Monopoly in thinking among national economists

People are getting tired of consuming. Something new is starting to form that is based on a longing for higher quality of life, more spare time and engagement in social/cultural or other creative activities. However, it seems, unfortunately that it will take some more time for important decision makers to understand the unsustainable essence of the prevailing economical system. Economic growth is a similarily unquestioned concept/dogma as the 15th century notion that the planet was flat. Economic growth is, today, the overall answer to most problems; poverty, inequality, unemployment and most frequently how to boost the economy so that higher competitive can be gained. It is used throughout the world, in practically every political instance. One fundamental cause of neoliberalism being the forefront political ideology worldwide (together with all of its problems, mishaps, environmental and social consequences) is the fact that students graduating with grades of national economical is indoctrinated in the same, old-fashioned, extremely narrow and simplistic framework: neoclassical economical theory.

It goes without saying that this will need to be questioned. In editorials, in political arenas, debates of all sorts and furthermore to spread the insight that we need another way of organising our economical system. And good news is, sustainable solutions already exist.

Localisation, down-sizing, democratical participation, ecological economics, social methods of sharing labour and resources, promoting all sorts of cultural activities for the benefit of citizens - a pluralistic economical framework should be what we need.

Planetary boundaries

Johan Rockström presented today at a seminar at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise his latest work together with international collegues; Planetary Boundaries - an explaration of the safe operating space for humanity. In this fascinating and fully-holistical piece of scientific work many important key-insights are presented. The study treats nine planetary boundaries which, being trespassed, the resilience of the Earth as a system is alarmingly undermined. Results show that 3 out of 9 planetary boundaries, climate change, the biogeochemical nitrogen-cycle and biodiversity have been passed the limit of safe operating space.

What can be learned from this important contemporary holistical screening of the planets ecosystemservice functions?

First and foremost, the climate negotiations need to take into account the function of ecosystems and biodiversity as an essential aspect as they help to mitigate climate change.

Secondly, at the longer perspective, we need really to start thinking to modify our economical system. The current driving forces in the economical system are central aspects of unsustainability. We need to transform the economical system so as to be integrated with the ecological, biophysical boundaries the planet poses. We need to understand that the economy is completely dependent on healthy ecosystems.

What a marvelous piece of human history. We can co-create and co-transform the way society is designed, re-value our relationship to time and money and become more cultural so as to replace our dysfunctional cosumption-oriented lifestyle.

Let´s do this.

An alternative to conventional governance

The first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economy, Elinor Ostrom, has with her science opened up an alternative to conventional governance. State or privatized governance over whatever good or natural resource have been the conventional up to now while common governance usually has been regarded as a form of political statement and much doubtful. Elinor studies show that a critical limit in order to ensure a good function of common governance seems to be 15 000 inhabitants. After that limit is trespassed, the agreements among the individuals sharing the resource seem to be easily disrupted and inorder emerges. Also, Elinor shows with her studies 5000 examples of successfull common governance of natural resources ranging from fisheries, forests and grazing lands. This has enormous potential into developing into many more implemented examples. The prize winner could not have been presented to the world with a better timing. Understanding that political systems are not capable in dealing with humanities problems in such a paste that is needed, we rather will have to look in taking things in our own hands and forming communities again so as to live locally, thinking globally - acting glocally!

Global Day of Action

On 6th December the Global Day of Acton will take place. The ambition is through manifestations arranged in hundreds of countries worldwide call on world leaders to take urgent action on climate change during the UN top climate meeting that will be held in Poznan, Poland.

Take the opportunity to demonstrate. Take a look at http://www.globalclimatecampaign.org/

Climate party!

The 16th of October, Think Globally Radio covered a Climate Party in central Stockholm.

The idea of the party, launched by the movement "Klimataktion" in Sweden is to raise awareness of the acute climate situation as well as to highlight the relation of the participants to this global issue. A Climate Party has its roots from the "home sales party" phenomenon. However, instead of a salesman there is a climate whistleblower invited to the party.

Think Globally Radio will soon do a show dedicated for this idea together with representatives of the movement "Klimataktion".

You can visit Klimataktion here.

Sustainable steps: Ecosystem services to be incorporated into business

The responsible investment company GES Investment Services is engaged into developing a new index that will measure companies ecosystem preformance. With the help of World Resources Institutes analyze tool Corporate Ecosystem Review (CER) GES Investment Services takes one step further into shifting the focus of the business sector on end-of-pipe solutions and environmental management standards towards the holistic fact of companies dependency of well-functioning ecosystems. The index will then serve capital investors at the time of investment decision making.

"If we considered the Earth a company, then we would have a capital destruction of 60%", said Cecilia Procopé Repinski, GES Investment Services.

Think Globally Radio wins Community Radio of the Year prize at the Swedish Radio Awards - Wednesday, 24 Sep 2008

Think Globally Radio accepted the award for Community Radio of the Year at a gala event at the Rigoletto theater in Stockholm on September 24th, 2008. The Jury’s motivation for awarding Think Globally Radio with the honor: “A community radio program that takes the environment bloody seriously. A program that through its proximity to science and expertise allows us to understand that we have to think globally in environmental questions.”