What is degrowth and how could an economy run on less?

[Ronald77]

I keep seeing the term "degrowth" pop up in my search results when I look at climate news, but I can't wrap my head around how a modern economy is supposed to function while actively aiming to produce and consume less. It feels like the complete opposite of everything we're told about progress.

[JonathanM]

I started biking more, cooking at home, and buying fewer new gadgets. It saved me money and cut clutter. Not sure it scales to the whole economy, but it felt doable in my day to day.

[Justin_B]

The growth story always talked about bigger numbers and productivity gains, but in real life I see shifts toward services and extra hours rather than more stuff. If progress is wellbeing or time with family, some days feel better even when the numbers aren climbing. Im not sure what to trust anymore.

[AdamR]

Degrowth is a word that sounds like apocalypse until you see it as stewardship. Its not about living in the dark but about redefining successull stop shorter work weeks, local food, shared transport. It might mean less input, more community. Im wary of the edge cases and I dont pretend I know how to pull it off at scale.

[BrianL]

Is this really the problem were solving, or is the real issue how the money and power flow through the system, making growth feel like the only path?

[JonathanM]

I joined a local repair cafe last year. We fixed fridges and bikes, tracked hours, and saved a few hundred dollars for folks who showed up. It built a little network and cut waste, but then the monthly loan payments for a community space loomed and I wondered where the incentive to grow still belonged.