UNIT 4 NOTES ON TREADMILL OF PRODUCTION.pptx

The Treadmill of Production is a theory in environmental sociology that highlights the unsustainable nature of economic growth and production systems in modern capitalist societies. It suggests that the drive for economic expansion, especially in capitalist systems, leads to the continuous exploitation of natural resources, environmental degradation, and the depletion of ecosystems. The concept is closely associated with Allen Schnaiberg, who developed the theory in the 1970s and 1980s.

1. TREADMILL OF PRODUCTION UNIT 4

2. INTRODUCTION The treadmill of production theory is a critique against the dominant (capitalist) mode of production in industrialised society. According to this theory, new investments in the dominant mode of production are almost inevitable and necessary for higher level of resource extraction, which will yield higher dividends/profits. This will allow the creation of further new investments and new job opportunities for the workers However, new rounds of investment, with new technologies, would result in ecosystem depletion and pollution. It also means higher level of natural resource extraction with no corresponding increase in wages and social expenditures. In spite of these, workers continue to believe that increase investment is necessary for employment and creation of new jobs .

3. It was the treadmill theorists like Gould, Pellow and Schnaiberg , who advocated the treadmill of production theory. While Schnaiberg was its earliest advocate, Gould and Pellow popularize the treadmill theory. The treadmill theorists gave us the context for its emergence, while explaining the logic of the treadmill andits impact on environment and society. The treadmill theorists seek structural solutions to the problems of environment. They are critical of the dominant mode of production. It is in exploring the emergence of the treadmill theory that we will be able to understand it better.

4. THE METAPHOR TREADMILL The treadmill metaphor in the treadmill of production theory depicts a society ―running in place without moving forward. It represented a decrease in the social efficiency of the productive system. This decreased social efficiency of natural resource utilisation produced a shift towards vastly increased rates of ecosystem depletion (resource extraction) and ecosystem pollution (dumping wastes into ecosystem). Apart from the ecological crisis it engendered, the treadmill of production weakened employment opportunity for workers. It benefits the small minority of shareholders (investors and managers) at the cost of stakeholders (workers and community-residents). As workers were laid off by growing treadmill, there is an increased political support, rather than decreased social support for new round of investment, as workers and their families believed that it was necessary for their employment and social progress. In order to understand this paradox, Schnaiberg introduced the termed ‘treadmill of production‘ in 1980.

5. THE LOGIC OF TREADMILL The treadmill theory emerged in the context of increased environmental degradation after Second World War II. The United States, after Second World War, has seen rapid industrialisation and increased growth in production and profit. This has led to new rounds of investment and increase demand on natural resources extraction. The demands for increase productive capacities of industries were met with new technologies from public funded universities, research institutes and private research lab. These new technologies were ‘sunk capital‘ as it increases profits through higher levels of production. As human labours have limited productive capacity, introduction of new technologies in productive system have a multiplier effect. New technology increase sustains production at a higher level. It is important to note that cost cutting always took place at the expense of labour . The reason is labour can be easily replace as opposed to the fixed cost of operating a machine, which is more inflexible. In spite of the displacement of workers, trade unions and government still support new round of investment as they believed that it would bring in new job and employment opportunities. This further enhances the political and economic power of the investor-managerial group. The clout and influence of the investor managerial group can be seen in their contributions to political parties during election. Consequently, politicians give direct and indirect support to ‘economic development‘ pursue by the investor-managerial group. Public also support such economic development as it is consider to be the only path to social progress. Therefore, any group that opposes ‘economic development‘ is bound to fail. With the treadmill, as the model, there is bound to be an increase in profits at the cost of eco-system and natural resources.

6. THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACT OF TREADMILL OF PRODUCTION The rapid expansion of the treadmill of production after the Second World War was largely driven by promises of unlimited energy (such as nuclear energy) and access to natural resources like petroleum. However, this expansion came at a significant ecological cost. It led to inattention to environmental limits while prioritizing economic growth. The utilitarian approach of "sustained yield" (an approach to natural resource management that was concerned with long-term ecological balance) from the early 20th century was gradually sidelined in favor of economic expansion, which ignored the limits of ecology and the environmental consequences of resource extraction. As environmental degradation accelerated, the concept of "limits to growth" emerged. This idea was based on the realization that continuous economic expansion could not be sustained indefinitely without depleting natural resources and harming ecosystems. However, environmental degradation was largely overlooked due to the increasing differentiation of society along class lines.

7. CLASS DIVIDE IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Middle Class Insulation : The growing middle class in industrialized nations was often insulated from the negative effects of environmental pollution. They lived in areas that were upstream and upwind from major polluting factories and industries, thus experiencing less exposure to pollution. Working-Class Exposure : In contrast, the majority of blue-collar workers lived downstream and downwind from the polluting industrial sites. Due to decreasing property costs and limited wages , these workers were often located in the most polluted areas, leading to adverse health consequences for them. This created a stark environmental inequality between the privileged and marginalized groups.

8. CAPITAL PRODUCTIVITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION Barry Commoner’s concept of "capital productivity" helps to explain some of the ecological consequences of the treadmill. Capital productivity focuses on increasing physical capital per worker to increase production and profit. This was contrasted with the earlier focus on "worker productivity", which aimed at reducing labor costs. While worker productivity led to no real benefits for workers (other than job insecurity and low wages), the rise in capital productivity spurred the use of new production technologies that led to higher rates of resource extraction, increasing energy needs, and chemical waste discharge.

9. CONSEQUENCES Impact on Natural Habitats- The acceleration of the treadmill resulted in the destruction of natural habitats, marking the visible expansion of the treadmill of production. The intensification of resource extraction through higher capital productivity led to increased environmental degradation, including deforestation, pollution, and the loss of biodiversity. Declining Wages and Job Opportunities-As the treadmill of production expanded, wages and job opportunities began to decline for the majority of workers. This situation was referred to as the "low road to development“. The low road to development resulted in unrest among workers and growing tensions between trade unions and corporate management. "Job Blackmail" and the Global South-To curtail unrest, corporate management employed tactics like "job blackmail", threatening to shut down factories and move production to the Global South, where labor was cheaper and workers were not unionized. This move, while advantageous for corporations, presented a double-edged sword. For example, in the Global North, workers faced job insecurity, lower wages, and environmental harm.

10. PROFITS VRS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION The expansion of the treadmill system primarily benefited corporate profits, but it also led to economic volatility and worsened environmental degradation. For corporations, higher profits came at the expense of environmental sustainability and social welfare, contributing to a growing inequality in both social and environmental terms. However, not all workers experienced the low road to development. A small minority of workers, especially those engaged in marketing, financial analysis, and customer service, experienced what they perceived as the "high road to development". These workers benefited from higher wages, skill upgrades, and career advancement. They were the few beneficiaries of the treadmill system, alongside the shareholders of large corporations. These workers, though in the minority, were able to leverage the economic growth fostered by the treadmill, experiencing a level of privilege not afforded to the majority.

11. POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE TREADMILL Treadmill theorists argue that supply is determined by the decisions made at the production level , not by consumer demand. While the economic model might suggest that supply follows demand , the theorists contend that, within the treadmill system, production decisions precede consumer choices. These production decisions shape the interaction between humans and nature , dictating the scale and type of natural resource extraction and technological implementation . In this view, consumption patterns may be influenced by production decisions, but the reverse is not necessarily true. The power dynamics of production decisions —where a few elites control the flow of capital and technologies—shape the nature of what is produced and, therefore, what is made available for consumption.

12. Continue……….. According to the treadmill theorists, it is not the consumers, but the producers who decide: The type of technologies used in production The level and organization of labor The volume and scale of production These decisions are largely outside the control of consumers. Although consumers can accept or reject products, they do not influence decisions related to the capital investment in production technologies or the methodology of production. Treadmill theorists criticize the common assumption that consumer decisions drive supply and production. They argue that focusing on consumer choice first would be a fallacy, as it ignores the deeper economic and political structures that govern the allocation of resources in society. By focusing on consumption as the primary driver of production, this approach obscures the power relations embedded in the political economy. According to Gould and others, to neglect the political and economic relations that shape production is to reinforce the status quo, which benefits the elites—those who own and control the means of production. In this system, consumer choice is already constrained by the decisions made by production elites. Consumers might reject products, but they do not have the power to shape the underlying production process that determines what products are available in the first place.

13. GLOBAL DIMENSIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS The global dimensions of environmental problems were highlighted during the Earth Summit of 1992, held in Rio de Janeiro. The summit underscored the connection between the growing transnational production and accelerating ecological degradation. Shortly after the conference, Schnaiberg and Gould published their work Environment and Society (1994), which extended the treadmill of production theory to address the global impact of transnational economies and their effects on environmental history Schnaiberg and Gould's analysis reveals the rising global inequality between the global North and global South. The Global South is increasingly perceived as a destination for cheap labor, raw materials, and a waste sink for the industrialized nations of the Global North. The exploitation of resources in the Global South, facilitated by transnational corporations, contributes significantly to the environmental degradation experienced at a global scale.

14. 5. The authors also observe that the local experiences of individuals and communities are increasingly shaped by the forces of globalization. 6. Every locality is drawn into global competition, which often undermines their ability to protect the environment. This has resulted in a loss of political will at the local level to take meaningful actions for environmental protection. 7. As globalization has spread, the hegemony of the treadmill values and economic form has intensified. The treadmill of production, once largely seen as a phenomenon of the United States, has now become a global phenomenon. 8. This globalized treadmill has become so entrenched that it is increasingly difficult to dismantle. The treadmill model has also defeated most alternative economic and environmental models that might have addressed the global environmental crisis 9. In response to the global dominance of the treadmill model, transnational political coalitions are emerging. These coalitions are formed in opposition to the treadmill's negative effects, such as undermining labor security and increasing ecological degradation. 10. These political movements are attempting to address the inequalities and environmental damage caused by the treadmill of production and to advocate for more sustainable and equitable forms of development

15. CRITICISM OF TREADMILL OF PRODUCTION THEORY BY ERIK OLIN WRIGHT Capitalism vs. Treadmill Metaphor: Erik Olin Wright agrees with the core argument of the treadmill theory that capitalism is inherently anti-ecological due to its structural characteristics. However, he criticizes the use of the term "treadmill" instead of "capitalism" and "producer" instead of "owner/capitalist/investor," arguing that the former is misleading and does not fully capture the essence of the system’s dynamics Importance of Consumption: Wright challenges the treadmill theorists' claim that production is more important than consumption merely because production logically precedes consumption. He argues that market dynamics, such as the logic of capital maximization and free competition, are the main drivers of environmental degradation. According to Wright, these factors need to be prioritized in understanding the ecological damage caused by production. Misconception of Ecological Sustainability: Wright points out that treadmill theorists assume ecological sustainability requires a "no growth" economy. He contends that economic growth does not necessarily mean an increase in physical output. Growth can occur through improvements in the quality of products rather than the quantity of resources used. He emphasizes that economic growth can be achieved with certain types of services without increasing raw material extraction Green Capitalism and Its Viability:Wright critiques the treadmill theorists' skepticism towards green capitalism or a green economy. He argues that green capitalism is not inherently incompatible with the logic of capitalism. Capitalists could be forced to internalize environmental constraints and focus on service and quality outputs, rather than relying on increasing production. He highlights that capitalism is adaptable, and its institutional logic may not inherently prevent the incorporation of ecological constraints

16. CRITICISM OF TREADMILL OF PRODUCTION THEORY BY ERIK OLIN WRIGHT 5. Instrumental Power vs. Functional Logic: Wright suggests that the treadmill theorists fail to distinguish between the instrumental power of capitalists and the functional logic of capitalism. He argues that the instrumental power of capitalists (their ability to influence decisions) might be more relevant in explaining ecological destruction than the functional logic of capitalist accumulation and reproduction. He questions whether treadmill theorists are referring to one or the other 6. The Vision of Ecological Synthesis: Treadmill theorists, like Gould, advocate for an "ecological synthesis" where the state controls ecosystems without regard to profit, wages, or employment. Wright questions whether this is possible within a capitalist society. He argues that even centralized bureaucratic planning aimed at reducing environmental impact could still lead to ecological destruction, and that the implicit vision of the alternative (non-capitalist society) should be clearly defined, rather than left as a "black box" 7. Lack of Empirical Evidence Against Treadmill Theory : Wright observes a lack of empirical evidence against the treadmill theory. If ecological destruction occurred, it could be seen as a victory for the treadmill theory. If little destruction occurred, it could be interpreted as evidence of managed/planned scarcity. Wright suggests that if capitalists voluntarily curtailed capital accumulation and internalized environmental externalities without external pressure, it would be strong evidence against the treadmill theory, but this has never been observed 8. Criticism of the "Treadmill" Metaphor: Wright critiques the "treadmill" metaphor, arguing that it suggests a society that is "running in place" without moving forward. He notes that the treadmill theory describes a decrease in social efficiency of natural resource use, leading to increased resource extraction and pollution, which he believes signifies "moving backward" rather than merely standing still. Therefore, he finds the metaphor inadequate for explaining the actual environmental dynamics