Great Barrington — The palpable legacy of Dr. Ernst Friedrich Schumacher (1911-1977)—notable economist and pioneer of integrated thinking about economic, environmental, and cultural issues—is closer than one might imagine. Despite German roots, Schumacher left the country prior to World War II (driven by opposition to Hitler), and spent the rest of his life in England advocating for a new value-imbued economics and, by extension, offering a clear and compelling vision for action. At the height of his public writing and speaking, Schumacher made two tours through the United States; across a flurry of lectures, interviews and panels, he articulated a vision of an ecologically-sane, community-oriented economics “where people actually matter.” While few recordings from that period remain, a rare trio from 1977 were recently restored and digitized from original reels and tapes—effectively preserving Schumacher’s voice for the sake of posterity.
Schumacher’s inaugural stateside tour, organized in 1974 by a group including Schumacher Center Co-Founder Robert Swann, introduced the unconventional economist’s “Small is Beautiful“ ethos to many Americans for the first time. By the second tour in 1977, his vision had captivated environmental activists, labor organizers, community development practitioners, and counter-cultural seekers across the country. Schumacher was welcomed among these circles as savant, and a meeting was arranged with President Jimmy Carter.
Three sessions, organized around Schumacher’s guiding concept of appropriate technology, were recorded during a conference at the University of Illinois, Chicago in March of 1977. In the first video, Schumacher talks alongside regionalist Sid Wright and agronomist Sylvan Wittwer on the role of appropriate technologies (such as natural farming and passive solar) in easing fossil fuel dependence. Next, Schumacher participates in a wider panel discussion with a set of organizers and practitioners. He addresses relocalized production, the concentration of economic power, and the ecological limits of modern economic growth. Finally, Schumacher is joined by Mildred Gillingham, addressing the questions of a group of young people anxious about the environment and economic system of their future.
Despite the ensuing 45 years, Schumacher’s ideas resonate today. Many of his notions of sustainability were informed by concerns around “peak oil” in the mid-1970s (when U.S. production reached 9.6 million barrels per day before decreasing through 2008). While the end of cheap oil did not unfold immediately as predicted, global warming and climate change now bring his warnings and precepts—both timely and timeless—back to the foreground of Americans’ collective awareness.
“One step at a time is good enough for me,” Schumacher said—quoting Gandhi while underscoring the importance of tackling the easy things first—after being asked if eating bread that traveled 500 miles is sustainable. As the conversation turned to reestablishing small businesses, in particular bakeries (while keeping with the original question), Schumacher responded with characteristic wit: “Let’s start with the baker, and turn to the automobile at a later stage.”
NOTE: The content of this article was largely researched and compiled by Jared Spears, Director of Communications and Resources at the Schumacher Center for a New Economics. Since its founding in 1980, The Center has been preserving and building upon Schumacher’s lifework; the bulk of the economist’s archives and personal library (to the tune of 2,500 titles) were donated to the nonprofit n 1994 by his widow Verena.
