Degrowth

Too Much, Enough, and Next to Nothing GIF

Collage: Tobi Schrank

Degrowth
Too Much, Enough, and Next to Nothing

The world is grappling with the consequences of unbridled expansion. As continued growth becomes increasingly untenable, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Is a healthy balance between excess and scarcity possible in today’s world? This issue delves into the intertwined narratives of growth and degrowth in society. Join us as we question the notion of progress and envision a sustainable future together.

The Economy and Consumerism

Four men in tails with top hat, monocoque and money bags

Degrowth
“This Time Capitalism Really Is About to End”

There have been doubts about the sustained growth of the economy and prosperity since the days of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. However, climate change has revived the debate: Is resource scarcity the harbinger of capitalism’s demise? A discussion on the post-growth debate in Germany.

Wolfgang Mulke

For-free Shops
It’s a Gift!

“For free” and “shop” – is that a contradiction in terms? Not in Germany’s 25 or so for-free shops: they offer second-hand shopping at zero cost. The reality is colourful, democratic and highly sustainable.

Woman in pantsuit with a briefcase in a hamster wheel

Labor Shortage
What if There Are Too Many Jobs?

The phenomenon of the post-pandemic labor shortage begs the question: Where did all the workers go? But maybe this is the wrong question to ask...

Julia Posca

A picture divided into two parts, on the left cloudy blue sky with green meadow and on the right a storm with dried ground, in the middle of the picture there is a green tree

The Club of Rome
The Prophets of Degrowth

The “Reports to the Club of Rome” are widely known. In light of the climate catastrophe, it has become clear how important the recommendations from this group of thinkers were — and still are. A tribute.

Michael Krell

Plastic Pollution
In the Plastic Age

Plastic saves lives and enables technological progress. It insulates houses and extends shelf life. Plastic is everything. Without plastic, nothing works. But... Where does all the plastic waste go?

Annett Scheffel

A woman in yoga pose on a rock on the coast in summer sunset.

Measuring prosperity
In Search of Sustainable Prosperity

The standard indicator of prosperity is currently gross domestic product (GDP). In light of climate change and resource scarcity, it’s time to find a new metric.

Svenja Bergt

Enough is the sense of ‘just right,’ that magical condition that Goldilocks — of fairytale fame — tries to find. Not too hot, not too cold; not too much, not too little...

Kathrin Buschmann, “The Goldilocks Manifesto”

Shrinkflation

Shrinkflation in the Kitchen Standing the Test of Time

Aphra Adkins

Savannah Beck

Statistics with the biggest cheating packages of the year

What’s in the box?! The Impertinence of Shrinkflation

Niko Kappel

Social Commentary

Reconstruction of the "Merzbau" (1981-1983) by Kurt Schwitters

Proliferating Art
Would Marie Kondo Tidy Up the “Merzbau”?

The Merzbau by German artist Kurt Schwitters is an act of artistic rebellion. How does it fit into a world where everything’s supposed to be minimalist and tidy? Author Saskia Trebing takes a deeper look.

Saskia Trebing

Too Much Jail!
All In!

Not enough staff, lots of violence, and fees for toilet paper: The privatization of prisons in the U.S. turns prisoners into big business.

Annett Scheffel

Human Growth
Gigantically Large

The average human height has been trending taller for some time now, but some people are growing exceptionally tall. Journalist Sonka Hinders writes about the tallest woman in history.

Sonka Hinders

Too Many, Enough, or Hardly Any
Women in Urban Art

In Mexico, more women are participating in urban art than ever before — but is it enough, too much, or still too little?

Enriqueta Arias

Niche Communities
The German Tortoise Association

There are 335 species of turtle and tortoise, but many of them are at risk of extinction. A German association focuses on the worldwide conservation of the last of the dinosaurs.

Wolfgang Mulke

The World Wide Web

Warning sign in front of zombie outbreak zone with zombies in background

Niche Groups Online
In the Weird and Wonderful Wonderland

The internet — a place where anyone can be anything, and there are enthusiasts for every hobby. We take a look at some of the more curious communities online.

Sarah Klein

Microtrends
Dolce Vita to Go

New lifestyle trends are going viral at an unprecedented rate. For some, consumerism is becoming a means of expressing their identity. But is it genuine or just fleeting? Clara Seyler investigates.

Clara de Oliveira Seyler

Performance of the German electropop band Kraftwerk in Madrid 2023

The Story of a Network
The Dazzling Metamorphosis of the Internet

How is the internet shaping our lives, and how will it shape the future? Internet pioneer Michael Rotert tracks the metamorphosis of the internet from the beginnings of the ARPANET to Industry 4.0.

Johannes Zeller

Musings

Girl at table with three bowls in front of her

What is Enough?
The Goldilocks Manifesto

Enough is the sense of “just right,” that magical condition that Goldilocks — of fairytale fame — tries to find. Not too hot, not too cold; not too much, not too little — that’s the Goldilocks Principle.

Kathrin Buschmann

An AI interpretation of Diderot’s red coat

The Diderot Effect
“Evil Instinct of the Convenient!”

There are countless reasons why we buy too much stuff. Society and advertising cunningly push us to purchase, and one particularly wicked impulse drives people to overconsume — the Diderot Effect.

Stefan Kloo

The Dogma of Growth
On Growth and Time

You’d expect nothing else from a Goethe-Institut magazine — we’re touching on one of the world’s greatest mysteries: What is time?

Dr. Leonhard Emmerling

Men in suit distribute different newspapers

Post-Truth
A Guide to the New Eras of Disinformation

In the post-truth era, there are too many sources of information, but not all of them are reliable and some of them have agendas behind them beyond informing.

Mariana González

Contemporary History
Individualism Goes Mainstream

The fetishized individualism of the Western lifestyle, realized through consumption, is one of the causes of climate change and its appalling consequences. Yet, the roots of individualism lie precisely in the renunciation of worldly pleasures.

Dr. Leonhard Emmerling

Knife in the clouds with the inscription "Simple and Honest"

Excerpt from the
Notes Of The Time Traveler Alyx V

Abundance, but also scarcity, characterize the adventures of some time-traveling descendants of the Alyx, a character from the novels of U.S. writer Joanna Russ, discovered by Charlotte Krafft in the transtemporal stream. An excerpt from the complete records.

Charlotte Krafft

Woman holding a coffee cup and looking into the distance

Transatlantic Musings
How to Write About Alcohol

I am successful. I am a woman. I am widowed. I have raised three children, founded a literary agency, and written three novels. But I am also the woman who drank for years to adhere to that image.

Christine Koschmieder

The Statistical Divide

A mother with her two daughters in her arms

“Average Joanne” Meet Jessica, the Average American

Elizabeth O’Gorek

Play figure in dirndl (traditional german dress) with gingerbread heart

Lifestyle May We Introduce Sandra, Ms. Average German

Alina Schwermer

Degrowth Too Much, Enough, and Next to Nothing

The Economy and Consumerism

Degrowth “This Time Capitalism Really Is About to End”

For-free Shops It’s a Gift!

Labor Shortage What if There Are Too Many Jobs?

The Club of Rome The Prophets of Degrowth

Plastic Pollution In the Plastic Age

Measuring prosperity In Search of Sustainable Prosperity

Enough is the sense of ‘just right,’ that magical condition that Goldilocks — of fairytale fame — tries to find. Not too hot, not too cold; not too much, not too little...

Shrinkflation

Shrinkflation in the Kitchen Standing the Test of Time

What’s in the box?! The Impertinence of Shrinkflation

Social Commentary

Proliferating Art Would Marie Kondo Tidy Up the “Merzbau”?

Too Much Jail! All In!

Human Growth Gigantically Large

Too Many, Enough, or Hardly Any Women in Urban Art

Niche Communities The German Tortoise Association