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I would like to advance the concept that a new economy needs to be created, one that is based on true economic analysis, one that supports a healthy planet by being in harmony with nature - not just as a buzz-word, but as a reality.
Enron, a company that stands for deceptive economics and accounting, is a flagship example of what happens when image is not connected to reality. Unless you have been under a proverbial rock, you know what the disastrous results of that dishonest corporation were.
I would make the claim that our so-called first-world economy is an Enron economy, but the environmental consequences have not quite yet hit the fan. The problem is, when the consequences do hit the fan, large numbers of people may be thrown into abject poverty or far worse. Analyses indicate that as oil and natural gas become less and less available, the earth will only be able to sustain one or two billion people, not the nearly seven billion we have currently. Where will the other five billion people go? Perhaps we can avod or at least reduce this result if we find significant replacements for the energy sources currently in use around the world.
As a counter to an economy built on the deceptive promise of eternal, low-cost, abundant oil, a mindset and era that will soon draw to a close, we need an economy based on nature itself, the real world, with sustainable management and utilization practices that respect the inherent nature of our planet.
An example of a new economic service that came to my attention yesterday can be found at DiscoverPerfectEnergy.com. A sample statement from their site follows: "We simplify alternative energy learning and match you with compatible contractors and Associations to meet your individual alternative energy needs, no matter what size or complexity."
This is an example of capitalism that provides a simple service that is in harmony with the long-term health of the planet and of local communities. We need more entrepreneurial efforts of this type, along with wise government to support those aspects of new development that require government support, and along with a wise and informed public that guides and corrects the direction of society based on correct understanding of what society needs.
Services and information sharing are critical components of building a new economy. Just as a plant can not survive only on its root system, so the small businesses springing up centered around new energy and sustainability principles, are part of the interlocked web of spreading information and availability of these new ways of living. These small businesses connect to the roots of new energy and new community, and give them multiple connections in the daylight world of commerce, helping individuals and small companies bridge the gap toward actually making use of and buying into the new systems that are being developed.
My hope is that our country and the entire developed and developing world will begin building this new economy, founded on renewable energy initiatives and strongly supported by national governments in terms of research, incentives, and financing guarantees. On top of that layer of new energy can be built the re-designed layers of heating/cooling, transportation, home and commercial construction, and industry. It is the underlying foundation of coal, oil, nuclear energy, and gas, consisting of components that are not in harmony with long-term utilization and understanding of our planet, that is now causing wars, hunger, and economic stress throughout the world. This appears to be only the beginning of an increasingly painful economy, out of harmony with its own natural self, and intoxicated with cheap energy that is now disappearing. In its place, why don't we move rapidly to construct a new foundation? This foundation would consist of:
- respect for and understanding of the planet and its natural processes
- knowledge of the most effective means of producing energy renewably, from solar (which includes wind, tidal, water currents, photovoltaic, and solar warming) and geothermal
- replacement of energy generation currently under control of profit-centered utilities, with at least a significant portion of empowering, community-generated and individually-generated power
- a new focus on the value of community effort, and a return to the essentials of human endeavor to make life better for humans while protecting all other life, our partners on this planet
This change in values is the challenge of the 21st century. Economic forces founded on natural realities are pushing us in this direction. The unknown is, how hard will we all fight against this, and with what results, until inevitably balance returns to all the natural systems once again.
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Fossil Fuel
