bigs up staying on the land and wants to make things other than material development the criteria for progress - surely this provides a really good excuse for poverty - like the happiness debate - nice point made by your main guy here that the plantation owners said their slaves were happy hmmm