It's certainly an interesting exercise to parse the components of a word in order to deduce its linguistic provenance. Also interesting (albeit in a different way) for an individual uninvolved in a movement or project — and indeed clearly antagonistic towards it — to claim their personal parsing of the word as the definitive, 'solid' definition. Putting all that aside, my sense in reading your piece is that you perceive the top priority of human civilization as one not of finding a virtuous, reciprocal, and sustainable role in the webs of life, but to constantly 'climb the evolutionary ladder'. Evolution of course is not exactly in our remit; there are far bigger forces that humans driving that process. But in any case what I'm trying to convey in my piece is that the further we seek to 'ascend' beyond our station as Earthlings, the sooner we reach a point of abstraction from Earth that will more likely lead to our demise than to a technological rapture of the sort that's on offer by industrial capitalism. I'd put to you that this offer represents the truly quasi-religious attitude, whereas I find degrowth to be firmly rooted in the practical realities of this planet.