Critical Conversations Retreat #3: Engineering and Degrowth

The magnitude of the human-driven degradation of our planet’s life support systems can easily leave us at a loss at where to begin – all the more so because efficiency and productivity (those twin poles of an unfettered growth paradigm) are in the DNA of most engineers who have scant practice separating the aims of growth from its increasingly dire consequences.

Missing in conversations between environmentalists, activists, and political economists is the voice of the engineer who can tackle this head on. What would design and production look like if, like the natural world, we created just enough and wasted nothing? What role would automation play if it were to be fair to workers and to the planet?

Surrounded by the forest, and inspired by the elegance of nature’s complex ecosystem, our conversations about degrowth will begin to grapple with these critical issues and consider pathways to further the conversations about the future of engineering practice.

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