"Natural Capitalism" by Paul Hawken
Questions & Review
LINK: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/1997/03/natural-capitalism?page=1
One of the most interesting articles by far! The only logical thing to do is gather the successful aspects of the first industrial revolution and divert away from the rest of the system that is damaging our society.
Due to my lack of knowledge, ignorance rather, on the economic system, I need more emphasis on the following:
1. Is a green collar economy a sector of natural capitalism? Or does it define natural capitalism?
2. Hawkin states, “ Our current industrial system is based on accounting principles that would bankrupt any company.” – At the Energy symposium, I was speaking with a student from Columbia University SIPA program who was talking about the finance profession. He mentioned accounting only has one formula, we don’t know why it’s there, but we follow.it. After reading Hawkins Capitalism, he’s proving that Americans are creating a system that is inhibiting society for progressive growth. How do you change the accounting system to suit natural capitalism?? I'm confused.
3."The lesson of Biosphere II is that there are no man-made substitutes for essential natural services." A terrifying fact, but allows us to be even more hopeful for a sustainable future.
4. “We have not come up with an economical way..” Who is responsible for this? I could debate against the government’s responsibility. The green agenda is a social movement, hence, I believe it is up to the masses.
5. "The exclusion of natural capital from balance sheets was an understandable omission. There was so much of it, it didn't seem worth counting. Not any longer." Can someone reiterate this please?? Again, I have NIL hindsight on finance, business, and everything else that relates to it. What does Hawken mean by "So much?"
6. "Natural Capital as a Limiting Factor- The new limits to prosperity are natural systems -- not boats, but fisheries; not sawmills, but forests." Understandably so, though, this would require so much space/land.
7. "Economist Herman E. Daly cautions that we are facing a historic juncture in which, for the first time, the limits to increased prosperity are not the lack of man-made capital but the lack of natural capital." I'm not a history major and so I wouldn't know this-- In what way is the economy system different in our modern society than the previous generations before us?
8.” Nearly one-third of the world's workers sense that they have no value in the present economic scheme.” – What is the main goal for the ‘present economic scheme” anyway?
10. “To create a policy that supports resource productivity will require a shift away from taxing the social "good" of labor, toward taxing the social "bads" of resource exploitation, pollution, fossil fuels, and waste.” Does this also relate to taxing carbon (referring to corporation mostly)?
11. “Of course, a tax shift alone will not change the way business operates; a broad array of policy changes on issues of global trade, education, economic development, econometrics (including measures of growth and well-being), and scientific research must accompany it.” Rightfully so, though as I have mentioned, the green agenda is a social movement. Implementing climate change policies in the government must be pushed by the masses (the US has yet to pass a bill with relation to Climate Change). The responsibility relies on the critical mass as they are the ones that reciprocate with the governments’ policies. It is not just about a small percentage of the population contributing in the green agenda, it is more effective if masses contributed at a larger scale. A people power revolution perhaps?
HIGHLIGHTS:
“For those willing to embrace the challenges of a new era, however, it presents an enormous opportunity.”
“We cannot heal the country's social wounds or "save" the environment as long as we cling to the outdated industrial assumptions that the summum bonum of commercial enterprise is to use more stuff and fewer people. Our thinking is backward: We shouldn't use more of what we have less of (natural capital) to use less of what we have more of (people).”
“Our pursuit of increased labor productivity at all costs not only depletes the environment, it also depletes labor. Just as overproduction can exhaust topsoil, overproductivity can exhaust a workforce.”
“Nearly one-third of the world's workers sense that they have no value in the present economic scheme. Clearly, when 1 billion willing workers can't find a decent job or any employment at all, we need to make fundamental changes.”
“Waste is too expensive; it's cheaper to do the right thing.”
“For example, cars are barely 1 percent efficient in the sense that, for every 100 gallons of gasoline, only one gallon actually moves the passengers.”
“Overall, America's material and energy efficiency is no more than 1 or 2 percent. In other words, American industry uses as much as 100 times more material and energy than theoretically required to deliver consumer services.”
“People want the service that energy provides.”- Lovins
“According to Robert Ayres, a leader in studying industrial metabolism, about 94 percent of the materials extracted for use in manufacturing durable products become waste before the product is even manufactured. More waste is generated in production, and most of that is lost unless the product is reused or recycled. Overall, America's material and energy efficiency is no more than 1 or 2 percent. In other words, American industry uses as much as 100 times more material and energy than theoretically required to deliver consumer services.”
“Specifically, we subsidize carbon-based energy production, particularly oil and coal; we massively subsidize a transportation system that has led to suburban sprawl and urban decay;”
“The purpose of this tax shift would be to change what is taxed, not who is taxed.”
“If economic alternatives are attractive, why aren't we doing them now?”
“An economy that uses progressively less material and energy each year and where the quality of consumer services continues to improve; an economy where environmental deterioration stops and gets reversed as we invest in increasing our natural capital; and, finally, a society where we have more useful and worthy work available than people to do it.”
“if economic "growth" does save us, it will be anything but conventional.”
“Natural capitalism may not guarantee particular outcomes, but it will ensure that economic systems more closely mimic biological systems, which have successfully adapted to dynamic changes over millennia.”
4/5/09
AGAINST ALL ODDS
The Youth Assembly is an annual gathering of hundreds of young people from around the world who seek practical ways to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, global networking and social entrepreneurship skills as well as meeting with and contributing to civil society formally affiliated with the United Nations. The Youth Assembly is about showing how one person can make a difference by engaging with the challenges of the present and being an educated and active citizen.
Last year, I came to the Youth Assembly at the United Nations with no agenda. I was hopeful, and inspired – but I did not know what to expect. It was humbling to be around young individuals, all equally inspirational, devoted, and accomplished, each wanting to make a big difference in the world. I look at this picture and I think, what have I done to get here? Amongst me are accomplished young individuals – and the one thing that I share with them is a passion to change the world.
Let us count the ways. The ever-so-powerful Angela Jhanji from the UK. I am convinced that she will be will be the next UK prime minister, if not, equally as powerful. An International Delegate for London for the Global Youth Parliament, at 19 years of age, and she is already reigning her end of the world. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere Micheal, the Youth Ambassador for Nigeria; Imo State. It was reported by BBC news that the happiest people in the world live in Nigeria. Micheal held true to this nature. He was vocal about critical issues challenging our society today and conveyed this with a smile. The ever-so-brilliant Tessa Satherley from Australia, a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar doing her studies on Physics, Political Science, Conflict Resolution, Middle Eastern Studies while living in the Middle East. The good-person always in the quest for gaining more knowledge, Haruka Tanabe from Japan, another Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar doing her studies on International Relations, Political Science, and International Law. A Model UN Delegate of Hungary, Kinga Katus, who is always diplomatic and truthful. The one who inspires, Miguel Toro Gutiérrez. Founder of "Inspire" who help inspire young men and women by giving them hope of becoming successful leaders in their respective communities around the world. Motivated young individual, Amy Brownstein from the US and at a young age, was globally aware. Farah Al-azab from Jordan, the ever-so-loving and strong woman who has a powerful mind of her own. The one who always stands out, Jillian Thomsen. At 16 years of age, already an advocate for the civil and human rights for young people in Australia, having already immersed herself in multiple leadership conferences. She was one of the most inspirational beings I have met by far. This list can go on endlessly, and I don’t even think that can do justice for the gratification that I have from meeting all the above.
When I was 11 years of age, I had a feeling that made me just know that I was destined to do something great. I had no desire to be famous nor did I know how I was going to do it, or even know what great thing I was going to do, but I wanted to do great things at a magnitude enough to save other lives, other than my own. At 11, this must have been quite difficult to succumb to, and indeed it was.
My teen years came and “my calling” wasn’t quite a great reflection in my life. I was a true rebel – without a cause at times. Despite my rebellion, I was able to manage to become part of the student government. I was awkward like that, an academic failure and yet socially appealing. If you asked someone in high school, who would be the least likely to change the world, I confess, I would probably be in the top 10.
College came and I was no less immature than I was in high school, but I still had that passion-- the passion to change lives. With that passion, and the help of family and friends, I was able to produce a fundraising event which also included a concert. I was fortunate enough to meet with a man named Dabs from World Vision in the Philippines. Dabs was one of the aid workers from World Vision who dedicated his whole life to give education and a decent life to the thousands of Filipino children from extremely low-income families. If there was a man who was changing lives, it would be Dabs, God knows those families need him. He helped me arrange the week long fundraising event and brought amazing children with talent who weren’t able to support their own lives to my university in the Philippines, sure enough, the students who saw these kids sing were floored. All the proceeds went to World Vision, and after a week of events for World Vision, we were able to break the record of most sponsored children by a university in the Philippines. This wasn’t in our agenda, but, it’s what we made possible.
It was then when I realized, how much the power of one (with the help of family and friends) could make a difference. Four years ago, still wanting to make a difference in the world, that passion was channeled into environmental advocacy. Since then, I got myself immersed in conferences to further my knowledge on environmental awareness. In these conferences, I was able to meet amazing individuals from diverse professions, each contributing to sustainable development. I started a facebook group three years ago to be able to meet other people on the similar interests and learn from them. Initially, there were less than a hundred members in the first year to almost 3,500 members to this date. Only proving even more how critical people want to be involved in this critical issue—Global Warming & Climate Change. The hindsight I gained from these experiences is more than any education could ever pay for. When I do something with relation to my passion, I don’t question it, I just know that I have to do it (it's quite strange). It is due to these Global Youth Leaders that I met at the Youth Assembly in the UN that will enable me to pursue that passion even further. They are a reminder of the time that I had when I was 11 and thought that I would actually do something to change the world, they are already changing the world themselves.
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