Less is More

This is by far one of the best books I've read all year. I strongly recommend this book to everyone.

I've never been the spiritual type. I'm a methaphysical naturalist. But this book is the first book ever that has me questioning such an ideology. The ones who cleave the spirit from the natural world are also those who seek to dominate it at all costs.

If societally accepted fictions like corporations can garner personhood despite not tangibly existing, then we must expand our definition of personhood & individual rights to things and beings that do exist, like rivers and forests and animals. As these aren't “natural resources” to plunder. They're vital threads in the web of life.

Environmental sustainability is fundamentally incomparable with Capitalism. You cannot support both. Capitalism requires endless growth for the sake of growth. This is impossible on a finite planet, and unethical in a world filled with unjust suffering, poverty, and death caused by capitalism's unquenchable thirst.
GDP does not measure the health or wellbeing of the people or the environment, but the health and wellbeing of capital. Countries with lower GDP's have higher levels of happiness, wellbeing, lower carbon footprints, longer lifespans, etc.. In this country, we work ourselves to death not for ourselves, but to make the rich richer.

We must ignore GDP and shift our global economic system from an exchange-value system (underlined by unending growth and capital accumulation) to a use-value system (underlined by improving the health and wellbeing of the people, and becoming a more environmentally sustainable society.

This can be accomplished by de-comodifying healthcare via M4A, creating universal basic services, strengthening labor rights (reducing the work week without reducing pay, among other things)