FEASTA INDICATORS PROJECT

How can we tell whether Ireland is becoming more or less sustainable, economically, environmentally and socially as the years go by? Some idea can obviously be gleaned from changes in key statistics but these need to be chosen well to avoid drowning in a sea of data. The Indicators Group is therefore trying to select a set of statistics to tell us how Ireland is doing, plus complementary sets for local areas and for the world as a whole. Once we've chosen our sets, we'll look at whether they've improved or deteriorated over the past ten years.

At the moment we are picking indicators in such areas as health, manual skills, community solidarity, biodiversity, and natural resource use. Once we've chosen these we'll ask experts to write a few paragraphs giving their assessment of recent changes.

For further information, e-mail the convenor at measuringprogress@feasta.org.

Articles on this topic from the Feasta website:

Articles are ordered with the most recent ones first.

The Economic Challenge of Sustainability   August 2006.

by Richard Douthwaite and Emer Ó Siochrú

This paper, which was written for CORI Justice, gives an overview of Feasta's ideas about economic growth, money systems, peak oil, and the need for a land value tax and for citizen carbon quotas.

Web Version

PDF Version

Taming the Tiger: Introduction to the second Feasta Review by John Jopling

Why the growth tiger is unsustainable and what can be done about it. November 2004.

Lack of long-run data on Ireland's social health by Ana Carrie

An attempt to produce a composite index showing how sixteen indicators of the well-being of the Irish population had moved over the past two decades was defeated by a lack of long-run data. They are not being recorded.

From the first Feasta Review, June 2001:

Uneconomic Growth: In Theory and in Fact

The first annual Feasta lecture, given by Professor Herman Daly in 1999. He explains how economic growth can, in fact, be uneconomic because it can destroy more wealth than it creates.

Book review: Here's hoping the corporate reformers will be left behind

Nadia Johanisova reviews Vanishing Borders by Hilary French

Web Version

PDF Version

Book review: From individualistic to social economics

Ben Whelan reviews Economics For The Common Good by Mark A. Lutz

Web Version

PDF Version

Book review: A small book that packs a big punch

Mary-Lou O'Kennedy reviews The Little Earth Book by James Bruges

Web Version

PDF Version

The Problem with Economic Growth: article by Richard Douthwaite