Notes on Saving the Planet: How to Shape an Environmentally Sustainable Global Economy, by Lester R. Brown, Christopher Flavin, and Sandra Postel (The Worldwatch Environmental Alert Series, 1991) and the Earth Policy Institute website.
Saving the Planet: Foreword [Should read, Forward!]
p. 11: “Such an economy has a population that is stable and in balance with its natural support systems, an energy system that does not raise the level of greenhouse gases and disrupt [E]arth’s climate, and a level of material demand that neither exceeds the sustainable yield of forests, grasslands, or fisheries nor systematically destroys the other species with which we share the planet.”
Are we going to get anywhere (i. e., to tomorrow) when we talk in “yield” terms of our home: Earth? The Planet? We, us, the people, la gente, Earth’s children, her Sisters and Brothers? Offspring of our Mom? No, I do not want to rape my mother, friends and/or neighbors!
p. 12: “The next step is for the world community to articulate a vision of a sustainable society, and for each individual country to develop its own plans for a national economy that can endure…Finally, a series of concrete policies are needed…carbon taxes on fossil fuels, extensive family planning programs, incentives for reforestation, and the establishment of global environmental restoration funds.”
What is mental health on a global scale? Plans for future trade come from creative play! Nations are divisions and at the same time projections of hugeness that are not necessarily natural or fun; subdividing the globe into concrete abstractions makes for little play and little creativity—and thus an impoverished future.
“[T]axes”—always a “nasty” thing in the U. S. Yet look at Germany, where the high taxes actually serve people, not corruption.
“[P]rograms” for family planning? Where is the wonder, the magic, of life itself? How about some inspiration for controlling our own bodies with help from our elders and youngers with imagination? Many plant foods can discourage conception; we should learn about them (see “Conception,” in the Feminist section of this website).
[“R]eforestation” is natural and will happen without human intervention. Still, old growth forest, which traps lots of carbon dioxide, takes years to develop. Simple tree planting, especially of genetically similar plants, does not cut it—does not serve humans to the best of trees’ potential abilities! Deforesting is a crime against humanity, indeed—and against the future of the planet!
p. 12: “What is lacking in corridors of power is an ecologically defined vision at the United Nations headquarters in New York, at the World Bank in Washington, or in national capitals such as Mexico City or Tokyo.” [Boldtype mine.] “National governments and international development agencies still focus on the environmental assessment of projects rather than the formulation of strategies for thriving that will lead to environmentally sustainable economies.” [See “Thriving of HumanKind,”on this website.]
We will invent methods for enjoying and improving our spaces. We will find ways to share that do not hurt!
p. 13: “The real challenge is to go beyond viewing environmental issues as discrete problems, and begin moving to the basic economic and social reforms that are needed if we are to save this planet. And, indeed, to save ourselves!”
But new consciousness is needed—when we have that, reforms will follow–or we will not need them, because we will feel connected to ourselves and each other.
These results we want to see—for the future, for our dignity—depend on experiential phenomena which we cannot exactly predict but can energize, when we act creatively and with each other’s soulful participation.
p. 14: We want “the process of reform” to “become self-sustaining.” We choose to live. The beat goes on!
Saving the Planet: Chapter 9, “Better Indicators of Human Welfare”
One problem with the traditional measure of human welfare of the West—Gross National Product—is that it describes different economies, defined by nations. The world is, however, not made up of nations but people. Borders are not natural for animals like us. Neither is economy. Producing is something that gods do. Tending is something humans do. As the book says, making goods and services does not envision the maintenance needed for the “natural endowments” (p. 122) to continue endowing. “Natural wealth of all kinds is whittled away with no record of the loss appearing in the national accounts” (p. 122.) “As economist Robert Repetto of the World Resources Institute points out, this failure to distinguish between natural asset destruction and income generation makes the GNP ‘a false beacon, and can draw those who steer by it onto the rocks,’” p. 122.
It seems to me that presence, and gifts, are the economy we want to run in the future. Abstracted things and jobs of service tend to develop prices tags which can be adopted by the highest bidder; the buyer and seller may not know each other, so the good/service is less personal and, therefore, is not necessarily passed on with virtue. Likewise, the materials used or personal situations of the seller may lose their relationships to the buyer, thus failing to generate a full experience of value and appreciation in both parties. WE NEED SOMETHING: IT IS TO LIVE IN PEACE. I SEE THAT THIS CAN OCCUR!
Natural endowments employed to create the traded item or process cannot be known if the exchange of gift or present is abstract. Thus, I can’t summon up enthusiasm for using your river gently rather than abusing and polluting it if I’ve never seen it. National/worldly accounts of loss/damage to people and nature are needed–including personal situations. Of course, gift giving becomes beneficial for getting to know the world and its elements; presence is shared with a custom touch.
Yet if new human life is getting produced pell-mell, without villages/clans to breathe value into it, all will probably suffer. And older human, animal and plant resources are needed for education and introductions.
“What counts is not growth in output, but the quality of services rendered.” p. 124. The GNP “assigns a positive value to any economic activity, be it productive, unproductive or destructive,” as Frank Bracho of the South Commission Office in Venezuela is quoted as saying p. 122. “As ecologist and philosopher Garrett Hardin puts it, ‘For a statesman to try to maximize the GNP is about as sensible as for a composer to try to maximize the number of notes in a symphony.’” p. 124.
“By the same token, if deforestation rates, carbon emissions, illnesses and deaths from unclean drinking water, and other measures of well-being were reported more routinely, our ability to judge how well off we are would greatly improve.” p. 130.
Yes, and we need information that is positive to judge how well-off we are—like good news and shared hopes!
“Equally important, we would have the information needed to better set priorities for political action and social change,” p. 130.
We would be in the midst of social change for the better if we had access to each other and our hopes and projects; we would be building relationships based on care and friendliness—with talents applied to the future.
“The effort required to create a sustainable society is more like mobilizing for war than any other human experience.” p. 29.
Wow—couldn’t it be fun instead?
“Once the self-reinforcing trends of environmental degradation and deepening poverty are too deeply established, only a superhuman effort could break the cycle and reverse the trend.” pp. 29-30.
Yes! I am saying that we can all become superhuman—that is within our reach, and indeed is necessary to save the planet/ourselves. That is what I am saying, and it’s based on personal experience, insight, and study. Will you allow me to lead you into the future, where everyone becomes a leader (see Total Leadership by Stewart D. Friedman, 2014, Boston, Harvard)?
“Earth Policy Institute” online:
“EPI works at the global level simply because no country can fully implement a Plan B economy in isolation…
“EPI’s goals were (1) to provide a global plan (Plan B) for moving the world onto an environmentally and economically sustainable path, (2) to provide examples demonstrating how the plan would work, and (3) to keep the media, policymakers, academics, environmentalists, and other decision-makers focused on the process of building a Plan B economy.
“Activities[…]
“People change behavior either in response to new information or new experiences.
“Chris Hoffman of Whole Systems Consulting created an Earth-dashboard, showing the multiple indicators on how the planet is doing …The four Dashboard clusters—Stabilize Population, Stabilize Climate, Eradicate Poverty, and Restore Earth’s Support Systems—represent the four key goals of Plan B for saving civilization.”
But EPI didn’t provide appropriate examples or make effective plans because you can’t see exactly what global phenomena would look like, because part of them would be experiences that we have no way of knowing about. We can approach them creatively, but cannot claim certitude. They ask for our humble inspiration, and connection with others on a real, humane level.
Furthermore, keeping the “decision-makers”—to the exclusion of the rest of the world citizens—informed and focused on building a new world, and expecting that to work, is ridiculous. And do we really want to “sav[e] civilization”? Wouldn’t we rather start again, if possible, trying to create something that really is more to our liking—and better able to let us not just live but thrive?
Here are my reflections on each cluster of the Earth-dashboard.
1. Stabilize population. Now, people decide on pregnancy (or don’t decide) by themselves. Would this change? Who would be in control? If everyone’s mind changed, behavior could change…As EPI states, “People change behavior in response to new information or new experiences.” New consciousness is needed here!
These results we want to see—for the future, for our own dignity—depend on experiential phenomena which we can attempt to plan for: if we act creatively and with each other’s soulful participation! See my suggestions for the thriving of humanKind!
2. Stabilize climate: As we see, this is not yet happening—not on the level of change/stabilization that we need, which is global. For it to occur, we need cooperation; new experiences and new information or new phenomena of an interpersonal sort (like people sharing their ideas and talents, as well as genes, more artistically; art; etc.)—these will nourish us so we can better care for, tend, the globe and each other.
3. Eradicate poverty: This could be approached in an attack, employing morality. But the health of people’s minds/hearts, also, depends on each other’s wellbeing. And all people are necessary for creative works/plays. This means that we are all in the same boat, and it is not a cruise ship.
4. Restore Earth’s support systems: We can go green universally—this would entail becoming more perfectly human, more humane—thriving. Confusing? Unimaginable? Too hard? Take heart! Parts of humanity have lived or are already living in harmony with Earth’s support systems, but we need it on a different, new level now—a global reforestation of our hearts. Our hearts are affected by emotional experiences, as we’ll see when we allow our natures and Nature to breathe, by all holding hands together or some such inspirational act—maybe, rather, laughing at the same joke. Pope Francis quotes in his Querida Amazonia, or The Beloved Amazon, a post-synodal apostolic exhortation, “Only poetry, with its humble voice, will be able to save this world.” (Vinicius De Moreas, Para vivir un gran amor, 2013, Paragraph 46). And I say, “Peace doesn’t come from quietude, / From standing like a tree—/ Creation is its action mood, / So set the spirit free!”
