October, 27 2009, 10:42am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Kirsten Stade (202) 265-7337; Rob Dietz, (541) 602-3097
PEER Endorses Bold Position on Economic Growth
Groups Uniting Across Political Spectrum
WASHINGTON
What do businesses, religious groups, land trusts, mutual funds, and scientific societies have in common? One by one, they're agreeing that economic growth is the wrong goal, after all. They're uniting around a bold position
developed by the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy
(CASSE). Today, PEER provides the 100th endorsement of the position.
Americans
have long been misled by the dangerous rhetoric that "there is no
conflict between growing the economy and protecting the environment!"
In stark contrast, the CASSE position is steeped in sound science and
calmly describes a "fundamental conflict" between economic growth and
environmental protection, including climate stability. PEER endorses the CASSE position because public employees are subject to political pressure that makes it difficult to reveal the perils of economic growth.
PEER
joins wide-ranging groups such as the Institute for Children's
Environmental Health, Portfolio 21 Investments, and the International
Center for Technology Assessment to explain why continuing GDP growth
cannot be reconciled with imperatives like environmental protection,
economic sustainability, and national security. The CASSE position is creating a buzz with individuals and organizations across the political spectrum.
Among the 4,000 individual signers are E.O. Wilson, Gus Speth, Chris
Matthews, and many other luminaries in science, economics, and politics.
PEER
emphasizes that there is a solution to unsustainable growth and
recession: a steady state economy with stabilized population and
consumption, using sound economic policy. PEER calls upon public employees, the media, and politicians
to serve present and future generations by illuminating the perils of
perpetual growth and the positive vision of a steady state economy.
###
See the position on economic growth
Learn more about the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) is a national alliance of local state and federal resource professionals. PEER's environmental work is solely directed by the needs of its members. As a consequence, we have the distinct honor of serving resource professionals who daily cast profiles in courage in cubicles across the country.
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