La «double imposture» du développement durable

Abstract

The Earth Summit held in Rio de Janerio in June of 1992 brought the concept of «sustainable development» into the limelight. But the contradictory relations between development and environment are tied to the difficult relations between economy and ecology. The rush of the nearly totally globalized economy into boundless accumulation and competition eliminates the concern for the oikos, environmental or cultural aspects which would contribute to escaping from the «merchandiza tion» and the logic of profit. In fact, the concept of sustainable development is but the latest attempt to allay the negative sides of economic growth. The integration of environmental elements into economical reasoning does not modify the nature of the market economy nor the logic of modernity. The pressure to get around the ecological imperative is permanent. Only because of the everyday «counter-pressure» of public opinion one may hope to see it observed. © Author(s) 1999. This work is distributed.