Reference has been made many times in our newsletter to the theory that the very idea of economic growth should be abandoned as an aim, or that, at least, it should be in a radically altered form. This theory was picked up by world renowned environmentalist Albert Jacquard in an interview with l'Express last week in which he rejects the illusion that the current crisis will be overcome through recovery of economic growth. He believes, too, that the crisis provides an opportunity for reflection on the very notion of growth itself. Humanity has been “put under house arrest on this little habitable planet. The wealth provided by the planet has to be managed collectively and reasonably”, which means adapting our way of life to the reality of this wealth, most of which is not renewable and uncontrolled consumption of which is destroying Nature. “The delirium of consumption, fuelled by advertising in all its forms” and “the collective frenzy that happiness depends on consumption” have to be overcome. Jacquard says that “arguing for stability is not the same as lauding stagnation. It is perfectly possible to develop many activities, and among these are to be found the activities that bring the greatest satisfaction: research, the creation of beauty, tackling illnesses, educating new generations, for example”. To his critics, he replies, “Those who, like me, dare to attack the ideology of growth are called killjoys, who are against any progress. In fact, we want to create a dynamic, development that takes account of what the planet can do. It's not ideology, it's realism”. Nothing really new in these ideas? Maybe not. What is new is that they are no longer to be found only in the specialist press and among those readers already converted, but feature in France's best known weekly newspaper. (F.R.)