Envisioning «a healthy society without an expanding economy » was the central theme of the Conference on degrowth held in Vancouver from April 29 to May 2^nd.  Three hundred (300) people attended the Conference which is said to be the first in North-America.  However the search for responsible and respectful approaches of development has expressed itself in many forms for quite a while.

Among all articles written on the Conference as well as on this growing movement, Derrick O’Keefe’s report entitled The Degrowth Movement Is Growing, published on the May 5th, 2010, provides essential information for those who are curious and interested in the rather but steady construction of alternatives to capitalistic vision of development and progress.

Reminding us that as soon as 1972, the Club de Rome warned the planet that limits to growth would soon be attained, M. O’Keefe enumerates other major contributors, dont Herve Kempf and How the Rich are Destroying the Earth, to building the concept of degrowth.  Research, reports, books and numerous day-to-day concrete actions contribute to keep alive and expand the idea that things must change both to avoid more destruction of nature and to work towards the well-being of humans.

Acting locally is stressed as essential.  Therefore, the Conference ended with a local project of  « a flotilla in the fall to express public concern about the fact that crude oil is being shipped through Vancouver Harbour ».