ridurrai

Ridurrai is a fictional concept used in speculative fiction and related thought experiments to describe a holistic approach to reducing resource throughput while maintaining or improving collective welfare. It is often framed as a governance and cultural practice rather than a single technology, encompassing planning, infrastructure, and behavioral norms that together lower energy, water, and material flows.

Origins and etymology: The term ridurrai is a coined word created for narrative and theoretical purposes. It combines a constructed root meaning to reduce with a suffix drawn from a fictional language used within certain stories. Its exact origin varies by author, but it is typically presented as arising from ecological or resource stresses that catalyzed a social contract oriented toward sustainability.

Principles and mechanisms: In fictional deployments, ridurrai rests on four pillars: planning and transparency, shared infrastructure (such as microgrids, communal kitchens, and tool libraries), feedback and norms (consumption dashboards and time-use accounting), and equity safeguards (protecting access for marginalized groups). Decentralized decision-making, community currencies or time banking, and explicit carbon or material budgets frequently appear as supporting elements.

In culture and criticism: Within the narrative worlds, critics question feasibility, potential for coercion, and the risk of power imbalances. Proponents argue ridurrai demonstrates how societies could decouple well-being from continuous material growth while maintaining social cohesion and resilience.

See also: degrowth, circular economy, sharing economy. References: works of fiction and accompanying essays within the depicted universe.